Silver Threads

When you've done the moderate standards on The Witch (

Igor Unchained

,

Innersanctum

, and

Airy Interlude

) and you're looking for the perfect way to start a summer day (read: way too hot in the sun), an adventuresome three pitch route awaits you. Silver Threads lies just lower than the bottom edge of The Witch (Pit and the Pendulum/Witch Doctor). Start around 100m down from the lower West face at a corner system with a large boulder resting against the face just left (an obvious clearing).

Pitch 1 climbs the low angle corner and crosses to the boulder. Sling it with a double shoulder sling (for the psych of it) and look up. Another corner is between 10-15 meters up and slightly left and it has your next piece. The climbing is somewhere between 5.4-5.6 and you can't fall, so sack up and do it. The corner on up is a little dirty, but you're an adventure climber and you eat this grit for breakfast. A bit of wide with grain and you've reached the 5.10- corner. There's some green in it, probably like Igor before the masses smacked Mother Nature down. Nevertheless, the stems and locks make this a fun section. I'd belay below the roof no matter what the Internet/Guidebook indicates, because you're here to have fun, not stretch every pitch with the 70m noose you've been luggin' around.

Pitch 2 is a layback through the roof and then pulls down on thin, seemingly fragile flakes. Pumpy at the start and sublime to continue, with flakes so thin yet so fun. At the apex of the next roof shove that big piece in you've been saving and move directly left to the 3 bolt belay. Sneer at the guy bailing on

Phosphorescent Flow

as you make the move 'cause you know you're off the beaten path and his sports bra wearing girlfriend really wants to meet you.

Pitch 3 moves directly left to the thin, right facing flakes. Then it's up and improbably right through the shallow roof (ignore the fact that while your partner is just going to crank confidently through the wafer thin roof features, you need to exhale and think fluffy thoughts). From there is a romp where you can layback, jam, and haul your way to the top on ever larger flakes.

Descend The Black Rabbit, via a rap station around 25m to the climber's left.

Full rack (including a middle school # 4 Camalot), finger sizes helpful, and small pieces (blue alien, 00 Camalots) are nice for the 3rd pitch.