BETA PHOTO: The Direct North Face follows the orange line.
Description
This seldom done route tackles the big tiger striped roof that guards the upper face and slab of the north face of the coalpit buttress. The two earliest guides have conflicting starts to gain pine tree ledge where the business of this route starts. One book has tree ledge gained from the left and the other has the cracks just right of the tree ledge. I've always thought it climbed the nice finger crack, just right of tree ledge...same as House of Cards
The aid pitch climbing past the roof, IMO is one of the very best in the canyon. The aid is varied, exposed and exciting. Pulling over the lip of the roof is one of the most exciting spots on the south side.
- P1 & 2...gains pine tree ledge. - P3 From the far right end of the ledge, ascend a sporty narrow, right facing corner/ramp. Thin nailing follows a short overhanging corner to face cracks that lead to the lip of the roof. A short move right leads to a hanging belay just above. - P4-6 climbs a dirty corner and flake system to a low angled area. Most, if not all climbers rap from the top of the pitch 3.
Location
Begins on the main traverse ledge just right of where House of Cards Begins.
Protection
5 each Knife blade & lost arrows, a few angles, a hook plus a standard rack emphasizing small nuts & cams.
The rock before the lip is slightly rotten if I remember right. And those old fixed pins were so rusty I thought they'd fall out by looking at them! I liked nailing that thin flake before the roof, once you get up to the roof it is W-I-L-D!
CoalPit Buttress
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