The Womb

The best things in life require a little work, like getting born. If you've found yourself drooling over the flawless 5.10 dihedral pictured on the cover of Shull's Southeastern Rock, it's time to put in a little grunt work and escape the Womb. A mandatory stop on the southeastern climber's granite training circuit.

P1: A 5.9 hand crack angles up and right to the route's namesake pod in a left-facing corner after 165'. Belay from bolts. Or break it up and belay from a ledge after 65 feet.

P2: Crux. To gain the corner, you must squirm to the top of the pod and convert from squeeze-chimney technique to laybacking the left-facing corner above. Fortunately, most of the conversion takes place while toproping from excellent gear. Kicking your belayer in the head at least once is de rigeur; twice, and you're buying the beer. Once established in the corner, stem and layback your way to glory for 50 feet or so and belay on a ledge from gear.

P3: Brows to the trees, 5.7.

The Womb dihedral is distinct as the right margin of the slabby left end of the North Face. Look for a right-facing, vegetated flake about 40 feet up, which in turn will take you to the right-angling hand crack that ends at the Womb.

DESCENT: Walk off to climber's left, or shwack over to the R and use the Safari Jive raps.

Standard rack and pants below the knee.