Pavel and I drove up on Saturday night, getting to sleep around 11:30pm... I bitched about how little sleep we'd be getting (with a planned 6am wake-up), since I love sleep :) It was tough crawling out of the sleeping bags, but then we made breakfast and were on our way. Construction in the valley put a 10 minute delay, but eventually we made it to the pull-out and made the sweet descent down to the base of the climb (with two rappels). We were climbing at 9:30am, Pavel took the first lead as I wanted to try the second pitch (he has done the climb before, and let me pick, thanks!) The starting moves are a bit weird for 5.9, then it's easy until you get to the chimney at the end. Pavel was out of view and the rope moved slowly so I knew something was up... sure enough, once I got to that point, I found it pretty desperate (5.7? ha ha). That didn't bode well for the wide pieces to come!

The second pitch is sweet. The traverse left is not so hard when you're tall (certainly not 10d), but the next section (the crux) looks intimidating. I was able to place a solid purple master cam (other options are available too) and a thin/balancey move (11a) got me to a good foothold. From there, I got perfect fingerlocks, placed a couple of more pieces and got higher, from where I could stem to the right. It's supposedly 5.9 from there but I got confused and tried to lieback the flake, and moved to the right corner system, which made my arms flame out... so I had to take and transfer back to the left crack, ugh. If you don't go right, and jam up the crack, it's 5.9.

Pavel took the 3rd pitch, which is a very tricky lieback (a couple of moves, but slippery), to an amazing 5.10 hand crack that goes forever. The pitch ends on the huge ledge from where you can traverse right and collect your shoes/pack. I was giggling the whole way when following this pitch! Just sweet.

We drank some water and ate a bit, and I started up the 4th crux pitch. It is a finger crack from heaven, with perfect (but painful) finger locks... but the feet are hard to figure out for a couple of moves and fingerlocks painful, so I sadly fell, a move away from the handjam (and rest). It took me a few tries (you can get a toe jam but it's tricky) - maybe next time... The upper section is much more secure, but you have to have the power to pull on the flake and do the final lieback... pulling up onto the ledge feels good! I clipped the anchor and traversed left, linking into the 5.9 next pitch (at first slowly since I was spent).

The next pitch looks initially straightforward and plain fun from the belay, but is very deceiving. It's thin hands with some lieback/stemming which eventually gets you to a roof - turning the roof is a 5.10d lieback on slick feet - looks very exciting on lead! There are very few rests (that's the story for most of the climb...) At this point my hands started cramping when following, which was weird (not enough water/eating, or out of shape or both)! Thankfully, I wasn't leading the offwidth. Pavel took a little time figuring out the 5.10c traverse, it is slick and tricky! Soon he was in the offwidth proper and made steady progress - nice! Then came my turn to second... the traverse was harder than it looked, but reach helped. The offwidth itself was a different story, however. Initially it's fairly easy and possible to stem / chimney on the outside, but at some point you have to go into it. I was mostly right side in, but fell off right before the bolt. Eventually I sucked it up and got up somehow, but I felt like I burned 1000 calories. 2012 resolution: work on offwidth technique?

Unfortunately the workout in the offwidth didn't help my cramps and at around the 1/2 mark of the 5.11b hands pitch, my left biceps cramped wildly - I was a wreck. Eventually I got to the cave, but to say "not in the best style" would be an understatement (it's an amazing pitch though). Pavel followed with no falls and after a much needed snack, he headed into the last pitch. The entry move is quite bizarre/awkward, but the 5.9 offwidth goes easier and quicker than the previous offwidth... soon he brought me up - yay!

A quick rap into the notch, 5.2 scramble to the rim, and we were only 15 minutes from the car - the best "descent" ever! Overall, the climb is everything I wished it was, and maybe a bit more. :) I already look forward to doing it again!

	Pavel starting up the first pitch of the Rostrum. The "5.7" chimney at the end of this pitch was vicious to me!	You can see the whole route from here - it is steep!	The Rostrum

	Starting the face traverse to gain the crack (5.10d)	Getting some pro before the traverse, up high	After the face traverse, the crux is a thin lieback/finger crack (11a)

	Getting ready to go up!	Getting a bomber purple TCU before starting	Now it gets easy (supposedly, I didn't find it the case)

	Funky stem to bomber jams on the left	Pavel after styling the very tricky 5.10b lieback - nice!	Looks really warm over there!

	Highway 120	Reed's Pinnacle area across the valley	Are you ready? The crux splitter up above, pitch 4. Should have lost the fleece!

	Trying to de-pump before the 11b lieback (unsuccessfully)		Starting up the 5.9 crack on the left, linking into the next pitch (you can barely see me).

	Pavel coming up, at the end of pitch 4		Pitch 5. Thin hands (10c) to a hard roof / lieback (10d, but feels harder)

	The roof is visible above. Tricky!	The 5.10c traverse to get to the offwidth is tricky too, not to mention the offwidth itself	Pavel, soon to enter the offwidth. Hard!

	The crack to the left of the large flake sticking out is the 11b 7th pitch. The roof straight above is the Alien Roof, 12b, and to the left Original Roof, 12b? Crazy.	Looking down on pitch 5 (5.10d). Uprising variation on the left (5.11b fists, anyone?)	Getting into the meat of the offwidth

	Beautiful position!	Looking down the offwidth pitch	The 7th pitch. Overhanging hands almost the whole way.

	Struggling to stay in the offwidth...	Sadly the picture doesn't show the 5" wide crack :)	I tried to smile, but couldn't

	In the cave before the top pitch	Beautiful view of the valley	Pavel preparing to launch into the final offwidth. The entry move is quite hard!

	Scrambling to the rim after rappelling (5.2)	Sunset - perfect timing