OZ (or ounce) is easily one of the best and most spectacular routes in Tuolume Meadows. Almost every pitch offers high quality climbing, and the 3rd pitch has to be one of the best dihedrals that you'll ever come across.

OZ starts with a set of tricky flakes and a cool mantel over a small arch. The second pitch is the crux, and it is a steep, sustained and very well bolted face leading directly to the imposing corner. This long and steep dihedral crack ends up under a huge roof and is one of the longest, most sustained and consistent 5.10’s in Tuolumne. This corner is continuous and very clean, and features amazing stemming with good rests. Once at the top of the corner, you must choose between 2 options: finish left on the original old school finish, or traverse right under the huge roof for 2 extra pitches on the exciting Gram Traverse (5.10d) for more sustained climbing.

The Gram Traverse is the logical finish to OZ, but the FA didn't get to climb it until a year later. This finish to OZ involves traversing under the massive roof, and running it out on knobs to the top. The first pitch of the traverse is the crux with awkward and physical climbing. It is also difficult to see your gear placements at times, and ropedrag might be encountered near the end. Caution should also be taken around the loose blocks on the traverse.

Overall, every pitch is different on this spectacular route, and it feels pretty steep compared to most other “low angle” Tuolumne climbs. Climbing OZ requires a wide range of skills, from sporty face climbing, edging, smearing, laybacking, stemming, etc. The route gets lots of shade in the morning and is a good choice on hot days. However, it can be chilly on cold or windy days.