Red Zinger

An Indian Creek style crack climb which would probably get three stars if it were longer or didn't have a big ledge in the middle.

The climb follows a left facing corner in a west facing alcove about five minutes walk east of Solar Slab gully.

P1: 75', 5.10. Mostly fun, 5.9 jamming and laybacking with a technical stem/reach at 3/4 height. This pitch has several stances/rests and ends at a rap station on a big ledge.

P2: 35', 5.10+. Though Swain rates these two pitches the same, P2 is harder, particularly to lead. The crux is quite reminiscent of The Wave on Supercrack Buttress at Indian Creek -- laybacking around a bulge; have a 1.5 Friend size piece ready to go. After about 35' the crack ends at a large roof where there is a rap station. Two short raps to descend. A single 60m rope might just make it from the second anchor to the ground. If you don't do the continuation described below, the leader will be a lot more comfortable if he/she lowers from the end of the 2nd pitch and belays from the first rap station.

It is possible to continue from the second anchor by slab traversing left about 15' and joining the crack system to left which has its own anchors and which Swain rumors to be 5.9 but looks harder. This continuation would add about 50' of climbing and provides an interesting contrast in styles --an abrupt transition from power laybacking to tenuous slabbing -- but is somewhat tricky to protect for the 2nd on without a big piece (~4.5 Camalot). The crux of the traverse is at the start, so the leader is protected adequately. Once the traverse is over, the crack above, which we did not climb, appears to require wide hand pieces, maybe 3 and 3.5 Camalots.

The climber in photo 1 is starting the P1 crux.

Double set of cams from thin fingers to hands with perhaps a couple of extra in the rattly fingers / thin hands range. A couple of small to medium nuts come in handy on P1.