Any route or boulder problem that starts out of or near an occupied campsite may not be done without first obtaining the campsite occupant's permission.
BETA PHOTO: Moosedog Tower - SW Face
Description
First off, excellent route!!! Starts out of the boulders at the base of the south face, in a prominent left-facing dihedral with an obvious roof capping it. Can't miss it.
Pitch 1: Climb the dihedral to the roof crack, set some gear and pull the crux move (burly 5.9) up and over the right corner of the roof. Easy climbing up the seriously featured face above to a bolt. Belay.
Pitch 2: Climb out of the alcove above the belay, taking the very obvious left-leaning crack (5.7). After angling up and left, the crack goes vertical. Continue up and over into a notch below the upper part of the tower. Belay (#2, #3 Camalots good here).
Pitch 3: A short face section (5.6) leads up and left to gain the bottom of an easy crack leading to the summit ridge. Once on the ridge, run the rope via the easiest route across to the anchor bolts at the back of Moosedog. Be sure to place gear to protect your second on this travese (sling liberally or you'll get killed by drag).
Single line rap off the back of the tower from bolts.
Don't let the "burly 5.9" description intimidate you. The gear is good (for the crux sequence, anyway), and the move can be done comfortably even by those of us that don't work out. The crux is figuring out how to get your feet into position so you can push through instead of pull.
I fall in between one and three on the pitch count: it's nice to do one pitch to the single bolt/gear anchor, and a second to the summit.
It's a easy 5.9 (I'd say 5.8 if CakeWalk is 5.8 - see postings). You can do in one pitch to the top of the smaller summit. Belay from the horizontal crack (Camalots #1 and #2? I can't remember...) almost at the top. Then go for the easier 2nd pitch to the summit.
On Thanksgiving of 2003 I probably made one of the HARDEST falls off the roof, despite two previous successfull leads. Double - double length runners [to prevent rope drag]. By luck I didn't break the left arm, but just to let future climbers know... if the runners are double-double _had 4 pieces in the roof, each equalized by a separate DL runner, then both equalized by another_ that if you take the fall that only 1 piece is necessary. The impact will absorb allkinetic energy, and from there it's a sliding fall where 1 piece is sufficient! Best to drink beer afterwards and call it a weekend.
This can be done in one pitch with one 70m rope, all the way to the rap chains on the back. Don't place much (any?) pro, maybe 3 or 4 pieces, and it will just reach by about 4 inches.
The shallow flaring crack leading to the roof protects well with yellow and green aliens. I think there was a good thin nut in there as well.I thought this move was relatively easy for Josh 5.9 if you use the two pockets on the face for hand holds and use a little finesse. I would say that if you tried to use the roof crack only it would be a burly 5.9 move indeed.The upper sections are easy climbing but tricky pro. If you pass up some pro options you will be running it out for a ways on easy 5.7 territory.
Took a nice hunk of skin off my hand falling at the roof. Pretty sweet route though. The bolt at the top of the first pitch is still there, just a spinner though. Chains are at the top of the real summit after the scramble
Moosedog Tower
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