BETA PHOTO: Overview of the First Creek Slabs, showing some of...
Description
The First Creek Slabs line the southern side of First Creek Canyon, starting just west (upstream) of the Lotta Balls and Romper Room areas. They extend for several hundred yards, forming a series of ribs and buttresses with a number of good routes. The slabs begin just a short distance above the streambed, so approaches are reasonably short and friendly. The slabs end a thousand to fifteen hundred feet higher, on a brushy ledge system beneath the imposing Upper Tier that extends another thousand or so feet to the ridgeline.
The first key landmark is the obvious right-slanting chimney of Rising Moons. Immediately left (east) of the small Rising Moons buttress is the descent gully used by Algae on Parade and routes ending of the brushy ramp. To the right of Rising Moons is the sequence of low-angle buttresses climbed by Sunset Slab, Big Sky, and the Romanian Rib. Still further to the west (and now a few hundred yards upstream from Rising Moons) is the Echove, a recessed area of somewhat steeper rock that is almost granitic in texture.
Getting There
Hike in via the First Creek Trail. Most of the routes are reached by staying on the trail low in the canyon until beneath the climb. Routes on the eastern end, near Rising Moons, can be reached on a short traversing trail from the Romper Room area.
This is a very nice route. The rock is good and the line is excellent. For the most part the moves are are moderate, but the climb maintains a good level of interest the whole way.At the upstream end of the First Creek Slabs, scramble up to a good, brushy ledge on the western side of the Echove. Start here and climb a flake up and left to a good ledge. The next pitch moves up and right to a crack and a belay niche above a small overhang. The...[more]
I installed 2 new rap stations to ease descent off of the ledge above first creek slabs.
To descend - walk to a low spot on the ledge system looking for a large red offwidth crack next the start of Celtic Cracks. The noticeable Shamrock Roof on Celtic Cracks can be seen above.
Gigette's pic.
Scramble directly down this gully maybe 40ft and take a single rope rap from a small tree with orange slings.
Continue down the gully for a short distance (~50ft) and do another single rope rap off of more orange slings threaded through an opening in a groove.
From the bottom of this rappel it is easy 3rd and 4th down to the rappel near the top of rising moons. (one double-rope rap or two single rope raps)
If I remember correctly, those orange slings appear to be where there previously was some exciting down climbing. Getting down was harder than anything on Hot Flash.
First Creek Slabs
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