Ball Scratcher

Looking for something a little different? This route will test your balance & footwork more than your fitness. The technical prow requires patience and focus, not the typical bulging forearms found elsewhere along these cliffs. For this reason, this route is a poor warmup (except maybe for other weirdness like Swahili Slang) but it can offer some entertainment after The Undertow Wall has worked you over.

Begin with easy stemming up the dirty, mossy gulley. Move left onto the prow, and work between the horizontal breaks with long reaches and highsteps. Look left for the occasional sharp, incut edge. The right side of the arete will provide sloping sidepulls at a few key moments. The sustained nature of the climbing will keep you on your toes, and the stingy bolting will keep you focused.

The next route right of "Heart-Shaped Box", on the far left end of The Motherlode. The route climbs a low-angle, blunt prow at the point where the left-side approach trail first meets the cliff.

~5 Bolts, 2BA