Infrared

An overlooked gem of a tower route! When looking up at the Butte from the road, three splitters are visible on the right side of the buttress. The thin, thin one on the left is Clearlight. The obvious one in the middle (a 6-8" horror) is Dolomite Wall, and the rightmost one is Infrared.

P1: Begin in the first crack system left of the corner formed by Big Bend Butte and Dolomite Spire. It is a stemming slot up broken rock and roofs to a wide-hands crack. Belay at bolts. 5.10.

P2: Two ways to go. The original route climbs up off the belay, clips a bolt and then immediately steps left on improbable ledges to a steep crack system. Continue up this to a large ledge and ultimately a steep, perfect-fists crack in a corner. Belay below the splitter at bolts. A variation clips the bolt and continues straight up in the obvious wide crack to the same large ledge, up the pillar on the right, then traverses straight left on exposed ramps to the same belay. I've done both variations (we got our ropes stuck on rappel and had to climb it again) and actually recommend the wide crack on the right - but both are very good. 5.10+.

P3: The long, awesome, wide hands/fists splitter! This is the baby that is visable from the road. Climb 120+ feet of beautiful tight fists, past a bolt protecting a loose block, and up to a diagonal crack under a roof (perfect hands here), around the roof, and up to a bolted belay. 5.10+.

P4: Continue up an incredible system of corners and roofs using face holds and broken cracks. You basically follow the overhung dihedral up and right until you are forced left around the arete and onto the final headwall. Many bolts protect this unlikely, awesome pitch. There are two cruxes -- a pumpy one about 40' off the belay, and a technical once you've established yourself around the corner up high. 5.12-.

Four double-rope raps down the route. Make sure to fix the end of one your lines to anchor below the fourth pitch before you depart!!! The top pitch is so overhanging that you will need to reel yourself into the anchor on the first rappel!

Single set of cams from blue Alien to #4 Camalot. Triples in hands-fists sizes. Wires. Many draws/slings.