My brother and I on the summit. Photo taken from ...
Description
This prominent tower is one the best known features at Smith rock. It's asthetic beauty is enhanced by the historical ascents and world famous routes on its clean faces. Monkey face still holds some of the hardest climbs in the world as well as a plethora of classic trad and sport lines. It's most famous route, Just Do It 5.14c is still a testpiece route for aspiring hardmen/women.
Other popular pastimes include making the tyrolean traverse from the main buttress to the monkey's mouth. This airy span is also often used for a spectacular high line walk.
Getting There
To approach you can take the hiking trail in either direction once you cross the bridge. Heading north provides a steeper but shorter approach. The seldom taken southward, scenic approach is much further but has less elevation gain and takes you all the way around the formation. Many approach by hiking past the main dihedrals, doing the scramble over asterik pass, and continuing on climbing trails heading north.
This route also goes free at 5.13d!P1 - C2 or 5.12c - aid or free the crack to a sling belay this pitch eats nuts. P2 - C2 or 5.13d - aid the crack up past 4 added bolts placed by Alan Watts on his free attempt. belay from 2 brand new bolts. P3 - 5.6 C1 or 5.10b - aid up the bolt ladder past one old belay to a slab to the summit. Many old bolts on this pitch. P1 & P2 link with 60m rope. This takes more gear so you might want to back clean a littl...[more]
The picnic lunch wall is much taller, but i don't know if its steep enough. Morning glory is a good 400 feet, plus prbably another 200 to the river? MG would definately be steep enough.
I bet the w face of the monkey is more like 400'. The north face route, which starts a full pitch above the ground, is a rope stretching 60m just to the west face cave. probably another 50 feet or more to the summit from there?
Based on West Face aid line, P1 is probably about 120 feet. P2 all the way to the cave is less than 60 meters - say 190 feet. P3 to summit is (I would agree with you) probably no more than 50 feet. It seemed as though the floor of the west side cave protruded out a bit - I'd worry about clipping it on the way down. But then again, what do I know.
By corvegas From: the depths of oregon Aug 13, 2007
PLW not steep enough? ever been up bubbas in bondage?
Monkey Face
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