A beautiful outing on clean, water-streaked granite. Mordor Wall links interesting features up one of the proudest parts of Cathedral. A perfect warmup for clean aid walls in Yosemite, and a worthwhile outing in and of itself. Jim Surette freed some pitches including the first and the roof pitch.
P.1 A bathook move off the ledge takes you to a right angling flake (slightly expando?) and then up to a bolted belay. (C1+)
P. 2 A rising traverse on amazing, streaked granite. Alternate bolts and bathooks on the traverse. (the number of bolts has grown over the years) and then up a thin seam sprouting some fixed heads to a bolt anchor. (C2 F)
P.3 A0 Bolt ladder to a nice 5.9 finger crack (easily aided at A1) takes you to a great sidewalk ledge. (C1)
P. 4 Up off the ledge and awkwardly through the roof with great exposure, clipping a fixed bong at the lip. Incredible position. (awkward C1)
P. 5 Easy aid or 5.9 free up lower angle crack system to a sloping ledge. Occasionally wet/dirty. Scramble off or rap the route.
Location
A well marked trail goes straight up to the base, to the right of the Thin Air face.
Protection
Double set cams to 3". Extra stoppers and tcus. The route goes clean easily.
WARNING: some corrections to the route description with BETA.
Just a note that the 2nd pitch is at least C3F, not a C2. The traverse to the right is probably C2, but up the seam is about 5 or so moves on fixed heads.
Also, P3 is A2, since the bolts are spaced in a way that you have to use a hook, then clip a bolt, a hook move again, clip a bolt, and so on, 'til you get to the easier/fee-able section.
Whatever number you want to put on it, the aid is very easy, very fun and nowhere on the route could you take a very long or dangerous fall. The heads on p.2 might feel spooky, but the reality of it is that they are good, and even if every one zippered, there is nothing to hit but air.
For pitch 3, I maintain that one bomber hook above a bomber bolt is A1.
Anyway, the long and the short of it is that the route is beautiful, and you should go do it, whatever the grade.
The Mordor Wall
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