A solid 40 minute hike uphill from the Snow Creek lot ends at the Pearly Gates, a crag with a couple dozen crack and slab routes from one to two pitches. The rock is an amazingly sticky fine-grained granite, unlike most other granite in the Icicle. The routes range from 5.8 to 5.12, and are generally super fun. Some routes are north facing, so this can be a good option when the rest of the canyon is too hot.
Getting There
Park at the Snow Creek lot (FS pass required), cross the bridge and take a climbers trail to the right after the aquaduct.
Located on the left side of the Pearly Gates area, Celestial Groove heads up the crack/corner to the right of Poison Balance (5.11d, some bolts). It starts by pulling through a bulgy section and then follows a small corner with an excellent crack. The bulgy start is definitely the crux and the rest of the route is great cruiser jamming, overall a lot of fun....[more]
Pearly Gates
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