Strawberry Fields Forever

Strawberry Fields Forever runs parallel to the Lucander-DeAngelo route (Strawberry Hill) on enjoyable cracks. The first two pitches are somewhat adventurous. Soloists and beginner leaders eat your hearts out on pitches 3 and 4 - the rock is good and the climbing is secure.Pitch 1 (5.7, 130 feet): Climb a wide left-facing corner to the top of a miniature white pillar. Boulder up varnished stone into the chimney and enjoy the three-dimensional sandstone chamber. Belay at the top of the pillar.Walk 30 feet left along the narrow crest of the pillar before dropping down into the gully. Muscle past a scrub oak to the base of a short left-facing corner/groove.Pitch 2 (5.7, 60 feet): Climb the short left-facing corner/groove and walk 30 feet right along the ledge. Set a belay with nuts and small cams at the base of a juggy weakness in the short varnished overhang.P2 direct variation (5.8+ R, 30 feet): From the P1 belay, go straight across the brushy gap and climb directly up the unprotected, crunchy face.Pitch 3 (5.8, 170 feet): Monkey past the overhang on huge buckets to a crux mantel before setting cruise control for a long stretch of sustained 5.fun crack. At the top ledge, walk 20 feet right and belay in a short finger crack.Pitch 4 (5.7, 180 feet): To start this pitch, you can either: (1) Climb the short fingercrack and then traverse 20 feet right across fins to gain the main crack, or (2) Move the belay 20 feet right into a nook directly below the main crack. Either way you're headed for an obvious wide crack with a right-facing flake on its left side. Climb up the crack about 80 feet to an easy step-across left into the flake, then ride the varnished flake up to a ledge belay.Pitch 5 (5.5, 110 feet): Climb the pink summit knob via the obvious left-leaning crack.Descent: As for all other routes on Strawberry Hill. Scramble down west to a dead tree + boulder anchor and make a ~210-foot rappel. Scramble down west to a bush anchor and make a ~70-foot rappel. Zig-zag down 3rd-class ramps back to the starting ledge.

Start 30 feet right of Strawberry Hill.

Standard Red Rocks rack to 3" + opt. 5" cam Two 70m ropes for descent