I like this climb so much I bought the book.

It's one of those climbs that leaves everybody equally fascinated (read "frustrated "). Men envy women their light weight. Women envy men their larger forearms. Gym climbers are thrown by holds that don't fit on 4'x 8' sheets of plywood. Big wall climbers are thrown by the relentless and intricate sequence of moves required to move through the starting crux. Short people have plenty of holds but lots of moves to make. Tall people have to deal with holds that negate their reach. Normally toproped, the brave may lead it.

Gil showed me this climb. A short hike up from the Castle Rock parking lot, Farewell to Arms awaits on the back side of Castle Rock itself. Always in the shade, never crowded, it calmly takes on all comers, the ambitious and the foolhardy. Bring your arsenal of stems, fist jams, chicken wings, arm bars, hand jams, mantles, deadpoints. It may help.

Beta? Ha! ... I can't do this climb Gil's way. Gil can't do it my way. But it certainly is entertaining to shout advice and encouragement from the huge flat boulder (the "amphitheatre") at the base of the climb. Since the starting crux is overhung, the game for waiting onlookers is to contradict each other enthusiastically until the exhausted climber goes for the big swing. "Ooooh aaaah!". Then it's their turn.

And the book? Well, the book was OK, but I guess I'm not into Hemingway. Too much pointless unsuccessful striving...

Beta (starting crux) (3) Gil reaches high, skipping several steps (we hate Gil). He's got a right arm bar in the crack. (2) Karl grabs the horn with his right hand, crossing over left hand jammed in the crack. (1) Lisa steps up to the chocolate mark, right hand on the sidepull, right foot smeared on a nubbie.