Black Plastic Streetwalker 

Great route name! I tried to find the route in 1997, but wasn't sure where on the face the route starts, left side or right side. The middle seemed kind of blank. In 2000, there was a new bolted route on the right side of the face that was probably 5.10, and actually a pretty nice route. I heard it's been chopped but they left the first bolt(?), which may protect the initial moves of Black Plastic Streetwalker? Any body have more details?

The bolted route to the right is called "Lessons From Laeger" (5.10b) FA: K. Daniels et al and has (had?) 4 bolts

My recollection of the climb (BPS) was to climb more or less straight-up the face. What's amazing is that just when you need it there's a hold and/or a gear placement. Excellent route for those comfortable at the grade.

On the FA, Lechlinski used a slung knob at the start and zero bolts on the pitch. It started right on the edge of the face, and moved up and right. The original rating was 5.9, and the name comes from all the fine ladies we would see while on freak tours in Hollywood. I think besides me, Banny Root and the Manx were there for the FA.

The bolted route to the right? How much further right can you go? I'm kinda senile, but I'm thinking the Lessons from Laeger route is in the middle of the face and had a couple of fixed heads in it at one time? Unless someone has bolted the Streetwalker... that would be a shame.

Was up there yesterday. After talking to Russ and looking at the Lechlinski FA pic, it appears to me that the "4 bolt route to the right" is not another route but actually a retro-bolt of BPS. There really isn't any further right to go from BPS without straddling the arete, and the FA pic is exactly the line where the bolts have appeared. The first bolt is clippable from blocks on the ledge and located just above the slung knob/horn visible in the FA pic. Second bolt is out near where he is standing in the pic. All 4 bolts are intact as of 12/5/06.

I'll go out and eyeball the routes again, but Black Plastic Streewalker (BPS) and Lessons From Laeger (LFL) are two separate routes in my mind. BPS climbs the middle of the seemingly "blank" face, and it's that very fact which makes it such a cool route.

LFL takes the face/arete right of BPS, and Kevin Daniels, who did the FA, would never bolt a pre-existing, documented route.

Go back and check again, I think the angle of the pic from the FA may be throwing you off.

Oh, and if this is 5.9+, then so is Clean and Jerk and Rubicon...talk about a sandbag!

Chris... look at the photo... how you going further right? There was a route up the middle with a couple of fixed heads a long time ago... I always thought that was the Laeger route.

4 Bolts now on BPS? Mercy.... Might need to warm up my chisel. How would Kev know there was a route there??? Was the guide out back then? When did he add the bolts/do the new FA? (assuming he did)

Might be 5.9++..... that should fix the sandbag.

Edit:: after looking at the 1992 version of the guide, the route line is in the wrong place for BPS! Just looked at the photos from the FA day and Moe is way on arete, placed a couple pieces of pro out there (God knows what) and then went back left to a seam or something near the top.

i guess i should pay more attention.

when i headed out to the arete i had no idea i was on mike route. bummer, i would not have drilled if i knew. mike was and is one of my heroes ! that said if he did climb straight up the arete as i did OS and on lead he is a bad man.

help me out here guys, i dont pay these sites much attention. did i bolt mikes route ? if so i better make a phone call and russ get your tools out.

i think i put those bolts in around 1994-95

kevin daniels

The 4 bolts are still intact. You can supplement with small - medium gear in horizontal cracks which are hard to see from the ground.