The Daddy, P3 variation - 5.8

5.8 variation is more like a 5.6 variation.

Climbed the first two pitches of the Daddy as is, including stopping at the tree short of the ledge. Simu'd up to the ledge. Started P3 about 6 feet right of a smaller tree. Pulled through a roof/bulge, through some sparsely protected shallow pocket and lichen terrain and gained a large diagonal hand crack with good jams and good gear. Traversed this 15 foot hand crack, moved up and around a death flake and built an anchor at a stance at the bottom of a vegetated crack. Moved through the crack which ended just a few feet to the right of the dihedral on p5 of The Daddy proper. Continued this short pitch straight to the summit.

Had a buddy who wanted to get on this and the weather was incredible for November, so I returned for more (was here last weekend). Shared leads - I combined 2+3 and took the direct variation on 3. I was surprised by how easy it was; felt more like a 5.6+ or so. There were jugs and gear for the move straight up off the bulge/slight overhang and then the climbing seemed about as runout as any other parts of the climb. The sketchiest thing was the lichen near the topout. Maybe it's harder if you go a different way? I went straight up from the top of 2nd pitch by the medium sized tree. In all, a fun section of climbing though.

Did the gully rap this time. It's actually not too bad; hike down the buttress gully from the top a short distance (50ft?) and then do a short rappel from fixed ropes (at the time of this post) through two tiers of rock until you can scramble/hike the rest of the way down. The hardest part is making sure the rope pulls clean as there is a constriction point on the left wall with a chock stone.

simul-climbed in a single push
~35 minutes bottom to top, single rack
I lead, Whiteflash seconded
had to pass a party on pitch 5- took arete to right of corner

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