Mustang Cracks

Most of this was taken from the latest edition of the "Red Rocks - A Climber's Guide II. I've also climbed the route and added more beta. The route climbs a crack and corner system in the center of a triangle shaped wall of varnish.

P1 - Scramble up blocky terrain to a short right facing corner.Climb the cracks on the right to a pine tree. Continue up over a couple of walls and fight some shrubbery until you reach the base of the crack/corner. Either build an anchor in the crack at the base of the start of pitch 2 or belay from a bolted anchor 10 feet to the right. 90' 5.6

P2 - Climb the long crack through a pod to a bolted anchor at the base of a prominent black corner. The crux of this pitch is the first 8 feet. 90' 5.9

P3 - Make some thin and reach moves up the corner and then move out right along a rail and climb the easy face on good edges. Move back left to a bolted anchor when nearing the top. Crux of this pitch is the first 15 feet. 80' 5.10d Variation: climb the corner directly to the anchor. Been TR'd 5.11d

P4 - Climb the corner to a bolted anchor. Use the arete when it gets thin and then move back into the corner. 70' 5.10c

Descent: It is possible to rap the route with a single 70m rope. I would imagine a single 60 m will get you down safe as well

The only negative aspect of this route might be the long approach. Make a day of it and climb some of the other routes to the left on the The Monument.

Right hand side of the gully to the right of The Monument. From the Black Velvet parking area, head towards The Monument. Stay low and skirt the monument until you reach the far right side. You will see a gully just to the right of The Monument. Head up this gully to the base of a triangular wall of varnish. Start directly below a tree that appears to be at the base of a crack system. There is a good picture of the fourth pitch on page 40 of the Handren guide book (2nd edition). 

Single rack to #4, RP's