Best multi-pitch 5.4 to 5.5 in the world to take my son on?

My five year old son and I have been climbing lots of routes together and I have a week in late October to go anywhere in the world and climb a long multi-pitch trad route together.  I want somewhere really beautiful but I don’t want a long approach.  6 to 15 pitches of climbing is fine as long as it’s super easy.  I always climb as a party of three so I’m always within arms length of my son.

Where would you go?

Thin Air 5.5.  Lots of other fun easy routes in the area too.

Cathedral Ledge.  New Hampshire.  Cool town too.

Somewhere really beautiful? City of Rocks and Castle Rocks, ID has some amazing, easy multipitch. Theater of Shadows (City), Little Time (Castle) are two of the easiest that come to mind.

Other than that I'm reminded of easy Yosemite routes like the Sunnyside Bench regular route, Swan Slab Gully. Maybe a couple of "easy" climbs in Tuolumne, but everything seems kinda tricky for a 5 year old.

Sunnyside bench Yosemite. If you haven’t been to Yosemite you must go.

Cathedral Peak, Yosemite

Love those!  Keep them coming!

Mike McKinnon wrote: 
Aprons, Mt. Evans

getting close to winter in late Oct... all it takes is 1 storm and the routes will be icy

Late October is a limiter.

Use the route finder search function here.  Select e.g. all areas, your grade range, minimum 3 stars, and minimum 4 pitches.  I added 5.6 to get more results.  You get 5 pages of results (some with only one rater):

5.4 to 5.6

Mike McKinnon wrote:

yep Sorry missed the late october part

but i agree in general. the aprons is an awesome crag for a semi-alpine climbing feel on super good rock!!

5-year old is a limiter, too.  I was looking through the search results and a couple things stood out.

Cinque Torri Via del Guide  4p., 5.5

I have not climbed this route though I've looked at it.  Its really about the incredible setting.  Getting to the route is quite simple as well, at least once you're in Italy.  Take a chair lift and walk down 5 minutes to the route.

Penon via Pany  7p., 5.6

Again, I've not climbed it but I have climbed the Penon.  Location is tremendous and the approach is very short.  Descent is via tunnels inside the peak.  

Either would wow him. 

E Face of Third Flatiron. I think even Yvon Chouinard said it was the best beginner route in the country. Cathedral Peak is great but more involved.  Seneca Rocks supposedly has some nice easier routes, as does the Gunks, which is silly with them. I think Tahquitz has some great ones as well: Fingertip Traverse, etc.  I really like the Tree Route on Dome Rock too.

Has to be lots that I’m missing. The Sierras and Eastside, the Tetons, Needles of SD...

I know you said trad, but what if I told you that you could get around 2000 feet of clipping bolts in and then walking off instead of rappelling? Well, that’s what’s on offer in Ponte Brolla, Switzerland. It sits at the northern tip of Laggo Maggiorre and the base of the Maggia valley. Palms to the south and snowy peaks to the north. Mountain Project only has some of the more popular moderates listed, but there are definitely some of the easiest climbs I’ve ever seen anywhere. To top things off: it’s gneiss.  All of the routes have their names, grades, AND correlating colored arrows painted on at the base of each route and at belays. It’s...wonderful. There are a bunch of campgrounds where you can buy the guidebook in either English, Italian, French, or German.

Edited to add: the approach is maybe five minutes. Here’s an overview of the area: thecrag.com/climbing/switze…

I don't really have any specific route to recommend but I can offer a general advice: keep in mind your son's height, it sounds obvious but being short (like a 5 year old that is) can make moves that are really easy for adults quite challenging for kids. I've seen my son (he's turning 6 soon) cruise 5.7 but strugle on particularly reachy 5.5/5.6 moves. At the Gunks, for instance, there are moves that can be tricky if you can't reach the next great horizontal. On the other hand slaby routes (East face of the Flatirons for instance) are well suited to a short climber.

Thin Air ain't 5.5.

Mt. Moran's CMC route in the Tetons is a great option! It's a 5 pitch 5.5 route with an awesome approach and little to no crowds, making permits super easy to get without reservations.

The approach includes a canoe to the approach trail, then you hike up to base camp, one of the most beautiful campsites I've ever stayed at - overlooking Jackson Lake and the Grand Teton. Day 2 you hike just a bit further and do a short rappel onto the climb. At this point you're surrounded by two horns that look like the gates to Mt. Moran with a large glacier below. The climbing is super mellow and a choose your own adventure style. There's a massive black dike unlike anything I've ever seen before.

Check out the route photos and you'll quickly get an idea of how jaw dropping this route is.

Steve G wrote: Mt. Moran's CMC route in the Tetons is a great option! It's a 5 pitch 5.5 route with an awesome approach and little to no crowds, making permits super easy to get without reservations.

The approach includes a canoe to the approach trail, then you hike up to base camp, one of the most beautiful campsites I've ever stayed at - overlooking Jackson Lake and the Grand Teton. Day 2 you hike just a bit further and do a short rappel onto the climb. At this point you're surrounded by two horns that look like the gates to Mt. Moran with a large glacier below. The climbing is super mellow and a choose your own adventure style. There's a massive black dike unlike anything I've ever seen before.

Check out the route photos and you'll quickly get an idea of how jaw dropping this route is.

Sounds a little intense for a 5 year old?

There is a multi pitch climb in zion called "led by sheep". It may not be the most fantastic climb but it is in a beautiful setting and you can combine with other Zion adventures. not too far away you have st george with some multi pitch and further than that red rock, with plenty of easier multi pitch. 

Ashort wrote:

Sounds a little intense for a 5 year old?

Yea, could be an intense approach. Not great in October too. 

Agree with the above - sounds like a Flatiron day to me.  Thing is, I'm not sure how little ones will fare on reachy parts like the ridge on the first, and (for some dumb reason) I haven't been up the 3rd.

Wait, your kid is 5?!  And you're talking about taking him on something that's up to 15 pitches?  I've got three kids, all of whom are fairly active and a couple of which were even on the climbing team at the local gym and none of them would have been up for what you're describing.  Having said that, I've had other dads chime on line and claim that their 4 yr. old gladly chugs out 6 mile hikes in the mountains.  I think that disclosed a lot more about the parent than it did their kids, but who knows.  No 5 yr. will make the hike or down Tahquitz, or Cathedral Peak, etc.  If you want to take your kids someplace special, I'd say go smaller this time.  If you want to bond with your kid on a longer climb, I'd say wait a few years.  

Eric Duncan wrote: Somewhere really beautiful? City of Rocks and Castle Rocks, ID has some amazing, easy multipitch. Theater of Shadows (City), Little Time (Castle) are two of the easiest that come to mind.

The OP said 6-15 pitches if easy enough. While those are good routes, there isn't really anything more than 3. Dunno if that length meets his criteria.
Also, late October for the City is getting iffy on weather - could be fine or cold and snowy.

I did Sunnyside bench with my friends 5 year old. I did it with my son but he was older. October can be great weather for the Valley. Easy approach. 1st pitch is a 3rd/4th class gully.  2 more good pitches. The walk off has death slabs to your right so I'd travel like a glacier team (roped) with a 5 year old (we did).

Problem is it's Yosemite so tough to get camping.

You could also do Swan Slab Gully. Another easy 3 pitch close by.