Routes like Methow Inspiration Route, Prime Rib, and Sisyphus are better quality and more traveled for sure. However, if you’ve done all of those and are looking for another long route then this should definitely be on your radar. Unlike the other routes this one is very sustained. The crux pitches may not be more than just a quick boulder problem in the middle of easier climbing. However nearly all four of the 5.10b pitches were really fun to climb, with the exception of the 3rd pitch, and were pretty full on for the grade for the entire pitch. As well as for the entire route only about 300ft was “easy climbing,” whereas on a route like Prime Rib the majority of the entire thing is “easy climbing.” So if you’re looking for more of a workout or something a little more sustained this is your climb. This is also probably the least traveled route on Goat Wall, so if you’re trying to avoid the crowds this is a good one, as well as Sisyphus is probably a good one too.
Difficulty breakdown
| 5.6 or lower | 5.7-5.8 | 5.9 | 5.10 | 5.11 |
| 🪢🪢 | 🪢🪢 | 🪢🪢🪢🪢🪢🪢 | 🪢 |
Gear
- Single 60m rope
- 18 draws (12 sport, 6 single alpine)
P1: 5.10a- ⭐⭐⭐
totally fun, just find the secret Jugs and pull through the small overhangs, a really fun pitch and a great start to the climb.
P2: 5.4- ⭐⭐
A quick scramble, closer to 4th class. There are two blots on this pitch. If you climb/walk strait up from the anchors you’ll find one eventually, the anchors for this pitch are more or less strait up from the station at the top of the first pitch.
P3: 5.10b- ⭐⭐
Opinions are mixed on this pitch, some really like it, some think it’s the worst. One described this pitch as: Work your way up the “bird shit chimney,” or at least that’s what it was when we were there. Then climb up about 20 feet of face climbing to a hanging belay. Have your anchor built before you get here!
P4: 5.10b- ⭐⭐⭐
I personally felt like this was more along the lines of 5.10c, the climbing itself was 10b, but when you combine that with slightly overhanging rock, climbing it for the first time, and dealing with managing your pump it should be bumped up a bit. It was still a cool pitch though, you feel the exposer right off the anchors and it only gets more until you pull to a small slab and run up the final 30 feet or so to the anchor at the base of a really good ledge.
—-Move Belay—-
There is a couple of bolts that are on climber’s left of were you are, you and use those to find the next pitch.
P5: 5.7-, ~20m ⭐⭐
A short pitch, probably only 20m, Just follow the bolts they’re everywhere.
P6: 5.6-, ⭐⭐
Same as the last one, climb up a slab to a really good ledge. The last four pitches all end at really large ledges so your pretty much just climbing past a long ledge system for pitches 5 and 6.
P7: 5.10b- ⭐⭐⭐
This one was pretty cool, it felt like a single pitch sport climb, because your moving off of a really large ledge, it was just more cool and fun face climbing. climb up until you find a set of chains, we belayed here, but it turned out that those are just rap anchors, and if you climb 10m or so higher and to the left you get to the really belay station. even though the rappel anchors are at a better stance it would be best to go to the actual belay station before going to the next pitch. Or you risk running out of quick draws or facing some horrible rope drag. We ended up just doing a short pitch between the rap anchors and the actual anchors.
P8: 5.10b-, short ⭐⭐⭐
Climb up through some cool roofs, all of which have hidden jugs that make climbing really easy, control your pump enough before moving onto yet another section of 10b face climbing up until you get to a set of chains. This pitch is unusually short compared to the rest of them so be prepared.
P9: 5.10d (5.10b, FF1) ⭐⭐⭐
Launch up the 10b face to the base of a small roof, this is the 5.10d section, and you can tell by the extra close bolts as well as the lack of good holds. After you get past the crux climb up some thoughtful climbing to yet another hanging belay.
P10: 5.11c (5.10a, FF3) ⭐⭐⭐
This pitch starts off with a quick climb past two bolts to get onto a large ledge, you’ll see a blot in a boulder at the start of the climbing on the wall in front of you. I would not recommend clipping this, it would make the rope drag horrible, and Burdo probably just put it there so people could find the route. From that point you’ll see the line heading up to the base of an intimidating bulge. Climb up some easier rock until your right underneath the bulge, there will be a set of rap anchors in front of you, don’t clip those, you’ll be able to reach a quickdraw up to the first bolt, reach up and clip that, I used an alpine draw. I was also able to reach up and clip the bolt that was higher up, it was a little reachey but I was just able to make it. At that point fully attack the crux of the route. Once you’ve pulled past the bulge you have a good rest in a small corner. Get a little stamina back from that then start climbing right following the bolts up the final bit of 10a climbing. This was wet when I did it and it did make the final parts of the pitch a little more exciting than I wanted them to be.
P11: 5.8 ⭐
Looked about 5.7- If you’re planning on walking off or just want to get to the very top of the wall then feel free to climb up the last easy 20 feet to the base of the hanging forest. We didn’t bother going up there because we were going to rappel and it wasn’t worth it to climb up easy rock then climb back down to the anchor. there’s a reason why they don’t mention it on the main MP page for it.
Descent
Rappel the route with a single 60m rope.