One of Life's Little Problems 

FA:  Bob Bradley, 1960s Type:  Trad Length:  2 pitches, 300 feet Views: 193 page views Submitted By: Deb Thompson on Nov 24, 2005 Add Photo  Add Comment

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Pitch 1 and a bit of pitch 2. 5.8 start on the le...

Description 

This is an interesting 2-pitch line on the right end of the Lower Twin Owls. This is just right of a large right-facing dihedral and ascends an inviting crack/flake system on P1. P2 climbs more like an adventure climb. There are more lines to play on here (Sunset Arete, Black Lichen Streak, Second Thoughts, Alignment of the Misaligned, and Thin Crack) on a sunny, windless, late fall or winter day.

Find this line by hiking up the Lower Twin Owls trail to nadir of the Lower Twin Owls buttress (where Tilted Mitten starts). Continue up and right on a trail until you come to a large right-facing dihedral which is described as an alcove in Gillett's guide and drawn in on page 212 of Rossiter's guide. It is probably 400 ft up and right from the nadir.

Climb up various crack and flakes to join a lieback about 50 ft up. This first section protects with wires and small cams to red Alien size. You can protect the lieback with a #4 Camalot. Continue up to a short section to a large sloping ledge system and find a belay up near a right-angling system with a fist-sized crack on its left. Pitch 2 has two starts. The left start begins here and works up cracks, flakes, and brushy chimney moves with a traverse right when you reach an bulge. Move back up and connect with the same system. The right start starts 30 feet to the right and goes straight up to this point. Continue up with 2 more short traverses right to gain a nice ledge in a shady alcove. You can belay here (especially if you belayed at the tree above Second Thoughts, if you TR'ed those 3 lines) with #3.5 and 4 Camalots. Pull a funky move yarding on a chicken head with a #2 BD wire for psychological protection and gain easier terrain to the Roosting Ramp. Walkoff right past Central Chimney & Crack of Fear.

Protection 

Standard rack with cams to #4 Camalot (#2 BD wire useful).

Add Photo Photos of One of Life's Little Problems

Doing the 5.8 variation.