Senior Citizen Route  5.5 R

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Type:  Trad, Alpine, 2 pitches, 100 feet Consensus:  5.5 [details] FA:  Bradley White and Takuya Yoshida New Route:  Yes Submitted By:  bradley white on Apr 16, 2010 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Description 

Climb was done to access ledge. Rating probably inaccurate, it could be easier. Had loose rock issues. There is less looseness issues now. Could turn out to be a nice climb. It's clean rock for the most part and has a deep dike fissured environment. The climb ascends the center and left wall of a large dike. The second pitch pro is trees and of little value because they're available after a long run out up the dike. After the trees escape left on the slab under a short head wall to reach a large pine. Ascend past rock garden to the narrow oak tree ledge. Still loose rock around especially on the right. The crux is most likely near a pin on the first pitch v groove corner.

Location 

Above the rope ladder on the trail to the Hinterlands is a protruding rock formation. The climb goes up the right side from here.

Protection 

I fixed a pin and a #4 Friend on first pitch or #1 friend or medium small Tri-cam would be way better than any nut placement near pin. Proceed to the dike's gully ramp right side and belay at tree, either the oak tree higher up or lower immediately a large pine. There are rope slings on oak tree for rappel. A 60 meter rope is close enough to the ground for rappel. This is a serious rappel because of the trees and loose rocks between each side of the rappel line. We had slowly let the rope drop through the rappel gate and the rope came down fine. We were possibly lucky. Rappel can be two rappels from trees instead. That would provide better assurance of fixing a stuck rope.