Unlike "Leisure Climb" and "The Cruise" this climb actually lives up to its name - at least for the Black Canyon.
P1. Many variations up slab and ledges, trending up and slightly left. Belay at ledge with small tree just below a corner with a finger crack. (5.6R) P2. Climb finger crack and then continue up on low grade 5th to the base of the next steep portion of the wall. (5.8) P3. Traverse right (Casually Off-Route goes left here) to a large crack/corner, climb this and then traverse right again. (5.8) P4. Climb hand and finger crack up and left to a short chimney, belay on ledges above. (5.8) P5. Slab, ledges and crack up and left to a large ledge (5.6). From here you can walk off left to a gully which is somewhat nasty and not recommended or continue up and right to some mediocre pitches which are also not recommended. P6. Climb diagonally up and right across loose ledges. (Worst pitch of the climb.) Aim for a small left-facing corner and after surmounting this, traverse right on a ledge 50 feet or so.(5.7) P7. Climb peg groove-corner for 40 ft. then easier ground. (5.8) P8. Many options to top. (5.6ish)
This description combines Pitches 4, 5, 6 from Williams guide into 2 pitches. Other combinations would be possible but with all of the low angle climbing and traversing (and great belay ledges) linking may be difficult.
There are some good sections of this climb but they are short. Despite the 8-pitch description this climb goes quickly. Much of the climb is 5.6 or under.
Location
Head down the SOB to the buttress uphill from the Escape Artist-Comic Relief area (if you've reached them you have gone too far). There is a half-dead tree at the base that serves as a useful landmark. Gain ledges just above and to the right of this tree.
I think this is the best of the really easy Black Canyon climbs. The climbing is much better and more continuous than Maiden Voyage or the Leisure Route, and you don't have to climb any pegmatite.
Now that I've done both Casual and Casually Off, I'd definitely say Casually Off is the better climb. Casual is nice but really just about 100' of climbing over 5.6 on it.
I'm not sure about either the description here or the one in the guidebook. P3 seemed mostly easy - didn't find any 5.8 on it. It was also fairly long and ended in a small stance where the route divides between the OW and the hand/finger crack. This is the only non-huge ledge on the route. P4 is definitely the money pitch - the hand/finger crack is excellent (but short) and the chimney is big fun. The topo in the book shows slab above the crack but that's a lie. The chimney turned out to be well protected (didn't need any big gear either - the #3 and #4 stayed on the rack) and a lot of fun - once you get going there are good stemming options on the walls. The crux is definitely the top of the chimney (green Camalot at the very top). Not a good pitch to wear a pack on! I stepped left and traversed to a short layback above the chimney to avoid the overhanging step above.
The book shows a belay below the chimney, but this would make the previous pitch just 40' and the next one 50'. So, I can't see why you would do this.
Climbing this late season (mid-October), there was no sun till about 2:30 or so. Casually Off Route seemed to be even shadier and had snow in the cracks. All of Casual was dry except for the exit gullies.
North Chasm View Wall
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