Heather 

Hi John. How are you? I might add a few things to your description. The route involves a fairly stout and potentially painful boulder problem right off the tree ledge. The section traversing left is hard but don't underestimate the last bulge either. Has someone done the route without the ledge? Lastly, climbers will want tape since much of the crack consists of those finger-munching little pods typical of the Airation buttress.

Most ratings of Heather that I have seen are 5.12b. It's probably a bit longer than 75 feet since it goes to the top of the wall.

Hello Peter, good to hear from you. I'm older and pretty arthritic but living in southern colo and building a house. I hope to be climbing again in the fall.

I sure don't know of anyone going straight up without the ledge but it sure seems possible.Was the boulder start done by Hugh ? The move right on the bulge IS hard but I always thought it not the crux- but the route really has 3 hard sections and is tough.

john

I'd like to think someone has gone straight up. It would add 3-4 cool hard moves. The ledge rest is kind of a flaw in the line, but bypassing it would fix that problem!

Is this the Rick Fleming who first freed Heather? I remember working on the moves going straight up on toprope but it might be more contrived than it appears.

Hi Peter. Yes, same me. I haven't been on the route since 1980, but climbing plenty. I looked once at the straight up version, and even broke an old fixed pin on a fall. The rest version was good enough for me back then!