BETA PHOTO: After Six follows the well worn path on the left a...
Description
Great moderate climbing with increasingly beautiful views of the valley.
Pitch 1 - (5.6) This is the crux of the route. Jam and stem up a right facing dihedral to belay at a tree above. Move the belay up and across 3rd class for forty feet to the base of a wide crack. (120')
Pitch 2 - (5.5) Climb the wide crack to the top of a pedestal and then continue slanting right across 5.4 territory to an alcove. (180')
Pitch 3 - (5.3) Slab climb up a knobby face to a large ledge. (120')
Pitch 4 - (5.5) Climb up the face to a right facing flake then either climb to the large roof and move right under the roof, or move right into a crack and avoid the roof entirely. Belay at a small tree.
Pitch 5 - (5.6) Climb up the crack and onto the face to the top of the buttress.
Descend by walking off into the gully on the left.
Location
As you walk up the trail from the parking area After Six is the first climbing route that you come to on the left side of buttress.
The first pitch is greasy and polished! I thought I was going to die, free soloing it, on a humid day with constant gnat annoyance. I was so glad to wrap my arms around the tree growing out of it, before the last face moves. The tree is now gone. I'll never solo that pitch again! The upper pitches offer very friendly, secure soloing and are very fun!
The first pitch is slippery, as indicated. Even if it was not slippery, I would still rate it a 5.7. It is a very fun climb. The down climb is a very decent trail off to climbers left... Very easy approach... A bear box is near the base of the climb.
Very good first multi-pitch climb. The belays are all at nice ledges (depending on where you end the third pitch. I would recommend moving up past the face moves to the optional belay ledge higher up). The climbing is very mello with plenty of pro where you realy want it. The madatory face climbing is simple, so just relax. We combined the last 2 pitches but it required me to move up the knobby face beforeTristan finished the last 10 feet or so (70 meter rope, the last ledge/slab is bigger than you think). The optional finish to the left (up the colored corner and roof) looks so rad! I wouldn't repeat this route except that I want to go back and do that finish!
Gear: 1 set of nuts 1 set of cams (we used BD C4's up to yellow) plenty of slings!
The first pitch of this route is very polished and slick for sure. I slipped but caught myself. This is definitely a challenge for a 5.6.
By ccmski From: Prescott, AZ Oct 17, 2009 rating: 5.6
Good first multi-pitch climb. First pitch is slick so beware. The corner-roof finish is the only way to go and is not as bad as it looks. Getting up to the roof protects well with micro-cams (blue/black aliens) if I remember correctly and the roof traverse is juggy and exciting.
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