THE GLOVES COME OFF
For one of the crux pitches of the Exum Ridge, the Friction Pitch,  I removed my gloves so I could better grip the rock. It’s called the Friction Pitch because there isn’t much in the way of hand holds, mostly it’s concave, dish-like impressions in the rock face to smear your shoes into. It’s rated only a 5.4 or 5.5, but the “exposure” — how far you could fall — makes it challenging.