Blind Faith

Pitch for pitch, this route is as good as the Regular Route...if only it got more traffic! Be careful of loose rock and crispy flakes on this at all times.

Pitch 1 (5.11d): Just to the right of the crux pitch of the Regular route is a finger- to off-finger crack. While slightly less steep than its neighbor, the awkward size and poor feet make it considerably harder. Climb this and then switch cracks, continuing up to a 2-bolt belay in a bay bush.

Pitch 2 (5.10b): Climb flakes up to a slowly widening crack, starting with hands and going all the way to 5". Continue past the small roof and build a gear anchor right after this in a finger crack. This pitch is hard for the grade (I suggest 5.10c) and takes all sizes of gear.

Pitch 3 (5.11a): Climb up to the enormous, can't-miss-it offwidth. Sustained armbarring and eventually stacking will get you to where it pinches down to hand-size. Carefully traverse left to the Pitch 6 belay on the Regular route. You'll want to pull out all of the wide arsenal for this. The guidebook says 5.11a but I thought it was about 5.10d.

From here, you have several choices for your 4th pitch.

Option 1, leftmost: This pitch is called the Excellent Adventure. I haven't done this, but it takes you up a finger crack to the Rostrum Roof. (5.13)

Option 2, center: This is pitch 7 of the Regular route, starting up the Guano cave, up to the hanging flake, then continuing up and left into a very overhanging corner with pumpy handjamming. (5.11b)

Option 3, rightmost: This is the original Blind Faith finish. Start as with the handcrack, but when you get to the hanging flake bust right into a flare. Belay at the top of this or if you like, continue up the P8 offwidth to the top. (5.10d)

Pitch 5:

Option 1, leftmost: Original Regular route finish. Don't really know much about it except that it goes at 5.12b.

Option 2, center: The Alien finish. Also 5.12b.

Option 3, rightmost: Depending on how you did the last pitch, you may or may not have to traverse under the roof until you are standing at the base of a right-facing corner. This offwidth leads to the top and is guarded by an awkward entry move. (5.10)

Starting from the midway ledge on the North face. Use the approach trail for the Regular route to get here.

2 each .3 camalot to 3 camalot, one each 3.5 camalot, 4 camalot, 5 camalot, 6 camalot, 3 each .75 camalot.