Lakeview 

Miguel Peralta and I did this route today -- October 12, 2008 (same day as Jay K's post -- maybe you were the party ahead of us?). Miguel was about to lead up the final corner and at the last moment noticed a piton by his foot, semi-hidden by tufts of grass. This pin makes the move vastly less intimidating: if you fell you wouldn't go careening pro-less down the slab and pitch into the void. Jay you are spot-on about the quality of the first couple pitches of the route and the final two pitches!

Yes, we did the route in the morning. Beautiful day, eh? I was surprised how enjoyable the route was.

Yes -- really an unexpectedly delightful experience, in spite of the sometimes horrifying loose-rock sections. In its present condition it's good training for raw, seldom-done alpine rock routes. At one newly-fractured spot I actually had to dig out a couple of belay-pro placements with my fingers, having used up the big cams. (Reminded me of one time in the Wind Rivers attempting a new route and being grateful that on lead I happened by chance to have a nut tool on me; one forgets that any less-than-vertical crack is originally filled with dirt -- even in the high West).

The places without rock fragments on this route are really beautiful and solid -- very classic granite. Hopefully more people will start doing it, and it'll continue to clean up nicely. It could, in fact, eventually end up better than the original version, with no more through-the-bushes pitches.

Did this route with my friend Jakob yesterday as the finish of an enchainment of Cathedral, Whitehorse and Cannon... Loved Lakeview, here are a few comments...

Pitch 2: Super fun! after the first couple moves its like a slab route with huge jugs as you traverse on really cool cracks...

Pitch 3: A little confused with the guides description, it makes no mention of a slightly spooky run out slab pull over an overlap... thats what i ran in to... and it was fun...

Pitch 4-6: i was simulclimbing and got a little lost... went too left and not enough up and traversed under the lunch ledge so i ended up coming up left of lunch ledge to a nice little grass covered belay ledge...

Pitch 7: From my slightly lost spot I climbed a crack to the right ledge and did the really sweet 2nd to last pitch that jay described...

Pitch 8: I too was glad to find the pin at my feet before pulling the flake move in to the corner... By todays standards i think this move is a good bit harder than 5.6 and i bet there have been a lot of curses uttered from that flake out of fear and frustration...

Climb it its still good...

Did the run out of the third pitch. The pin has seen better days and should be replaced with a bugaboo. There's no protection early on besides this pin. People do fall. Sometimes unexpectedly, or worst rain. This pin can't fail! The consequences would be a bloody broken climber. 4th pitch we sent a coffee table rock down by accident. good thing nobody was below us. Also the trailing rope sent rocks down on this pitch. I recommend no climbing the slabs below when climbers are on Lakeview's upper pitches. 5th pitch we went right up a slab then right to a buttress right of the old man's debris slope. It worked out in getting us up to being above the debris by solid rock. It did put us in the bushes though. The way Lakeview has been described, it was climbed by Dan Brodien, Roger Damon and Andy Fisher in 1962. Wiesner's is the last 2 pitches only. An early line was climbed by Earle Whipple and Brad Giddings in 1960 slightly to the left of the standard ascent of Lakeview nowadays.

If you think the last pitch is sandbagged at 5.6...it is actually rated 5.5 (Webster, 2nd ed). I'm all for grade creep. I become a harder climber every time a new guidebook comes out. :-)

Did the route yesterday. A few thoughts:

• Loose rock really is an issue. I saw a half-man size boulder going down to the scree field. Scary!

• Again the loose rock issue: I got clocked on the head by a rock. Wear those helmets

• The middle 3 pitches aren't great, but shouldn't detract from the rest. All other pitches are quite worth it.

• Descent took us over 1 hour, but the path is very obvious. We did the whole descent in the dark.

• Very, very committing. It would be difficult to bail until you made it to the base of the old man

• Went up with a single rope, but I'd probably not do that anymore.

• Apart from a small section on the third pitch, gear is plentiful

• Climbing is varied (slab, crack, stemming, layback)

I did the route yesterday (04-15-2012). I would second the comments on the loose rock.

• Pitches 1-2 were fun, I especially liked the second pitch traverse with the fun rail.

• Pitch 3 is not bad getting to the first pin (and there is a place for a blue metolius), after the pin the climbing is a bit runout, but the rock is still clean at this point.

• Pitches 4 -6 (depending how you count) are pretty bad. For me this detracted from the overall route. The best way to describe it is dirty slab and crack climbing covered in kitty litter.

• Pitch 7 was enjoyable but a bit wet at the crux (likely as it was April).

• Pitch 8 is definitely sandbagged. If you are a 5.6 leader, use caution. That being said, its the best pitch on the route. The slab leading to the flake was also wet (again, it was April). After you climb the flake, there is a good place to rest before finishing off the fun dihedral.

My partner and I simulclimbed pitches 5 and 6. We were following the Chauvin guide, and I must have gone too far because my partner began simulclimbing for twenty feet or so (60m rope) before I began to climb up. On the way, I passed a shiny two-bolt anchor with two 4mm cords looped through each bolt, joined by a rap ring. Interesting. I eventually made it to a corner with a 1/4" bolt right next to a beautiful crack in a corner. Also interesting. We followed this crack to the last belay ledge.

Turns out that that corner is on Weissner's Dike. So basically, if you're climbing this thing at night and are worried you might have missed the sixth pitch turnoff, don't even worry about it, Weissner's dike has got you covered.

The first time i did Lakeview i got lost in the very same way and linking up with that corner :) and just yesterday i climbed weissners for the first time and figured out that that was the really nice corner i had climbed! its great climbing so its not a bad mistake to make... after climbing lakeview again and consolation prize a few times i still cant figure out where im supposed to go under neith the old man wreckage but its all been fun exploration...

Im seeing lot of comments on the loose sandy section in the middle which definitely gets the blood pumping for the soloist and lead climber alike. There is one particular rock I've climbed over twice which is the size of a small desk sitting in sand and which moves. I would put in a vote for some serious sweeping from above while someone below in radio contact keeps the area clear. Otherwise, small rocks will continue to roll down onto unsuspecting people walking the base. Or worse... One of the larger ones which is bound to come loose slides at the wrong time.

PS. This is just my humble opinion, but I think grade II feels more reasonable.

did a night climb on this awhile ago, route finding was interesting to say the least. but i feel thats part of the challenge on cannon, is it not? definitely recommend the night climb, just keep an eye on weissners corner and you'll make it