Disciple Ridge is the large crag between Patty’s Ridge to the west and the ridge system to the east that includes Vector Madness Wall, Buena Vista Wall, and Geezer Wall (also called Buena Vista Ridge). Most of the currently existing routes on this crag were put up in 2016 and are shown in Tony Calderone’s 2017 BCC guide (print version), which apparently is the origin of the area’s name. The formation is not described in either Gottman’s 1979 guide or the Ruckmans’ 1998 guide. The Ruckmans’ guide has a picture that shows the crag (on page 90), but the guide misidentifies it as “Patty’s Ridge.”

All the currently existing routes appear to be on the west face of Disciple Ridge, so they are in the shade in the morning and get afternoon sun, but go back into the shade for the last few hours of the day. Based on Calderone’s 2017 guide and poking around, about 15 routes have been put up in the last three years, mostly in the 5.5 to easy 5.10 range, about half sport and half trad. The west face can be viewed as two sectors, a lower sector that is topped by a distinct pinnacle-like formation with a large dead tree nearby, and an upper sector, which is more massive and taller. The approach, as described below, differs depending on which sector you plan on visiting.

Disciple Ridge is relatively broken up compared to Storm Mountain’s more established climbing areas, and there is a lot of loose rock because of its lack of traffic. On any route, be judicious as to your choice of holds, or at least make sure your audience is well out of fall line. Calderone’s 2017 guide has good photodiagrams showing the locations the routes reported here as well as others.

For all the routes on Disciple Ridge, Calderone’s guide describes an approach up the Stairs Gulch Trail for about a quarter-mile to a point where a ridge of rock comes within maybe 50 feet of the trail and can be easily seen through a break in the trees on the right. This ridge – which the Calderone guide calls “Little Ridge” – is somewhat separated from Disciple Ridge, but it is really part of the same ridge system, parallel to the others, e.g., Lisa’s Ridge, Steorts’ Ridge, etc., crawling up Storm Mountain’s north face. To get to the routes on the lower sector of Disciple Ridge, the approach described by the Calderone guide works fine – just follow the west side of the ridge, past a 30-foot tall crag with a few bolts (Come as You Are, 5.5), to the main wall and first set of bolts (Where Love Flows Free).  On your first visit it’ll probably take 25-30 minutes to get to the lower sector routes from the parking area for the Stairs Gulch Trail.

However, for the routes on the upper sector of Disciple Ridge, in my view, the best approach is to take the trail leading to Vector Madness Wall, which will avoid part or all of a nasty talus field on the approach described by the Calderone guide. (The Calderone guide calls the trail leading to and past Challenge Buttress the "Devil’s Stairway Trail.") For this approach, take the standard Challenge Buttress trail past Challenge’s east face and Dead Snag. About 100 feet past the Dead Snag base area (where Steorts’ Ridge starts), the trail splits; left goes to Vector Madness Wall and right goes to Geezer Wall and Glass Ocean. Take the left fork to the base area for Vector Madness. From there, continue on the trail which switchbacks through a talus field, becoming more difficult to follow after a few turns, for about 100 feet or so toward the base of a pinnacle feature (Hop Rising Point). Just before reaching Hop Rising Point, cut left along a developing trail that leads 75 feet to Disciple Ridge. This will put you in the vicinity of Lift Up Your Face. Plan on 15-20 minutes to get to Vector Madness Wall, and another 5 minutes to get to Disciple Ridge’s upper sector.