Yellow Matter Custard

Yellow Matter Custard is yet another perfect sport route on Sundown's Main Cliff. While Yellow Matter Custard retains a reputation for fingery, sharp climbing, the route still requires more than just finger strength. All of those crimps lead to a pretty sizable pump, and the redpoint crux might be managing whatever fatigue you sustained on the lower, crimpy crux.

Start just left of the popular Romper Room, and climb up a series of stacked blocks. Pre-clipping the first bolt is a good idea. At the first bolt, the rock changes to the best Sundown has to offer: fine grained with crisp, good edges. From here, the climb follows a shallow groove with increasingly hard moves that culminate with a sequential crux. The crux ends with a big lock off to a perfect rail.

The climbing to the anchor, while definitely heroic in feel, keeps the send in question until the final moment. It amazes me that this climb was bolted and sent in the 1980's. Despite the lycra tights and the high-top boots, those guys knew a good sport route when they saw one.

Just left of Romper Room, on the left side of its namesake Yellow Matter Buttress.

Bolts. The route was upgraded recently and all the bolts are new.