Survival of the Fittest

Originally put up by Scott Franklin in traditional style (he banged pins in from the ground up), this hard, technical route has become a popular top-rope testpiece in the Gunks. It was also the site of the first free-solo of a 5.13 by an American (also Franklin). The crack immediately to the right, is Persistence 5.11b/c, first climbed by John Stannard. The blank wall right of the crack is home to Mantronix 5.13d FFA Jerry Moffat photographer: Nicolas Falacci