Airstream

Airstream takes the line between Sunspot and Positive Vibes. Mostly bolted anchors, and crux pitches are mostly protected by bolts. Pretty moderate climbing leads to three wild crux pitches in a row, then easier climbing leads to the summit. The cruxes are techy, and consist of strenuous crimping, jamming, & stemming. You may want to be at the crux in the shade to optimize your send potential. Probably the hardest route at the hulk, a real character climb, totally worth your effort!

Bailing: You can easily Rap the route with an 80m from the top of the 5.13 crux back down to El Hulk Tower. Then from the El Hulk tower you can rap to Positive Vibes. Rapping from the top of the last crux 5.12 pitch or further may involve leaving gear.

P1 (5.10-): Start between Polish Route and Positive Vibes (same start as Solar Flare). Couple of thin moves to easier climbing, and then ledge traversing up and right past a bush. Gear anchor. Good leg warm-up :)

P2 (5.11a/b): Continue up discontinuous cracks to a bulge with many suspect blocks just below a thin left leaning bulge/lie-back overhead. Continue up under the bulge, passing a piton, until you reach a bolted anchor on a small slopey ledge. We linked P1 & P2(with an 80m), but due to the traversing nature of P1 there was for sure some rope drag, and a small amount of simuling needed. I can’t say that I recommend it, but I would likely do it again.

P3 (5.11a/b): Continue straight up, starting on the right side of the anchors, on some easier unprotected face moves to gain a small ledge below a small dihedral and some cracks out left. Climb up the fun dihedral to a stance below the roof. From here step left to a splitter, and continue up being cautious of some of the looser blocks in the splitter. (It is possible to continue through the roof into the big dihedral, and not traverse left, but it is unprotected and sort of scary). From the top of the splitter traverse right into the big dihedral and continue until you see a bolt. Clip the bolt and traverse right on big holds to the bolted anchors around the bulge just out of sight.

P4 (5.11b): Continue straight aiming for the alcove and the intimidating steep overhanging dihedral, don’t worry it isn’t as bad as it looks. Climb through the steep dihedral, stepping around right as the dihedral pinches down, and up to the El Hulkitan Tower. A wild pitch! We linked pitch 3&4, even with runners you will have some drag, but it makes for one mega awesome pitch (Also not recommended).

P5 (5.11b/c): From El Hulk tower climb up the splitter thin hands crack to a water polished lie back. Climb past two large detached flakes to a fun bolted face sequence on the right wall. A fun and interesting pitch. On the top of the first detached flake look down to see if there is still a birdie with its nest.

P6 (5.12c, 7 bolts): The “Mystery Stemming” pitch. A wild pitch that will test your stemming technique and crimp strength. This is the entrance exam to the crux pitch to follow.

P7 (5.13, 9 bolts): The crux. More technical stemming and crimping on even smaller holds, leads to thin face climbing trending up and left around a bulge to anchors just below yet another dihedral. This is a strenuous pitch that is a bit conditions dependent, and is worth getting to before the sun hits, unless it’s a cloudy afternoon. BETA ALERT (don’t read if planning to OS) There are some secret jug crimps on and around the bulge just before the 6th draw.

P8 (5.12b/c, 3 bolts then gear): The chossy, mossy, money pitch! Enjoy some more technical stemming past three bolts on lower quality rock, to one of the sweetest fingers/tips splitters of all time. Gear anchor at the top.

P9 (5.10a/b): Climb the right leaning upside down crack to a sloping ledge. A short pitch that is a bit dirty. There are some fixed nuts and slings at the top of this pitch, presumably to bail. We linked P8 &9, and it seemed like the right thing to do (recommended).

P10 (5.10c): Climb straight up the splitter hand crack for about 20ft, then traverse right on suspect thin flakes to gain the wide crack on the right. Follow this wide crack to completion, as it leads you through an overhang and around an exposed arête, to a final low angle wide crack and to the beginning of the summit ridge. A wild pitch, a #4 would probably be nice.

*Follow the ridge, climbing over short blocks, to meet up with the last pitch of Positive Vibes. Aim for the ledge below the highest right most arête, there is a set of bolted anchors beneath that pitch.

P11: Either climb the sweet completely bolted 5.11 arête (recommended), or traverse further right to a beautiful splitter hands crack (recommended).

*Continue from here up to the true summy (follow Red Dihedral beta), or rap Venturi. Enjoy :)

Between Polish Route and Positive Vibes.

(2x)00BD-#1, #2, #4, small/micro offset nuts, draws.