A splitter ring lock to perfect hands crack that arcs left across a slightly overhung face. Sit start in the base of the crack then climb smiling to the top. The walk off is straight back along the ridge which puts you at the base of Ego slave or down climb the last few moves and jump down to the the top of the flat boulder below it. Makes a great warm up for some of the harder problems in the area.

Gar Crack

The Torcher

Captive To Ego

Torcher Arete

OSOM

The Torcher is a classic testpiece ring-locking, footwork, and core strength. It will shred your skin and possibly break your spirit, but you’ll be grinning ear to ear every time you try it.

 Start in the back of the crack with your feet on a pedestal and your hands in some sinker jams. Climb the thinning crack to it's terminus and make hard technical moves to the arete. Somewhat tricky sloper slapping and compression takes you to the top of the boulder. Take note of the crimp hard to see on the left face. The top out is straight forward on good holds, but it not something you would want to pop off of.

Captive To Ego is the torchers opposite temperamental sister, techy tip jams & underclings that begin from a Joshua Tree esque flare out of a little roof. Sit start inside a small cave on rails (cramped), pull around the lip (crux) then follow the splitter tips crack out right using two glorious edges for feet until you can hit the jug flake. From there make a few last moves to mantle onto the slab then follow it for 15ft to the trees. The rating is subjective and open to movement based on consensus.

A great way to work on the top of the problem is to pull into a big right hand undercling below the arete and get into the last finger lock. From there you can step off the ramp rock into the toe hook and climb the boulder to the top. It's a great option to climb if you intend to project the route over a long period of time, or if the crack is wet, because the sequence is essentially the same as if you started from the crack. It's a good route on it's own, even if it does skip the best part. I also found it extremely useful to pull onto the holds and try a few moves to help warm up.

A fun warm up for the torcher, sit start under a small roof in a horizontal crack the pull the roof (crux) into the splitter right leaning finger crack. 

The Torcher is an ellusive and sought after block that lies below the base of Cannon Cliff. Yes, there are many rocks below the base of Cannon, but I assure you this is the one you want to find. Rumor has it John Sherman did the first ascent of this one during his stint in New Hampshire (also establishing other classics like Satan on a Half-Shell, and West End). The boulder is defined by a splitter crack through a roof leading to an arete where the crack runs out. It is steep, it is mean, and a damn good reason to take pads to a classic trad climbing area.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Torcher