Variation to Third Pitch of Yellow Spur

This variation isn't found in any databases or guidebooks that I have seen, and it seems no less significant than many of the routes listed herein or therein - which isn't saying much.

On Feb. 19, 1984, I led a variation to the third pitch of

The Yellow Spur

. It begins from a belay atop the second-pitch variation (Dalke/Ament, 1962, 5.8), the right-facing dihedral that goes straight up from the top of

Yellow Spur's

first pitch. Above this second-pitch dihedral, I climbed up into another right-facing dihedral. Where this dihedral ended, I climbed over a rotten bulge and continued up to the red traverse ledge, arriving near the base of the giant, left-facing dihedral on the

Yellow Spur's

fourth pitch. My partner was Anne Leibold.

This variation begins atop the Dalke/Ament variation to the second pitch of

The Yellow Spur

.

SR. I remember fiddling with pro for a long time before committing to surmount the rotten bulge and heading farther into unknown territory, while Anne encouraged me to retreat. The sun was going down.