Hawk's Nest - 5.6

Nice climb but the early moves are a commitment. The crack and the face are fun. The bolts are off to the left and not ideal for setting a toprope on Hawk's Nest. The nut is loose on the bolt on the right.

Climbed the gully to a ledge with a thorn bush and giant poison ivy. Borrowed the belay bolts over Hawk's Neck - right bolt was a spinner - and ran the rope through two cams to minimize swing. Climbed pitch 1 on TR - super fun - then popped the cams and TR'ed Hawk's Neck. Tough side of 5.6 imho.

The first pitch is decent, the second pitch ascends a horrible erosion gulley its loose, covered in dirt, with little protection, you could probably get other gear in, but not much 4 old pitons, and enormous rope drag

Used the bolt anchors at the top to explore two alternative endings to this climb. From the anchors of the first pitch, move right and pull the bulge at the thin crack (two pitons) on large holds. From here, either follow a fist crack through another bulge and up to the top, or step left and follow steep rock and a small inside corner past a knife blade piton to the top. Protection is there, with no run outs, but it's harder than I am comfortable leading on stover shale and the rock is pretty questionable. Both seemed to go about 5.8+, mostly for the strain in pulling the bulges, which were nice and exposed. P1 is great though with good gear.

I flashed the first pitch, Ryan onsighted the second up that dirty, horrible erosion gulley. Little tricky on the start. Do not recommend the second pitch as written in the book. Loose, covered in dirt, with little protection save 4 old pitons, and enormous rope drag. Probably not even worth it if it was clean. Second pitch felt PG13. Be carefull not to get the rope stuck in the crack before the traverse. Jam a nut in it at the bottom of the seam.