Spruce Tips

A scrappy little climb that works its way up an improbable blank face using a sharp arete as a sidepull and heel hook and then traversing into an amazing finger crack for the upper halfIt is not your typical Palisade Head route. Short and punchy, no corners or stemming, and small nubin feet everywhere.Lots of choices for how to start. The fist crack on the left, stem your way up against the column to the right, or just go directly up the face. Either way, your goal is to reach the horizontal crack 10 ft up and it doesn't really effect the grade.Then work your way up the face using the sharp arete to your right and a few key holds on the face. Once level with the base of the finger crack, traverse left to it and try to find some feet to move up. Follow the finger crack getting better and better as you go up. Traverse slightly left up the diagonal hand crack near the top and then find some final good edges to finish.Note: There is a lot of loose rock on top of this climb so it doesn't lend itself well to a top belay. Its not impossible, but if you move at all on top, you will likely rain down rock on your climber. Best to just set up a sling shot and rap down the escape gully. Even when leading, I set up a sling shot so I could just clip and lower and didn't have to top out, avoiding bombing my belayer with rocks. 

Broadly speaking it is in the Southern Ramparts area,  about a quarter mile south of the parking lot and down a 3rd class scramble to reach the top of the climb. Between the popular easy climbs KGB and Socket Wrench.

The base of the climb is immediately to the right of Night Vision and left of the tall free standing pillar.

To reach the base, the easiest way is to rappel the escape gully.

See photos for a visual.

Single rack of cams .2-.75, a couple draws, and a small nut or two.