[Hide Comment] This is a heck of a squeeze job even for being super skinny like me. Best bet was to keep my right side facing the chimney and inching up from there. If nobody is on the Lieback, go that route instead. Oct 9, 2008

[Hide Comment] I agree. This was the most brutal and unnecessary 5.7 ever. Oct 27, 2008

[Hide Comment] Even Don Reid warns about Yosemite being a valley of demanding cracks. I think he saved it for the topo of this pitch. The fact is that it has smooth granite with perfect chimney/squeeze/offwidth moves. You can take a no hands rest after every move on the bottom of this climb. Just look at the picture and you will see the solid foot-to-knee jams for the outside leg. Also, look at the perfect elbo-to-palm jam for the outside arm. You can get this jam on the inside as well. Just make sure the elbo is above the palm. You can really move off this jam exclusively while resting on the knee-to-foot. Do this one left side in, and remember to only move a couple of inches at a time. After practicing your technique, the hardest part will be picking the leaves out of the hand jams on the top half of the pitch. Enjoy!!! Dec 30, 2009

[Hide Comment] After grunting through the first squeeze chimney and nearly getting stuck (I'm 5'10"; right shoulder in worked best), I stepped right onto the face and found the face/crack climbing to the right of the gully MUCH more enjoyable and well protected. If you plan to lead up through the gully without running it out, it looks like you'll need an ample arsenal of 1-2" gear, more than I had available. Aug 2, 2010

[Hide Comment] Easier than the 5.7 OW on Crescent Crack in Little Cottonwood Canyon, UT, with better pro too! Awkward enough to get you working, but once you figure out a ratcheting sequence, it's not too bad and never insecure. I spent more time deciding which side to put in than on figuring out any later moves (ultimately I chose left-side in). Dec 14, 2010

[Hide Comment] Interesting climb... I had a hard time doing standard chimney moves since I'm 6'2".... Lot's of heal-toe & chicken wing moves for me. Great climb to work on this technique. It's a lot easier if you're harness is not full of gear (like most tight climbs) May 18, 2011

[Hide Comment] BITD when I climbed this route, I did something similar to Floyd Hayes and abandoned the chimbey for some pleasant crack and flake climbing to the right. It's much nicer that way! I was able to use entirely passive pro as well. The chimney is a real grunt. Sep 11, 2011

[Hide Comment] If you are looking for sweet chimney action, do not abandon the chimney. A hand crack in the back and some heel-toeing will get you up to the final finger crack in no time. Very protectable as far as chimneys are concerned. Oct 11, 2011

[Hide Comment] One of the best 5.7 to kick all s&@t out of gym 5.12 climber's lower back :)

Bring some purple/green to yellow/blue cams, 70m rope, a double shoulder sling, a couple lockers and a couple of plastic climbers ready to crash Yosemite granite at 5.11 or 5.12 grade. Have fun! Oct 14, 2014

[Hide Comment] ^^^^ Hahahahahahaha

Mega-do-must-Classic for plastic climbers.

If you think this one is bad try the first pitch of DNB. Jan 3, 2017

[Hide Comment] Fun practice. I went right side in through both chimneys. Crux was keeping my 2 #4s out of the way as i got wedged with them (don't take any because you won't place them). 1 or 2 #3s is plenty, doubles down to #.4, nothing else except a third #.75 if you like to stitch it up. Secure heel-toeing on the upper chimney (don't escape right like I saw other parties doing). Sep 30, 2018

[Hide Comment] I stayed in the chimney the whole way, and ended on the finger crack in the corner up high. It was a little dirty but the jams up high were really secure. I was really glad that I didn’t escape out right. Doing this with a gear sling was a bad idea, it was getting in the way so much. You don’t really need large gear, I bumped a #5 in one section a little. I rapped off the tree to the left straight up from the climb and the slings were in good shape. Jul 3, 2023