IN EARLY OCTOBER, Tom Bohanon and I spent several days climbing moderate classics in Red Rock Canyon. The rock climbing was exquisite, but the mountaineer in me yearned for something more adventurous. Bo was keen to travel new ground too.

On October 7 and 8 we climbed the prominent buttress to the left (south) of South Gully on the east face of Mt. Wilson’s south peak. We started up a steep hanging chimney on the left side of the rib and climbed eight pitches up cracks, grooves, and chimneys to an easing where the rock transitions in color from crimson to yellow. We bivouacked on a good ledge and next day climbed eight more sustained and varied pitches to gain the south ridge. From there we scrambled up to and over Mt. Wilson’s south and main peaks before descending First Creek Canyon. We called our 16-pitch route Tickled Rib and graded it 5.8+.

– Simon Richardson, Scotland