Large exposed slab with a couple roofs. Central Skyline Arete offers a good selection of longer moderates and has the benefit of being isolated and not being popular. Convulsions is technically the only route that starts on the lower ledge but climbing from the lower ledge only adds 2 bolts, 25ft and a couple moves of 5.6 so you can easy climb any of the other routes from there.
Just like most walls at Mt Erie Central Skyline Arete has many access points, these are the two most practical.
1. Park at the Main Wall parking lot. Hike up Trail 247 and at the junction take a right onto Trail 248. After only a couple minutes (at most) take the next left up the Main Wall Trail. Hike up hill and once in a meadow take a faint left onto the Skyline Arete Access Trail. After a minute or so you'll step over a swinging tree and probably see the bolt line on Skyline Lower Slab. To the right of that there is a 3rd class gully with a handline, go up this gully and be careful doing so. The trail gets a little worse above the gully but you're almost there. You should find another handline to help you up some steep loose dirt and top out at the base of Casino Wall. Follow the trail to the right (East) of Casino Wall and go up a 2nd class rock step, then you'll be on the very large belay ledge at the bottom of Central Skyline Arete.
2. Park on the top of the Mountain, follow trails down to Friction Slab. Spot some trees and anchors and rap down to the base of Central Skyline Arete. You may need to do multiple rappels and tie stopper knots because the highest point the Arete is over 100ft tall. When your done climb out, the route "Skyline Arete" (5.5) might be your best option but just about any will work.
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Seattle, WA
Skyline Trail branches left off the main wall trail after coming out of the forest but the turnoff is not very well defined. If you hit the large tree with a huge branch you have to duck under on the main wall trail then you've gone too far. The last section of the Skyline Trail is quite steep and has a handline going up a narrow, sandy gully (there is a quicklink at the top of this rope if you wish to rappel down), then continue up until you hit the base of a wall, then go right and continue scrambling up until you come out onto the big, flat ledge at the base of the area.
From the top, the trail down to climbers left of the Skyline Arete group is not recommended, it is very steep, exposed in places, overgrown and difficult to navigate carrying rope bags and backpacks. You are better off approaching from the base or doing 2 rappels; first from Skyline Arete/Magic Cats anchor (short, only ~10-15m) to the anchors for Convulsions/Jug or Not on an obvious sandy ledge straight down, then a very long rappel (70m rope is necessary here, absolute rope stretcher, tie knots in the end) to the base.
Be careful belaying from the right side of this area, and consider throwing a cam in the bomber crack for a belayer anchor. Again, a 70m rope will allow you to lower or rappel from the anchors on top of Convulsions/Jug or not to the base of the small slab but it will be a rope stretcher. For Vibrations or Ain't it Nifty you're better off belaying from the ledge on top of the small slab and then lowering/rappelling/downclimbing back to the base afterwards as they start farther right. Aug 2, 2020