Rocket Man

Rocket Man is a line of strength up the most beautiful section of Main Cliff. Start on Thin Man. After the initial boulder problem, rest on the slab. Here, Rocket Man moves left into a lower angled corner. Don't let this angle fool you, as the corner holds some hyper-technical 5.12+ slab climbing.

At the top of the corner, a good edge provides a respite before the crux bulge. A huge incut jug sits above the bulge. Now, how are you to get from the edge to the jug? Most people dyno. This is not a technical deadpoint. It's more like a most-points-off jump with feet flying in the air followed by a considerable outward swing. It is possible to move left and bypass the dyno, but this may involve double thumb underclings. Really.

From the jug, a few taxing high step moves lead to the pump crux: a big move out left to a gaston-jug. Many end the route here by clipping the double bolts and moving right to a no-hands stance. This completes an ascent of "Rocket Boy" 5.13c/d.

To ascend the full Rocket Man, continue on easier climbing, past a 5.12ish roof to the top of the cliff. The rock quality degrades quickly, which in my eyes, makes the full Rocket Man less classic. Since it is possible to fully recover on the no-hands stance at the end of Rocket Boy, this seems a logical ending.

The full Rocket Man (all the way to the top) may only have had a few ascents.

Bolts. You can get down from the top with a 60m rope by tramming in to the mid (Rocket Boy) anchor, pulling your rope and down again. Make sure there is a knot in the belayer's end of the rope! If you don't tram in from the top, even with a 70m rope you will end up in space.