Rites of Passage 

I say one of Daves best kept secrets. Way clean except for the mossy pitch super good rock and totally classic climbing. Hardly any small gear needed.4 bd camalots for the first pitch plus a wc 5 and wc 6 plus a 6 to back up the single bolt belay on the first pitch.we thought the crux ow was right off the belay on the second pitch protects with a 6. I thoroughly enjoyed the route thanks Dave.

Good going Zach.

Actually, I've talked this climb up, quietly, since I put it up. It is quite outstanding. Over the years I've learned that very few people are willing to climb routes they haven't seen in a magazine, so I've largely given up on pushing routes. I'd say the position of the upper pitches of Rites of Passage are as dramatic as those on Shunes. The lead-off across the chicken-head face up high has quite the pucker factor even though it isn't that hard. Geoff took a whipper 30 foot leader fall on the FA and I, whimpering, had to take over. An attention grabber.

The mossy pitch can be easily cleaned up if someone is willing to take up a plastic floor scrubber -- the rock under the moss is hard as nails.

For the approach-you can't get to the base of the climb from the base of Shune's. You kind of have to stay low.

The pitch 5 was covered with moss and very sandy. We linked pitch 5 & 6, climbed pitch 7 to the top of OW on pitch 8, and then climbed to the top. I enjoyed the route expect the vegetated pitch, which scared the crap out of me!