Final Exam

On the South-West face of Castle rock, slightly more West than South, there is a wall that forms a slight amphitheater. The Buttress holding

Skunk Crack

,

Comeback Crack

, and

Curving Crack

forms the left-hand margin, and the famous old Aid Roof (now freed) form the right-hand margin.

The back left corner of this amphitheater is a huge dihedral with an overhanging wide crack route called

Bailey's Overhang

(5.8). Just to the right of

Bailey's Overhang

, perhaps some 30 feet is The Final Exam.

Coffin Crack

lies just to the right of The Final Exam.

To climb The Final Exam, climb up and left on a flake-like feature to just below a thin crack through a bulge, not far from the ground. Climb up through the bulge on reasonable pro, and then up the crack system until it begins to run out. At that point step right to another crack, and after a short distance back left to a multiple cracks system, which has reappeared. These cracks will take you to the base of an obvious roof. At the roof you may traverse left to finish on

Bailey's Overhang

, right to finish on

Coffin Crack

, or best of all, shoot straight up through the (sandbagged)

Pass Fail Option

(5.11a???) to get above the roof.

Climb any of the finishes to reach a ledge up and left of the center of the roof and belay.

From there a set of raps, or downclimbing to the raps above

Polyester Leisure Suit

will get you back to the ground.

A set of brass nuts + a standard set of nuts and cams to 2.5" or larger, depending on the finish.

If finishing on

Pass/Fail Option

(5.11a) take a set of cams 1.5" to 3" for that. If finishing on

Coffin Crack

(5.10) or B

ailey's Overhang

(5.8), take pro to 4".