The Passenger is one of the best rock climbs in the Cascades. It is a long grade III or short grade IV, usually done in 7-8 pitches on flawless rock.
p1 -5.10D (160 feet) Double Cracks right from the ground. Climb toward a massive roof and go left under roof clipping one bolt. Crux moves come before and after the roof. Belay is bolted.
P2. 5.11bish. 140'? Climb mellow cracks up the face above you to a roof. Roof has bolt on it. Pull roof through the right via strange flares and campus moves, hard to onsight this sequence (for the grade) The crack above the roof has some grass and flares. Continue up the corner past a tree and larger, but much easier roof (5.9).
P3. 5.11ish (80 feet) Amazing sustained finger crack to a roof/slot. Belay off bolts on left.
P4. 5.11+ (120 feet) Move left and down slightly past two bolts, slab crux, then clip 3rd bolt. Another easier runout above the 3rd bolt takes you straight up past a few more bolts to a roof. Face moves past a bolt is the route's crux, and good holds soon appear. Belay here or keep climbing right, to corm a giant "C" with the rope.
Move right, your looking for a high bolt way up inside this A-Frame roof/chimney to your right. Clip bolt and make wild moves right on hand-crack. Step up to a small stance with dead tree and belay.
P5 5.10C 150+ feet. Move up and right from the belay to a crack, or move up the bombay chimney above. Soon, step back left and up into perfect, never-ending 5.10 corner and splitter. Belay above tree.
P6 5.10c
Follow thin-hand crack, becoming left-leaning ramp and corner. Awkward and you feel like you will fall out to the left. Also possible to go more straight up, via a wider crack. When possible, traverse straight left for ~30' on a rail, to reach a belay in some greenery.
p7 - 5.7 - Follow splitters and blocks up and left to the topout on the South Arete.
Location
From the South Arete of the spire, head down and right (NE) along the base, cross the first gully, and begin at double cracks near a fir tree. Easy to leave packs and shoes hanging in a tree at the South Arete, the standard descent for this peak.
Protection
Doubles from thin finger cams to #2 camlot. One #3 camalot. One set of nuts.
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