License and a Visa

This line will likely see more sun than any route in the Sandias as you can see the orange orb rise over the eastern horizon and set in the west from on top of the climb! You might even be able to climb in the winter at 10,000 feet. Bullet rock the whole way. There's no closer climbing in proximity with this quality of rock to the Tram in the Sandias...so far. It's also the first major line put up on this face that has been recorded.

The name comes from a funny story where I my driver's license and my Visa card when they fell out of my pocket while I was putting up the route and they fluttered away in the wind at sunset. I came back the next day, soloed up to about pitch 2 to the climber's left and found that both had landed on small ledges !

Pitch 1 (5.8) - Climb slab with intermittent crack climbing. bolts and fixed gear. 7 bolts and a few finger-sized cams.

Pitch 2 (5.11b/c) - Climb past 11 bolts to a two-bolt belay on a tiny ledge. These belay bolts do not have any chains on them. Brilliant face climbing with a couple of technical cruxes. Helps to have a reach on the second crux. You can link this pitch with P3 but you will need 19 draws. The climbing is rather sustained. 11 bolts, a finger-sized piece useful low on the pitch but not necessary. 

Pitch 3 (5.11a) - From the two-bolt belay on the tiny ledge, make a cruxy move (it's a good idea to pre-hang a draw on the first bolt of this pitch on the way down) or three past a few bolts to easier 5.8 climbing for a bit. Then run it out a tad clipping several more bolts to an overhang. Negotiate the fun overhang and gain a sweet belay ledge. 8 bolts, no supplemental gear needed.

Pitch 4 (5.8) - Jet left 2 meters and climb the bolted furrows to the top on enjoyable, featured 5.8-ish terrain. 12 bolts, no supplemental gear needed.

The approach hike takes 15 to 20 minutes from the top of the tram (approach as for Pino Wall Route). Take the Crest trail south, it will drop and start back up slightly then look to your right for a graveled pathway to the limestone edge. Find the three foundation blocks that form the old look out station. 3-4m back to the north is a drop-off down the limestone on a primitive, but newer trail. Look carefully for the open slots to avoid a thrash fest. You should be able to wear shorts on your path. If you can't, you're on the wrong path. Make your way to the summit meadow for Pino Wall and follow the path of cairns to the far south headwall. 3x50m rappels from 2BAs takes you to the bottom of the steep wall. Clean raps all the way down. You may want to back up once on the bottom to avoid your knot getting stuck in the splitter crack atop Pitch 1. Enjoy !

Bolted sport climb. 2x50 ropes. One climbing rope and one rap line works best for lighter packs. 20 draws if you link pitches 2 and 3. I like the second pitch belay so as to keep in close contact with the lead climber, among other reasons. If you don't want to run it out on the first pitch, bring 2x yellow TCUs, and a blue and orange TCU as well. Bolted anchors the whole way.