The Devil's Plaything

Unlike the approach pitch we took to reach it, this climb sports clean solid rock, excellent movement, and great gear as you would have it for most of the way. Up top, where gear is less frequent (but still solid) the climbing is much easier.

Approach this pitch from below via the route 'Gates Of Hell' or from above, having attained the summit ridge and scrambling into a notch with 2 large trees just above and right of this pitch. A fixed rap (black sling and aluminum ring) is stationed there at the edge... rap in 60' to a ledge and work up and right to the base of this corner.

From the base, where a sling belay can be backed up with small stoppers or tiny cams, move up and place gear from a strenuous stance with odd feet and a good cling side-pull with the right hand... work up on this and crimps to reset a high left foot on the initial section of wall (crux), then work up and into the wide crack. Perfect clean stone will greet you with each move.

At the back of the wide crack, there are good jams and good normal (not wide) gear. Continue for perhaps 70' until the crack ends and you encounter a small ledge below a bulge- place gear and work up and left to go to the summit ridge and work up that for perhaps 30' and belay (now a 130' pitch).

To descend, look down the ridge for perhaps 120' to a notch that is inset 10 deep and set back 10, perhaps 40' long. 2 healthy trees grow here, the one near the edge has a newly refurbished sling and locking biner anchor. Scramble down to the back of the inset and grab huge jugs to climb down onto the ledge and trees to rap. A single 60M rope will get you all the way to the ground. A 50M will get you easily to the ledge where this pitch started, whereupon you can replace/refurbish the station at the base of the pitch and rap again, to the ground.

This route lies on the upper 2/3 of the West face of the Devil's Wings. If walking down and right along the wall, a striking off-width will appear in a left-facing corner. This is also the most striking feature of the wall if viewed from the summit of Sunset Rock, just to the West.

Gear to a 'new' #5 Camalot (C4) will sew it up overhead, but nothing bigger than 3" is really needed. The wide part has flakes and narrow cracks back in it more like hand-sized. The initial portion is the crux and protects well on small stoppers.