From the dirt parking lot 9.6 miles west of the Beige Siphon Tube look uphill and north west. The South Buttress/Slab is up hill 60 yards. Bushwhack up and right to the base of the climb, about 30 yards left the the gully that separates the North and South rocks of Mary's Bust. An alternate approach that has a better trail takes the main trail from the road that access the more vertical buttress and follow it around to the left or south till you get to the gully between the two main rocks. Angle up and left to the base of The Beak and Sparky's Cooler.
Pitch 1A. Start under the bolt that is 15 feet up. Go up, traverse left past the bolt and up thru a slot. Go a few more feet up and left, then traverse right to a belay (40 feet off the ground). this belay is on a ledge with a wedged boulder and a dead tree trunk. No bolts.
Pitch 1B. Direct start. 15 feet right of the bolt for 1A. Climb up past one bolt to the bulging overhang and go up/left, then back right(10a) past 4 more bolts to a two bolt anchor which is 25 feet up and right from the start of pitch two below. A 1 1/2 to 3 inch cam may be beneficial in a crack behind and overlap/bulge between bolt 1 and 2.
Pitch 2. Follow the slanting seam up and right past a fixed pecker head and a lone bolt (5.5)to a bowl with 2 bolts (end of pitch 1B). Continue up the slot past two bolts (5.6) Wander up and slightly left past 3 more bolts (5.7) to a large ledge with 2 bolts and piton belay.
Pitch 3. From the anchors, go straight up left 20 feet (5.7) past a lone bolt to a right-slanting, upward traverse behind the left side of the head wall (5.1) that ends with a 2 bolt anchor directly above the headwall crack on The Beak. The traverse takes gear to 4 inches but is easily climbed without gear. (One can toprope the crack 3rd pitch of The Beak from this anchor).
Pitch 4. Move straight up the water slot stemming past 4 bolts (5.8), and then a bit of 5.3 to a two bolt anchor chain. Rap off or walk of the the south. From here, you can hike left 50-60 yards to Moonlight Rock and Tick Rock.
Protection
6 draws/bolts, a couple with longer slings. Route does not take removable gear.
Pitch One B. Just for clarification I have not lead One B, just top roped it. A couple of bolts would make this the prefered start and add a couple of degrees of fun to this long route.
I recently [climbed] this route again. At the top of the second belay my [original] line wandered up left a bit from the anchors, 5.4 or so, to access a 60 foot right slanting break in the rock that is class 4 climbing. This class 4 section ends at anchors directly above the difficult crack in the headwall. I climbed a new variation this last time. From the second belay, I climbed up and right instead, directly to the base of the right slanting break. This was fun and more direct, but 5.8 R- no gear- placement-climbing. The 5.8 move was 20 or 25 feet up from the anchors, and as my partner Pat put it when I finally finished looking at it saying " watch me" (what he was going to watch other than a 50 foot fall is now beyond me). He stated "you better boulder it like you mean it". He was right for sure. A fall here would ruin your day. Guess I meant it but it was scary. I may go back and add a bolt or two or even look for a continuation to avoid the class four slanting break. I have considered bolting the crack in the head wall since it takes little gear and the placements seem poor. This crack seems the logical place for the route to go up. I have top-roped it from the anchors above, (10+), and often seeping water. I keep hoping someone with more fortitude than I will lead it free and report it. Given that old slings have been found all over this area it may well have been climbed already but as in much of the canyon, who knows? Any takers?
Hey Allen, have you ever thought of placing the gear first and then leading it "pink-pointing" it? If you led it a few times you could maybe figure it out enough to lead and place the gear. If you wouldn't mind, I would like a shot at it in the next couple of months. Just to keep it pure, I would say not to bolt it but I can't really say without seeing it. Climb safe, Travis
It will be a while before I get up there, so go for it. The placeable protection is poor and off of difficult stances. A fall would be a sure injury, and there is a back breaking rock at the bottom. I have top roped this section, and it is hard. Then, it is wet much of the time too. I probably won't bolt this section after considering it for some time now. I think I will add some bolts to a more direct line from the second belay that will arch up and right to the third belay. If you get it, let me know; or if you want me to go up with you, I can do that too. Allen
J.P., the crack in the headwall does dry, usually in the summer unless there is a lot of rain. Question, what part of the route are you calling 10 r/x? I felt the direct start to be 5.10 but only a little run out. allen
Glad you like the routes. Yes, sounds like you found an alternate start between the two, I have top roped that section. From your decription of where you found TR anchors on Bobcat, if they were on the east side of the ridge you need to hike up hill further. On the wall right next to the TR wall there is a south-facing wall that has a line of bolts, all hangers missing put up and removed by the unknown. Uphill from that a ways is another south-facing wall with 2 bolted lines, Hook 'n Ladder and Tip toe, and then uphill a bit further is what appears to be a crack that turns into a right-slanting OW and chimney, also east-facing. Chicken Head takes the wall just right of it and around the corner to the left is another climb, climbing for dummies. Allen
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