Type: Trad, Sport, 210 ft (64 m), 2 pitches
FA: Nathan Brown et al
Page Views: 3,695 total · 18/month
Shared By: Nick Stayner on Sep 20, 2007
Admins: Steve Lineberry, Aaron Parlier

You & This Route


11 Opinions
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Description Suggest change

Great slabby face climbing with a fun roof pull at the top for good measure. One of the best thin faces in the Northern Blue Ridge (in my opinion!). A pretty involved approach, but well worth the effort!
P1: Climb up an easy left-facing corner to a ledge. Angle up and right on the face towards the bolts. Crimp and highstep on excellent edges through the section of two or three bolts (crux) and continue up to a roof. Traverse a bit left under the roof and pull on awesome jugs. End at a fixed anchor. GEAR BETA (read no further if you want to preserve the "onsight"!) Look for a sideways #6 Stopper placement if 5.10b/c, 150'
P2: Head up easy terrain to a tree anchor. 5.7, 60’
NOTE: Easily combined with a 70M rope.

Location Suggest change

The route is just left of Bonsai (described in Shull and Lambert's guidebook). I have never approached the route from below and have heard that it's kind of a 'shwack to get over there. I've always utilized an approach/rap in from above.
After doing the final steep climb on the Shortoff approach, the trail levels out a bit (you're now on the clifftop). Look for a small (chest-high) boulder on the left and a larger one on the right. At this small boulder, look for a faint trail leading to the left towards the cliff. Follow it down to a short gully which deposits you below an overhanging ampitheatre with a driplike waterfall. This is a good place to stash packs. From here, continue down and left over some 3rd class scrambling terrain, aiming for a grassy ledge with a tall tree. This is your first rap. There are no slings—I've always just thrown the rope around the tree. This short (50') rap takes you to a fixed hex/nut anchor. From here, you can
a) do a 60m double rope rappel or
b) do two single 60m raps. Be aware that on your second rap, you'll have to rap off of a single bolt (one of the protection bolts on the pitch—they're bomber).
Complicated, but like I said, well worth the effort.
IMPORTANT NOTE: One can rap all the way to the ground with twin 70M ropes from the tree anchor. This is by far the most expedient and straightforward option.

Protection Suggest change

Blue TCUs-#2 Camalot, with doubles in the small/medium range. Fixed anchor on top of P1, tree anchor on P2.

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