Cloak & Dagger

Cloak & Dagger takes an independent line right of

Comic Relief

and Perfect Art, but starts on the same ledge as

Comic

or

Escape Artist

.

It's highly probably that some of these pitches have been climbed before. However, it's unclear if anyone has done this exact line. While talking with a few of the more seasoned veterians of the Black, it appears that at least a few pitches were new territory. Thumbing through the binder of original topos provided no descriptions of this area right of

Comic Relief

. Any additional info would be welcomed.

One thing is for certain though, despite who climbed what and when... this is a hidden gem of a route, worthy of more traffic and a great alternative to

Comic Relief

or

Escape Artist

.

P1 (5.6ish). Start on the

Comic

/

Escape

ledge and traverse right around the corner to an obvious pegmatite slab/gully. Follow this rib of peg to a ledge below a chimney and a fist crack on the left. Some parties may choose to free solo.

P2 (5.9+). Climb the fist crack and continue through the chimney to another small ledge below a nice looking, thin fingers dihedral.

P3 (5.10+). Climb the dihedral, leading through a small bulge and continue up a 5.9 crack system to a belay beneath an obvious, crescent-shaped roof with black streaks on the wall.

P4 (5.10). Move left under the roof on good hand jams and continue up a 5.9 crack until you can move left into a lower angle weakness. Follow this to a large ledge with a massive, right-facing corner.

Beware of the rope wanting to get sucked into the corner of the roof as you climb above it. Try and place a piece out left to keep the rope out of the constriction.

P5 (5.9). Climb 5.7 face up to a steep 5.9 hand crack. Trend left through a giant flake feature, then pull steep moves through a second flake above (left). End at a stance near 60 meters.

P6 (5.9). Continue up somewhat nondescript crack and face climbing. At about 40 meters or so, start trending left until you intersect the top of

Comic

/

Escape's

final pitch. End on the unroping ledge for these two route. Scramble up to the rap stations and complete the exact same "descent" as

Comic Relief

or

Escape Artist

.

It is also well worth it to do "The Escape" pitches back to the rim, instead of hiking out the gully. After rappelling from the top of the Comic Buttress, climb from the notch, up a slab and onto a ridge line type feature for 2 or 3 pitches (up to 5.8) to top out near the overlook trail by the campground. You get awesome views of South Chasm Wall.

Use the same approach as

Comic Relief

and

Escape Artist

. Descend the SOB Gully. Once you're about 2/3 of the way to the river, locate the buttress on skier's left and 4th class up to the ledge which starts both of these routes. Cloak & Dagger traverses around the corner to a pegmatite slab/gully and takes off from there.

A few small TCUs, standard double rack to #3 Camalot, and (1 or 2) #4s.

Note:

almost all of the pitches on this route are in the 60 meter range, give or take a little. Pitch 2 is about 40m.