Dung Alley

This unfortunately-named climb starts out with 30 feet of actual, thrutchy offwidth crack climbing, and then transitions into a face climb through a licheny area of semi-detached plates. The crux is near the bottom of the offwidth, as you're trying to gain entrance to the crack. Protects fairly well throughout, if you've got the big cams.

This route is not described in any of the modern guides, but is noted in the old-time guide. However, if you carefully read Jackson's (2006) description of Summer Dreams and compare it to the old-time guide's description of that same route, I think Jackson actually directs the climber to start at the base of Summer Dreams and to top out on Dung Alley's anchors instead of the actual top of Summer Dreams (which appears to have a bolted anchor about 20 feet right and 10 feet below Dung Alley's anchor, see the MP.com beta photo).

On the far northeastern end of Mosaic Rock. Walk around the east end of the dome, pass the bottom of the standard descent gully, and continue for about another 125 feet. The old-time guide notes that you will "trip over a large detached buttress, climb it." The left side of the detached pillar/buttress is marked by a prominent left-arching offwidth crack. I'm pretty sure this is the correct detached buttress mentioned in the old guide, because of its close proximity to Summer Dreams, which is also described in the old-time guide. If this offwidth route is not Dung Alley, someone let me know.

Two fairly new bolts provide an anchor located at a good stance that lies about 10 feet below the top of the climb. I don't know if you can rap all the way to the ground from this point. I have only ever climbed past the bolts to the top of the formation and walked off the standard descent. I'm not convinced these bolts were necessary, because it's an easy thing to summit and walk off. However, their placement near the top of the climb does allow good communication with the second climber, which might be greatly impeded if you top out and build a belay back from the edge.

Lemme guess: you've got a pair of # 5 and 6 camalots or friends that are still shiny and new. Break 'em out. A single set of cams to #6 would suffice, if you don't mind walking the #6 up with you. Two #4s or 5s would be reassuring in places, though. Hand-sized cams will work once you get out of the offwidth.

As of August 2008 there was some tatty sling and cord, with a single screw-link, hung on the anchor bolts.