Super Pooper 

Awesome route that follows a great line. The crux pitch, in my opinion, is definitely stout although the gear is good. I also found the ending 5.7 pitch rather exciting - at least the way I climbed it.

We started at the base of The Trough, and then angled left towards a tree and a belay. The next pitch (From Bad Traverse) continued angling up and left and eventually gained a good ledge to the right of the obvious manzanita covered ledge. CONTINUE UP TO THE NEXT LEDGE PAST THIS FIRST LEDGE (up a 5.7-5.8 crack). I belayed on the first ledge and regretted it on the crux pitch - too much rope drag!

P1 (5.10b) - The crux pitch is long and goes at 5.10b (in my opinion). Work up the left trending crack tackling bulges, thin cracks, and wide sections as they present themselves. Eventually step left into another crack and head upwards to a belay stance near a sloping ledge and below twin cracks on the left wall.

P2 (5.8) - Climb the fun, twin cracks for about 70 feet to a nice stance.

p3 (5.7) - Despite the grade I found this a challenging pitch! I'm still not 100% sure I was on route, but the rock was clean so I assume I was. If anyone knows let me know! Head up to and layback the wide, left facing corner to a roof. Pass the roof on the left and continue up a small crack. Place some gear and make an awkward, steep move up and left to gain another crack. The pro is tricky in the next section. Move up and right (I managed to get a good steel nut somewhere around here in a pin scar) and along the undercling until you get to an obvious break. Get some pro here. Climb up the jugs to the left and onto a good ledge. Now the sting in the tail! I had tremendous rope drag here, and the next 15 feet of "5.7" slab climbing was relatively terrifying with the rope drag and 40 foot leg breaking fall potential.... but it worked out :) Was I on route? The rope drag was horrible despite good use of long slings, and the slab is featureless... so use caution.

Gear - Double camalots #0.5-#3. A #4 camalot could be useful. Good helping of nuts including small wires and/or steel nuts. One set of TCUs. Bring LOTS of long slings!

Heh, it's been a while since I climbed this one but I had almost the exact same experience as Andy on the last pitch. Bad rope drag, looking up at a featureless slab facing a bad fall, and wondering if I was on route. I ended up deciding to back track a bit and head around to the left, which ended up being casual.

First couple pitches are stellar.

Just did this yesterday and wished I had done more research (I did basically none). Here are my notes.

We skimped on the large gear (#3 and #4 C4) which was a mistake. This climb requires the gamut of sizes. Black Alien to #4. Throw in some micro nuts for good measure.

Andy has it right for the start "CONTINUE UP TO THE NEXT LEDGE PAST THIS FIRST LEDGE (up a 5.7-5.8 crack)." This ledge is above and right of the large tree. The crack he mentions is splitter.

There was an unexpected and delicate traverse left on the crux pitch. We did this around where the crack widens to #4 C4. Just know that at some point you will want to switch to the left crack.

For the last pitch, after you pass the roof you will wonder where to go. The way is left for a few more moves. I started out right past a horn which was definitely not safe. After heading left you will either head up and right to rope-drag hell like Andy and I, or may be lucky enough to find a way that is "casual" like Aaron. Maybe Aaron was just smart and slung his gear long.

On P1 I got a great view of a woman beginning the traverse / flake pitch of The Vampire. Blank vertical slab with her climbing right up it - great photo if you have some buddies willing to coordinate.

Climbed it again on 6/9/08. More notes....

• Shady until 1pm in early Summer

• I brought nuts, micro nuts, double cams from TCUs to #3 camalot. I brought a #4 this time. Next time, I'll replace the #4 with a #3.5

• Belaying on the higher ledge as mentioned above is much better for the first pitch. Way less rope drag and breaks up the longer crux pitch. We got here in two long pitches from the base of "The Trough". Expect some route finding challenges if you are not familiar with the terrain.

• Crux pitch is still stout... 10b IMO.

• Last pitch. There is only one way to go, I investigated all other options and there aren't any. Up the lieback, around the roof, up the crack, jog left, then up and right. Keep going right and then step up on to the ledge. I extended everything as best I could and the rope drag still SUCKED. Rather than fight the drag on the 5.7 slab, I just pulled up 20 feet of slack, held it my hand, and padded up the slab. Way better than fighting the drag, and it is a NO FALL zone anyways... so what does it matter if I have 20' of rope in my hand :)

At the top of the 5.8 splitter crack pitch (#3) you can finish up the climb on "The Price Of Fear" 5.10c. Go right from the belay and follow the natural features to the arete (lots of exposure) you can get in some small nuts and cams for protection as you make your way to the arete. After wards you have 3 bolts to the top, I believe this route was bolted on lead so after the 2nd bolt on the arete you are looking at wild runouts on 10c slab with 500-600 hundred feet of air beneath you. Very spicy.

The comments really make me glad I did this route because I've never really appreciated having done it. My partner and I were so psyched to get on it, it's strange. because we blazed it so fast, the only part I remember was placing a old #4 stopper at the little "V" crux — where you step up and left with a lot of exposure.
We had a basic rack of hexes and stoppers, #9 hex being the biggest. I'd like to do it again, now. Thanks!

The rope drag spoken of on the last pitch can be avoided. I linked most of pitch 2 and 3 together with a 60m rope (I belayed right before the runout-slab topout, at a sloping stance underneath the final overlap) and only stopped there because I ran out of rope, not because of rope drag. As you approach the short roof traverse on the third pitch (which immediately follows a section of liebacking up a 3" crack/corner), avoid the temptation to place gear during the last eight feet or so of the corner, and when you place a piece under the roof, put a long sling on it so it won't get sucked into the crack as it turns the corner. I placed a #2 (yellow) Metolius TCU here.