Interloper

A thrill-ride of a route.... It just keeps you on your toes the whole way (no pun intended) with equal parts technical difficult moves and spooky run outs that demand your attention... A whitehorse must do if you like hard slabs but dont get in over your head...

Pitch 1: Same as Sliding board, climb moderate but unprotected slabs to the same double bolt anchor as Sliding Board... Located at the base of a steep swell about 180-200ft up and left of the launch pad...

Pitch 2: 5.10a Move slightly right and up to a lone bolt on the steep swell above the anchor... Clip the bolt and head straight up (a bit hair-raising to say the least)... The steepness eases off and you head up to the right a good run out way on more moderate slab to a 2 bolt anchor that is often used on Sliding Board...

Pitch 3: 5.8 This gets an R rating in Websters book and it deserves it but so do all the other pitches in one spot or another... I think if you made it through the 5.10 slab this will feel like a breeze... Just climb the white streak straight up past 1 bolt... 120 ft...

Pitch 4: 5.10c Crux time... Do a scary slab traverse to the right that gets harder the farther right you go... Gain a solid stance and a bolt and get ready for "the move"... If you are tall you are a little better off but it's not easy however you are built... Using slippery feet and a badish undercling you must reach a finger crack above... Very fun crux and not too scary... Continue up and belay at an overlap...

Pitch 5: 5.5 Pull over the overlap and climb easy unprotected slab up and right to belay at a fixed pin at a stance below the right end of the steep bulge above... Here you have the oportunity to link up with sliding board (which might be smart if you like clean rock)...

Pitch 6: 5.8 Climb up to the bulge above the belay and find the path of least resistance... Pull some hard foot based moves over the bulge (this was the spookiest part of the climb for me) and on to some more moderate slab... Follow a dirty ramp up and left until a juggy rail leads back to the right... Get good pro for a change and pull a tricky move on to low angle climbing... One more easy overlap out right heads on to the summit slabs where you can run it out to a nice belay stance...

Pitch 7: Easy slabs above run out to the summit...

Exausting... But nice...

To the left of Sliding Board...

Regular rack... I saw no real need for the tricams that are so useful on many of the routes on the slabs...