Well, having done just about everything on Arrow wall, I noted in the Grey Dick that there were some "recommended pitches off the GT ledge". Oh goody, thought I! Hawkeye, at 9+, was just the grade I was looking for, so I gave it a go.

And... failed to find it. Oh, don't get me wrong, the two small pine trees and the big crack through the roof were unmistakable, and no problem to get to. But the bit in between had me completely stumped. I climbed straight up from the second small pine, and 10 or 15 feet later, ran into a field of lichen and no more holds or gear. I went up right to look from Three Doves, still couldn't see anything useful.

So I wound up getting up to the roof via Three Doves and then traversing back left to the big crack in the roof, and even there, looking down, I couldn't see anything but lichen above my high point until the roof!

So I pulled the roof, and just shook my head.

Anyone done this climb? Care to enlighten me on what I missed?

GO

Dick wrote that up as an independent route in the Black Dick. Prior to that, it was a variation of either Three Doves or Red Pillar. Few (if any other than Dick) have done the direct line up to the roof as Dick describes in his guides.

Yeah, the direct line up has been reclaimed by the lichen. The meat is the roof though so it really doesn't matter how you get there. Neat move eh?

Did it about 10 years ago and it was a lichen fest then. And the move seemed more like 10b or harder to me, and I was following.

I put it in the NWD category (not worth doing).

TS

Straight up the face on the lichen is pretty scary, no good gear and harder than 5.9. Did it once and that was enough since it really isn't any memorable climbing. The little roof move at the top is fun.

Yeah, the roof at the top was totally fun!

Thanks, folks, for the confirmation. Although it sounds like it *is* doable (albeit at poorly protected 5.10) to wade through the lichen to get to the roof. I wasn't at all sure of that, and even now, knowing what I do, I like my choice.

GO

I went up there once, on a misty day, traversed in left from Three Doves and encountered great green gobs of slimy licheney goo below the roof. Backed off after turning my pants green and flailing my feet against the stuff as if I was trying to climb ice with no crampons.

you would have tried to climb that ped!

5.9+PG my ass! Just went up on this and agree with some of the former posts. Licheny to start and then I got to the "short crack" where I farmed out two good nut placements. After this the face was a bit dirty but not licheny and there is NOOOOO gear until the roof. Twice I got within 1 or 2 moves from the roof at which point your feet are 5 feet above pro and about 15 feet from a ledge. I stepped down and traversed in from red pillar to do the fun roof (roof 5.8-5.9 G). Then on TR I did the face...any bit right/left would put you on 3 doves/red pillar. The last thin move before the roof felt like 5.10! We did Proctoscope right after and the 5.9+PG grade felt right on. So 5.10 R squeezeplay for Hawkeye????

I did this route in August and had much the same experience as cfrac and the others who felt stymied by the bit through the lichen. The roof is fun, and the pitch has a start that is distinct from Red Pillar and Three Doves. But the section of the wall below the roof (as much of it that I led) felt contrived. Maybe there are more face holds in the vegetation than I found but there were no places for pro. I finally moved up and left, back over towards RP, to put in a high piece and then went back right to come in under the roof. There may be a straighter line through the mess, but it will take a wire brush to reveal it.