BETA PHOTO: Dead Letter Department. Climb a right-facing corn...
Description
This route is surprisingly nice with varied climbing. It's the large left facing corner at the right edge of the Mescaline wall. The route officially goes up the off-width at the base of the corner, and perhaps someday a 5.8 climber will actually do that, but it's much more sensible to climb a short steep right facing corner/finger crack a few feet left. Above that easy climbing leads to a steep intimidating corner. Gear is good, and footholds on the right wall make it reasonable. Swing around right onto a slab near the top of the corner. Above is a nasty looking chimney, but you can get inside and climb it easily on face holds. Above the chimney, the rock deteriorates a bit as you enter a tall red band. The route isn't clear here. We climbed just right of a large pine tree, and then angled left around the corner to a very nice belay ledge. From here angle left for a short pitch to the walk off. To do the walk off, walk straight left (north) being very careful not to knock rocks down on the very popular Mescaline area. Sneak past a narrow spot, then angle down a ramp. This is all very easy but somewhat exposed, and you would die if you fell off. 3rd class, meaning a rope might be advisable for beginners. The last 20 feet or so involve some 5.5 (??) moves to get past a chockstone to the ground.
Protection
Standard rack. Big gear if you plan to climb the short initial offwidth.
Suprisingly good. After the chimney, I climbed straight up a 15 foot tall, thin, detached flake (careful) to a big, loose ledge with a large pine tree with rap slings on your right. You can rap twice with a 60 meter rope if you are able to swing over left to a bolt anchor at the top of "Hyperspace Round-up" for the second rap to the ground.
By Tony Bubb From: Boulder, CO Jan 24, 2005 rating: 5.8
Yeah, quite fun. 80' of great climbing, surrounded by 20' at each end of unremarkable climbing. 5.8 is about right If you were to do the OW start "pure" it might be harder, but it is so easy to stem out and walk up it, it's contrived not to do so. The seam at the OW, on the right side takes very good RP's or other brass and so there is no need for OW gear even for a "pure" ascent if you have a set of brass. The middle section (all be the first & last 20' protects on a set of nuts and a set of cams to 3.5" which will practially jump off of your rack into the crack.
To descend, finish the climb to the right (southeast) to the BIG pine & rap from the newly refurbished rap slings & rings. A single 70M rope gets you to the main ledge & you walk off to the west a few meters.
West Ridge - Pony Express to Long John
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