S-Direct 

Photo by John Glime is me starting the crux pitch, with Vicente Planelles on belay.

The bolts on the pitch in question are there. Bolt 1 is above the anchors, bolt 2 is long traverse right, bolt 3 is another 30+ feet up (1/4'er), and bolt 4 now exists. A new 3/8" next to an old 1/4'er. From this point we wandered left to the overlap with gear placement above the Variation. Those (1/4 inch) anchors were not what my partner and I deemed safe, so we traversed back right to Nob Job's anchors. Twin ropes are imperative on this route. We also did not do the final pitch. This allows you to exit more gracefully. 2-rope raps from Nob Jobs anchors twice, then from the Lunch Ledge.

The always perfect wordsmith styling of the Ruckman guide sez it all..."bold elegance on a sea of white granite". Very fine route. I think the variation straight up after the crux is a better line. Bold and memorable.

Mark,
It is now possible to climb all the way to the summit block of the Thumb and rappel down to the
Thumb gully via the Matrix and NobJob (may be easier pulls and more direct)....albeit with two ropes!
Ciao

When we climbed this in fall 2005 I swear the bolts must have been replaced (if so- many, many, thanks). I'm sure I would have crapped my pants climbing this with 1/4"ers. Much praise to whomever replaced the bolts and saved my skids.

The 3rd bolt on P2 is still a button-head, looks solid but made me feel a bit queasy. Kinda strange since all the other bolts have been updated.
I clipped everything with a shoulder-length runner + long draw and rope drag was non-existent.
On my first trip up there I clipped the 3rd bolt and traversed up and left to the overlaps instead of going up to the 4th bolt. It was pretty mellow as the slab gets more featured and there's gear/chickenheads to sling. This time I went straight up to the 4th bolt (stout) then traversed left to the anchor and if felt considerably harder and more runout. I placed a nest of really poor micros in a flake halfway between the bolt and the anchor and was puckered until I grabbed the chain.
I still feel like the first slab pitch is the crux though...

Stunning. This is THE CLASSIC slab route at this grade in Little Cottonwood. Do not miss this route.

ya Tim it is! Time to go back and do this beauty again- tis the season!
My favorite way is to start with a Standard/Indecent Exposure until its possible to work right to the 5.8 groove pitch of S-Crack. This is a fantastic pitch and doesn't require doubles of anything if I remember correctly. And I definitely agree with Tea that the direct variation after the crux is the way to go unless you enjoy combining your slab run outs with rope drag!

Replaced 3 bolts at the belays and the last 1/4 inch lead bolt(now a Big Fatty 1/2") today.

Thanks for putting in those new bolts. This is an amazing route and I agree the direct second pitch is well worth it.

A few commets about the "description" given here.
1. all the bolts are present; most of them are new-ish.
2. All the belays have bomber rap-ready bolts.
3. Don't make a belay in one of the overlaps on pitch 3. The chains are just above the final (third) overlap.
4. Take a handful of cams (fingers to tight hands) for the overlaps on P3.
5. The route can be rappelled with a 70m, as follows: from the top of the 5.8 squeeze finish in the big roof (set of chains) to the top of P3; from the top of P3 to the top of P2; from the top of P2 to Lunch Ledge. Walk down lunch ledge to the chains atop Indecent Exposure; from there, three more straightforward raps to the dirt.