Modern Defense

Climb 20 feet up a wide crack on the left side of a pillar to a rocky ledge. Place several small to medium cams as high as possible in the right-leaning corner. This is the only gear until it’s well below your feet. I placed a crashpad on the ledge for peace of mind (I’d recently witnessed a compound tib/fib fracture at Movement) though its benefits were questionable.

Crank a steep, powerful boulder problem on great rock to a break with good gear. Continue more easily up the leaning crack and seam to a dead tree below a roof. Traverse right beneath the roof on red, broken rock joining the final 15 feet of Jeep to a two-bolt anchor.

I rehearsed this well on toprope before leading it.

The EASIEST way to set up a TR is to climb Halo (5.9 R), ten feet right of Modern Defense, and make an anchor from #1 and #2 Camalots in the roof above the dead tree. However, Halo is a dangerous lead with plentiful lichen and some loose rock. I cleaned it up some, but don't underestimate its challenge.

The SAFEST way to set up a TR is to climb to the two-bolt anchor above

Friends in High Places

. Use double-length slings off the bolts, and lower carefully rightward to the same roof anchor above Halo. There is a pin and a solid cam halfway to the roof while lowering to minimize the risk of a big swing.

Modern Defense is ten feet right of

Ministry of Fear

and ten feet left of Halo on the upper West Ridge.

1 each: #00 Metolius-#2 Camalot (including a #0/1 Offset Metolius for the initial corner); RPs.

2 each: #0.5 Camalot.

Several long slings.