Another Day At The Office

Another Day At the Office

starts on the same ledge as

Blue Collar Crack

and the many other routes that use it for access. It climbs sharp left up a blunt arete to a quasi chimney that quickly ends, but brings the climber to a steep arete.

Pitch #1

: Climb to the arete. A hand crack deeper in the recess to the left goes easy to a big chickenhead and steepening slab requiring an athletic lunge past some fixed protection. Trend rightward and reach a blocky headwall where an undercling allows a traverse to the right to a two bolt belay. 5.11, 25m.

Pitch #2

: Climb the awkward thin tight finger crack above the belay until it ends at

King Lizard

or continue past two bolts on delightful chickenheads to the top of the buttress, building your own belay. 5.10+, 20m.

Pitch #3

: This pitch was climbed before the lower pitches of the climb, but sits and waits for you right above it. On the big scrub oak filled belay ledge just 10m above the chain anchors for Red Neck Slab, an east facing slanting crack sweeps up to the top of the main Lizard Head Wall. This may be climbed via OW wide hands from its base or can be approached directly via some steppy cracks and slab that eventually intersect with the difficult and exfoliating layback crack at its top. Walk 2m north on the cut swath of scrub oak "path" to begin. We chose the direct (not having multiple #3-#4 Camalots with us as may be required by the lower portion of the crack) and possibly easier variation to the upper layback crack and two-bolt belay ledge. A crack that works you! 5.10, 20m.

We climbed this traditionally, ground up, without pre-inspection and low down of Pitch #1 not entirely free (thermal and heavy load burn performing our chosen Line Of Work?). Consequently, we were surprised to see the

King Lizard

around the corner to the left. We also were unaware of the previous very bold ascent leaving no fixed gear of this route that had occurred in April.

Walk about 15m to the west and down the

Assumption Of Risk

spur and find a two-bolt belay. Two Rope Rappel.

We found no modern rappel anchors on top, so we installed a two-bolt belay/anchor at the top of Assumption Of Risk. Two rope rappel or find some intermediary tree rappel options to base of the Main Lizard Head Wall.

QDs, set of Camalots, extra #3-#4.5 sizes for pitch #3 and perhaps extra micro sizes for Pitch #2.

Set of Nuts.

Incidentally, Assumption Of Risk looks great, but could use its one old 1/4" bolt replaced and I doubt that it is still an "X", given the advances of modern gear.