Start date 20200710
End date 20200711
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Gear

All the gear we brought was useful! The doubles I brought seemed useful, the nuts were definitely useful, radios were useful since belays ended on top ridges.

  • #0.2 – #4, with doubles of #0.4 – #2
  • Nuts
  • 9 single alpines, 2 double alpines, 2 sport draws
  • Radios (useful)
  • 4 liters of water
  • Bug spray (tons of mosquitos at camp)

Friday – To camp

We backpacked in, leaving the car at 5:00 PM, and arriving at 7:15 PM. It went faster than expected, and it was even hot so was walking slow!

The trail is consistently just steep dirt, no signs of progress.

Camp had TONS of mosquitos.

Saturday – Climb

We left camp at around 4:20 AM, got to the base at 5:20 AM (quick approach)! The trail was really good.

  • The turn off of the main trail
  • The start is right at the center at the tree

Pitch 1

A bit of battling trees, a little leanback crack climbing. One section where I had to grab a low hanging tree branch to get past a slabby section (Alexis did that too). Not the most enjoyable.

Pitch 2

The second pitch scrambles some 3rd/4th class terrain to the base of a short 5.7 crack. But some people climbed that crack in that pitch, so I did too. Next time I’d recommend just belaying at the base, and then you can climb the short crack as part of P3.

  • Top of 5.7 crack, Alexis at belay

Pitch 3

Above the 5.7 crack, the route wanders around the right and then back around the left on easier terrain (although I imagine if you placed pieces, rope drag could become bad). Ends at the iconic 5.8+/5.9- twin crack pitch.

Pitch 4

Finally some climbing. Crux for me was above the twin cracks. I found two nut placements, but then there’s some hunting for some slabby moves (I think there was some stemming involved). Probably more of a mental crux.

Once at the top, I traversed and slightly downclimbed to the left to the base of the next pitch (which seemed better than starting the next pitch with the traverse).

  • The twin cracks

Pitch 5

This was some enjoyable climbing, climbs up the corner for a bit and then some face climbing. A bit of hunting for holds, and possibly not too much gear, but overall decently fun. Ends on top the ridge.

Pitch 6

Just some more scrambling. At one point, you can go left or right around a rock on the ridge… apparently you’re supposed to go right (which looked worse), and then traverse 20 feet to the right to find the next pitch.

I went left, which looked pretty travelled. I ended the belay right below where the route steepened again, however I possibly should have climbed the next little steep section, as the next pitch I just climbed up that section and then belayed again.

Pitch 7

Off route. Short little 30′ or so

Pitch 8

Off route. I thought this was the “twin cracks” but apparently not. Either way, the climbing felt within grade and with almost the full rope length made it to the top!

Summit

10:15 AM on the top!