Venus and Mars

An outstanding route, but you have to really have it together (solid 5.9 leader) to keep your cool on the last pitch. This route starts in the sandy area below and right of the start to the Tree Route. A bolt will be seen about 25 feet off the ground on the slab. This is the only pro for the first pitch, which starts out 5.5 by the bolt but rapidly goes to class 4 as you ascend to a 2 bolt belay. The second pitch goes over a 5.8 wall above (bolts), then works up and left into a bowl (no pro) below and right of the chopped up looking pinnacle. Climb (5.8) directly up to the right of this pinnacle past several bolts. At the last bolt, traverse straight left the belay ledge at the top of the pinnacle(gear belay). The 3rd pitch is the crux. Proceed up and sltly right to a bolt, then over a couple of 5.9 bulges (bolts) to a horizontal seam. Traverse left to a bolt in a bowl. Smear left to the thin beginning of a small corner--the exposed crux for several 5.9 moves until the crack widens. Proceed to the two bolts of the third belay. The last pitch starts with some 5.8 past a bolt and then more or less straight up past sparse protection (some bolts, small cams, RPs) to the top. You need to wind a round a bit and be very cool and creative on this last pitch.

This is on the beautiful clean wall to the right of the Tree Route. Identify by the interesting chopped up looking pinnacle about 300 feet up. Start in the sandy area the the base of the wall, behind some junipers, below and right of the class 4 crack system leading up to the Tree Route. Look for a lone bolt on the slab above, about 25 feet up. Descend by the Cowboy Route or the Red Nations rappels, or the Crevasse Route rappels.

RPs, rack of stoppers, cams to #3 Camelot. Take a set of tricams and I find #0 and #1 Black D microcams (1 each) to be the only thing that fits in the tiny flared corner at the very start of the crux, as well as nice on the last pitch. Take lots of single length runners and a couple of doubles as there is a lot of winding around.