This route is located on the far right side of the West face. Just before the Open Book area. P1 - Head up easy blocks of rock until you hit a prominent crack. Belay at the base of this crack. P2 - Continue up this crack / corner and belay just below the roofs. P3 Climb an offwith crack that can be awkward around the left side of the overhanges, then up the corner to a ledge. P4 - Continue up the corner system or climb out right onthe upper slabs.
There are 2 ways to start - either start scrambling up the 3rd/4th class from beneath the tree under Coffin Nail and traverse up and right until you are about 100' up (I think) Once you are starting to definitely do 5th class moves you can set up the belay - or alternatively just belay from the ground and do 2 shorter pitches to the traitor horn headwall. The other way to start is to follow the climbers trail past all the west face routes until you pass a corner on your left and see the Open Book to your left. Break out the rope and just start climbing the easy 5th class rock just to your left when you look at the open book after you turn the corner.
The pitch(es) up to the traitor horn belay area are pretty weird - there are several different sections to it that make it interesting. Hand crack, lieback flake, jug holds, good feet, poorer feet... That's the best pitch on the route. Pro can occasionally be challenging perhaps especailly mid and higher up as it gets pretty wide but there are often incut holds behind the flakes.
Essentially the pitch up to the belay near Traitor Horn goes up to and stays on the right side of a huge rock flake that is maybe 100' high and 15' wide.
The second pitch (about 100') starts with a slight upclimb up and slightly left of the belay (small cams) maybe 20' up from the top of the flake you just stayed on the right of. The first real move makes an exciting (if your not good with using your feet yet) 5.5/5.6 traverse for 6 feet or so until you can get onto a slab runway (5.2 maybe) that follows and offwidth crack up for 60' or so until getting to some bushes - go through these and belay at the highest one if you have a 60 meter rope otherwise go higher if you ahve a 50 or your second wont make it to the top on the next lead. This pitch has maybe 15' of moves more than 5.3, but that traverse still makes it special for newer leaders.
Last pitch is nice slabby climbing with some meandering cracks that you weave back and forth to get handholds and place pro in. Just try to keep within 30' or so of the right wall/dihedral the whole time. After about 160' you should see a offwidth crack where the dihedral on the right meets a headwall. You can take this (5.9 lieback I've heard), take a mantle problem to its right about 10' (you don't want to fall, its a reachy move, probably 5.8/5.9) or just go left along the headwall for 20' and around it and your at the same belay as the Lunch Ledge routes end at.
West Face - Right Side
RSS Feed
