Bloodline

This last pitch of this route is THE best finger crack in the history of mankind. Ever. I couldn't believe it just kept going and going. Splitter locker fingers. Need I say more? Due to some other reviews/comments, I am going to revise this statement. I will say this is the best finger crack I have done in Red Rock..

Details:

Approach as per Deep Space. We chose the climber left side of the triangle rubble heap getting up to the route start. If you choose to pitch this out, it's about 200 feet of mostly 4th class with a little bit of 5th class mixed in. Call it pitches 1 & 2. This will land you at the top of the rubble triangle heap (as it appears in the Handren guide book picture).

Pitch 3: From the top of the rubble heap, when you look up, you will see a line of bolts going up the face to the left of the chimneys of deep space. This is the first true pitch of the climb. Follow the bolt line up the face, over a bulge (crux), and up committing slabs (trending left) to the base of the finger crack. This pitch ends on a nice ledge with a bolted anchor. 9-10 bolts, 180 feet, 5.10b/c and spicy.

Pitch 4: The money pitch. Follow the amazing and sustained splitter finger crack for ~100 feet up the face. About 50 feet up this pitch, as one crack peters out, switch to another splitter crack (transition protected by a bolt) and continue up excellent edging and finger locks. Before you know it, you will be at a steeper section of the face (possibly slightly overhanging). Continue up this section (crux) to a roof. Pull over the roof with bomber hand jams (#3 camalot) and continue about 10 feet to a heavy duty chain anchor/hanging belay. This pitch is mostly green alien, but you can get an assortment of nuts as well as a few other cams in pods. I took two green aliens and ended up bumping one for about 30 feet before leaving it, and then immediately placing the second green alien and bumping it... 100 feet, 5.11a

Rap the climb with two ropes.

Although we climbed up the left side of the triangle rubble heap as approach pitches, we chose a different method to get off of the climb. From the anchor at the bottom of the splitter finger crack, double rope rappel all the way down to the bottom of the chimney on the climber's right side at the start of the real climbing (pitch 3 above). We had to down climb just a little bit down a gully at the base of this rappel. This is a full 200 foot rappel. From here, proceed down the gully another 50 feet to a tree with rap slings on it. Double rope rappel from here another full 200 feet to the ground. Beat some bushes, head left a bit, and you will be back on the trail leading out.

Double ropes (or rope with a tag), rack with doubles in finger sizes and singles in 1, 2, & 3 camalot, 12 draws. 4 green aliens (or equivalent) if you are not comfortable bumping gear in sustained finger cracks. Wired nuts.