No Guts, No Glory

Possibly granting some of the maximum exposure available at Cannon Cliff to date, this alternative finish to 'Mind over Pinky and the Brain' was part of a five year ambition of Bradley White as well as the reason for purchasing a Bosch hammer drill one year prior.

After climbing to the 3rd pitch of Mind over Pinky and the Brain, the route ascends straight up through a series of bolts to the large overhanging roof up above. To push the roof, Bradley drilled two bolts on lead with the assistance of a tri-cam for stability and used slings as leg loops to aid through the crux roof section and set up a belay from above. It was dusk and getting very dark, so for the sake of time, I did not attempt a free-ascent and used the same method of leg-loop aiding off of the bolts. The roof will probably go free at a stiff grade. When standing in a split stance between the two bolts and looking down at 500 feet of open air under my legs, I realized that I was very well looking at some of the maximum exposure available at Cannon Cliff comparable only to a few routes such as 'One drop of Water' on the Big Wall section.

After attaining the belay, I led with a headlamp up and right finding an undesirable, but necessary exit up slabby wet moss, and into the dense pine forest at the top of the South End. We pushed through with lights eventually finding the Whitney Gilman trail a hundred or more feet away.

Begin at top of Pitch 3 of 'Mind over Pinky and the Brain', and follow the bolt line up to the big overhanging roof straight above. Push through the roof up and over the right side of the large protruding blocks and up to a double bolt belay.

The route will finish up the big archways to the right. The first attempt party exited through the trees above the belay station in headlamps, but plans to finish the route next spring.

Standard Cannon rack with doubles of medium cams for 'Mind over Pinky and the Brain'