The Portico

A good climb with an excellent crux, and fin climbing up top, this is marred by a very poorly placed 1st bolt in a very large, loose block. A few gear placements can be used to back this up or eliminate it all together, however.

I would advocate replacement of the bolt if anyone knows how to contact the FA party for permission. Contact me and I'll try to see to it that it gets done if permission is granted.

P1 (5.10, 115'): Climb up some fractured rock to the first bolt where the angle gets steeper. Make special note that this bolt resides in a large block of rock that appears to be loose, and note that it is big enough to kill you and your belayer before deciding to clip it. Also note the available crack gear just a few feet higher and left. If you are capable of doing the crux, you can probably do these moves without falling. Consider the best course of action for yourself. Climb to and clip bolt #2, then execute the crux to pass the roof on good in-cut handholds but poor feet (excellent and solid 5.10 above the bolt). Get a rest, then climb much easier terrain (5.8?) up past 5 more bolts to a good stance with a 2-bolt anchor. One can belay here, but it felt much more natural to continue onward on P2....

P2 (5.8, 70'): Step off of the good ledge and upand right, and then left, onto some stacked blocks. These seem solid to stand on, but I would not lay-back off of them or place gear behind them. Clip a bolt on the left and continue up the right side of the arete to a second 2-bolt anchor.

To descend, rap 60' or so to the chain anchor above '

Stem Cell Research

' and then 90' more to the ground. The Gillett book suggests that it is possible to rap off of the top anchor to a point from which one could scramble down, but even with a 70m rope, this did not look comfortable to me.

But before descending - check out the views.

This climb starts only 5 meters to the right of the 2 bolts on the base arete of

The Oculus

. It starts up a short runout to a bolt line 20' up on a shattered-looking bulge and continues past there up an obvious line.

A mixed route with many bolts and a few cam placements, from knuckle-sized to 2". Longer slings will allow you to lead the entire climb as a single pitch, which just felt natural to do on a line this direct.

As with all of the routes here, a 60m rope or longer is required to rap the cliff.