A great moderate climb. An easy pitch leads to a belay beneath a series of overlaps. Follow the crack through the overhangs and belay at the base of a deep crack that dogleggs sharply to the right. Take the dogleg crack to the left-facing corner and follow this crack system until progress is blocked by overhangs. Traverse 10 ft left, then up through the overhang; continue diagonally up and left for about 50 ft in the crack system, then up and right across a face to the base of an obvious chute, then up a deep chimney. A 4th class crack diagonals up and left to the top.
Location
Begin 45 feet right of the Error and 15 ft left of an obvious crack/corner system.
Protection
Standard Rack to 3". No fixed anchors. Walk down descent by Friction Route or North Gully.
This is a fun climb but study the guide carefully and get as much beta from other climbers as you can. This seems to be the most likely of all climbs at Tahquitz to get off-route. And every season there are a lot of loose blocks along the way. Most of the problems lie along the 4th - 6th pitches. Wear your helmet and be mindful of other climbing parties above and below you. Be sure to bring your headlamp in case you epic.
Definitely find the right set of overhangs to start under - use the bushes as a guide. I started the next roof to the left from where I should have and 80' higher handn't found a way to break right that looked less than 5.7 slab with kinda bad pro.
One of the middle pitches (maybe the third) goes from a comfortable belay at a the top of a gully/wide crack up to the first slight overhang then immediately left 10-15' to the next slight overhang and up and over that. This could be a heady lead - the pro on this pitch didn't seem great or always available and there were some pumpier edge pulls with poor feet rather than the pretty good feet most of the rest of the climb has. The last 2 pitches (getting to the final gully up and left and following it up to a chimney up and right, onto easy 5th to the top) were fine - really its the middle pitch of the climb that is the most physical and mental work.
By Brian Hench From: Laguna Beach Jul 14, 2008 rating: 5.8 PG13
We took a direct looking start to the route which goes up a left-facing corner through a patch of distinctive yellowish rock. If you go this way, it's low fifth class.
The route description mentions going right across a face on the fifth pitch. This is incorrect. The route goes straight up past a bolt and then a piton and loose block. The crux moves is in the middle of this pitch- a balancy move above your protection and if you fall, a slab awaits your ankles.
I give the route a PG-13 because of all the loose blocks and the poor protection on the crux move.
Northwest Recess
RSS Feed
