While this route only receives one star in the new Rifle guidebook (as opposed to its neighbor Soup Nazi, which gets three stars), it is a superior route to the traversy, mossy, slightly-contrived Soup Nazi and should receive its dues as the best route on the wall.

This is the 2nd route from the left, and like all the other lower tier routes, moves through blocky roofs and underclings for the first 40 feet before giving way to a long, technical wall with overlaps and funky, "slab" cruxes.

The route as it was originally conceived ends at a double-bolt anchor halfway up the wall (with a bolted extension above -- still unclimbed?) but climbs as a much nicer and longer pitch if you hook a right at the 7th bolt and move into the top 2/3 of Soup Nazi.

Begin on the left side of the nice, blue wall (pre-clip the 2nd bolt), and power up through underclings. Step left under a bulge and move back right at the 4th bolt to engage the crux, a fussy move to a little cube. Sustained climbing leads to a good shake out hole, from which you power up and right into the right-trending arch. Bust across the arch (desperate), ummph up and over, then amble up the long face above, taking care of loose rock above the last bolt.

Cemetery Gates

Cowboys From Hell

Requiem

Music for the Dead

Procession

Chicken Soup

Ants In My Pants

Like all the other routes on the Lower Tier, this one has a hard, bouldery start followed by sustained "slab" climbing on the white, overlap-riddled headwall. It is one route right of Music for the Dead, hence the second route you encounter when approaching the wall. It starts directly behind a small tree growing close to the wall.

Long tugs on blocky corners and underclings get you off the deck. About ten feet up you pull the hardest move, then get established on the slab. Tons of 5.11-5.12 climbing up the long face (with one exciting foot-dyno!) take you to a high set of anchors. Be careful of loose rock up high.

As of 2015, this route lies immediately right of

Requiem

and tackles a right-arching bolt line.

Requiem is a new route that went up in the spring of 2015. It has great rock, fun movement, and is well-protected.

Music for the Dead is the first route you encounter on the Lower Tier itself (not to be confused with the big sunny slab just left of the Skull Cave, which has two long face routes).

From the parking area, follow the trail straight back, stepping over an enormous anthill. Music for the Dead will be on your left, about 30 feet past a horrendously chossy, left-trending arch. It is the furthest route left on the wall.

This is a good tick for boulderers, as the crux comes early and the climbing up high, while tricky, is mostly vertical. I think most people pre-clip the second bolt.

Bust a series of hard moves right off the deck (V6/7?) until you surmount the bulging wall and hit the vertical plaque above. A longer-than-it-looks vertical slab, with occasional bulge and overlap cruxes, leads you to the anchors. Expect sporty climbing and less-than-secure moves on the upper headwall.

This is an easier, more direct start to Soup Nazi.  Climb an easy crack past two bolts to skip the difficult boulder problem start of Soup Nazi, and continue up the brilliant head wall.  With intriguing technical moves, great rock, and a slightly spicy finish, this might be the best route on the Lower Tier and one of the better 13b's in the canyon.

This is another variation on Soup Nazi that accidentally came into existence because I misunderstood the

Chicken Soup

start.  This start still skips the super hard moves on Soup Nazi, but has a bit more hard climbing than

Chicken Soup

.

After clipping the first bolt from the crack, awkwardly move left onto the face, and make a large and very dynamic move over the roof.  Continue up the amazing headwall of Soup Nazi.

The route name was inspired by the almost unbearable number of ants that crawl around on everything at the the base of the route.- including you and your belayer.  However, don't let this keep you from trying one of the best mid 13s in the canyon.

Description

Protection

Routes in South Facing