Present Tense

Adam Stack called this the hardest of the Project Wall routes and for good reason -- it's one of the longest and most sustained.

Present Tense is two routes right of

Living in Fear

, or three routes left of

Simply Read

. It starts in the same place as

Sometimes Always

(up on the bone-white dirt heap above the parking spots) but trends right above the first bolt along a seam before heading up into a shallow corner capped by a roof and a long blue streak.

Boulder up the grey rock to the first bolt (the glue-in ring on the right). Underclings get you to the second clip. Sustained, perplexing climbing leads right to a hand jam. Bust a crimpy move into a kneebar rest. The next 40 feet, while littered with positive holds, is very sustained. A knee-scum rest below the finishing roof helps you bleed it back. Straight up over the roof into the blue streak is harder (this is how it originally went), but some climbers have gone left onto

Sometimes Always

then moved back right on the headwall. Slabby, but interesting climbing takes you to the anchor.

A 60-meter rope just reaches (if you stay into the belayer's side of the rope), so tie a knot in the end and lower slowly.

This is probably one of the most spectacular pitches at Rifle.

15-17 draws and a 60 meter rope (mandatory).