The Christening

NOTE: I'd give P1 2 stars, maybe 2 1/2, and the rest of the climb zero. The combination of the "Christening's" P1 and "Night Climb's" P9 is, by far and away, the easiest & safest way from the Big Tree Ledge to the summit area.History - The Jon Sykes' guidebook "The Notches" (pg 36, eaglecliffpub.com) reported this climb and its 1985 FA with the comment "probably the finish to 1966's "A Night Climb for Two Knights".Prior to Jon's publication, Ralph W. and I were exploring the area around Ground Control and Night Climb and climbed the first pitch of the route as an alternate pitch to avoid the 5.7X of Night Climb's original P8. I duly added this as a preferred variation to Night Climb, at the time not crediting the Kinnons. (Now corrected)As explained in a note to Pitch 8 in the "Night Climb" write-up, the description for The Christening's P2, and especially P3, is too far left for these pitches to be part of "A Night Climb"; in fact once P8 (P1 for the Christening) ends at trees on the right, there is only one short-ish pitch 9 to the top trees on "Night Climb", whereas The Christening climbs one more slab in a P3. I believe I climbed that upper, low-angle slab of P3, (while a bit lost) the first time I did Ground Control. The pitch is on a dirty slab above and to the right of the normal finish of Ground Control. (i.e. well left of "Night Climb's" finish). Once you finish this slab I refer to, you are only a few feet from a herd/climber's path.P1 (per description in "Night Climb) - From the belay at the base of the grassy ledges, move out right and then up into a right-rising gully. (photo)  Climb this to the top, make a step up left, then directly up and arrive at easier climbing. Continue right, to a tree belay 5.5-5.6 about 130-140 ftNOTE- From a good tree, located about 20-30 (+/-) ft to the right of the start of the trees, the last pitch of Night Climb climbs straight up a clean streak of grey granite. At the top, step left into the trees. about 80 ft, 5.5 R/XP2 - Up left (More detail in "The Notches") NOTE: Today there is much dark moss/lichen in this area, what it was like 32 yrs ago is anybody's guess.P3 - Up "one more slab" ("The Notches" pg 36)

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