Psychedelic Tree looks quite nice from a distance: it sits about 100ft to the right of The Line, one of the most famous climbs at the Leap. So The Line sort of steals the show, but I had already done it twice, and it had a line of 3 parties waiting at the base as usual. Our climb had noone on it of course. I started up the first pitch and was shocked to see spiderwebs inside several of the cracks in the corner: I had to clear them. It made me giggle at the fact there were so many climbs with lines on them, but I am clearing spiderwebs? The first pitch was simply amazing. It had some sustained 5.8 cracks with the occasional harder (5.9) move. I made sure to use the rest stances when they became available, and took my time. I stretched out the rope for an almost full 55m length to a spacious ledge and setup an anchor, bringing Chris up.

The next pitch, I decided to go all the way for the top (making the climb 2 pitches, instead of 4). The first section required negotiating a short 5.9 bulge, and then some easier climbing took us to the Psychedelic Tree. From here, the original climbers climbed the tree to the top! The other alternative is to climb the series of roofs to the right of the tree - a variation that was described "wild" by the guidebook, also calling it "the most spectacular topout in Lovers Leap". I evaluated it for a while and eventually went for it, quite intimidated. The first roof required a short hand traverse followed by a balancy mantle, which was extremely wild with the air below. I managed to slot a #1 TCU there which made me feel better, and then went for it. Now I stood up and faced the next roof, which seemed even harder! A .75 camalot protects this quite well, however, and after I uncovered a hidden hold, it wasn't as bad as it looked. I was mind blown by the exposure though - wild is right!!! The remaining roofs/bulges are much easier and totally leave you smiling once you top out. I belayed Chris from the tree at the top, we had our lunches and thought about what to do next. For the record, I think this climb is even better than The Line: the topout is certainly 10 times more spectacular.

We thought about doing The Line, but once again, there were two parties sitting at the base... so we tried to see what's available: we eventually went around to Surrealistic Pillar (5.7) and decided to do that one as there wasn't a soul in sight. Chris led off on the first pitch without any trouble, and setup a belay in the horizontal crack. After I joined him, I headed off for the second pitch... I followed the corner for longer than the previous time I did this route, and then finally made a very exposed and fun step-out left to the arete toward the top. The rest of the pitch is easy and I stretched out the rope to a comfortable belay spot. Chris quickly joined me, with a facial expression clearly showing his enjoyment factor, and then finished the remaining 50ft to the top.

We felt content with ourselves and drove back to the Bay Area, stopping by at Mary's Pizza Shack to reward our bellies for the hard work. What a great day!

	Me on the approach (our route directly above my head)	Other climbs are busy	The first pitch dihedral on Psychedelic Tree - empty

	Climbers in line for "The Line"	Me working on the very long pitch 1 (1 and 2 combined)	Nearing the ledge

	Looking down from the big ledge	Chris working the first pitch	View at the Leap...

	Looking right toward Traveller Buttress	Chris nearing the ledge

		The 5.9 bulge leading to the Psychedelic Trees and the roofs at the top...

	Done the 5.9 bulge move (pitch 3 on supertopo, our #2)	Mid-way through the absolutely wild 5.9 finish	Little red bugs were plentiful and quite weird - what are they?

	Another ant with a little red victim	The Line (left) with its sister, Psychedelic Tree, maybe even better of a climb - looks aren't everything! ;)	Chris on the first pitch of Surrealistic Pillar (5.7)

	Enjoying the nice horizontal dikes	Chris on top of pitch 2 of Surrealistic Pillar	Hmm, is he having a good time or not, I can't tell?

	Quite hazy from all the forest fires...