Stolen Thunder

The crux comes in the first 10 feet. It is probably v4 and the protection is dicey. Problem is, you climb up onto a ledge, and then step over a void onto to the wall to begin the hard and insecure tugging. If you were to fall at the crux (about 6 feet off the ledge)...lets just assume you'd be wrecked. You can however fiddle in a blind nut and test it's efficacy down lower off the belay ledge. After the successful execution of the boulder problem, run it out for a few 5.11ish moves above the gear, and then the remainder of the route offers perfect protection and is probably 10a. Unfortunately this route is infrequently repeated, scaley/dirty, and climbing is not nearly as beautiful the routes colorful appearance. It is also a handbag at 12c (the grade Bingham's guide suggests). Legend has it that the resident hardman of the days of yore...Stan Caldwell... was saving this route for a pure ground-up ascent when someone came along and "stole his thunder: by first toproping the line.

Located on the north side of the Upper Breadloaves formation- Easy to identify by its beautiful patches of reddish orange and green lichen. Scramble up the boulders to the start. No anchor... walk off...yeah, it sucks. You can down solo some of the low angle dumpy crack just around the corner on the west face of the rock.

Standard rack- nuts and cams- perhaps a couple of big pieces for the wide section up higher.