A rather wild "chimney" (not sure what else to call it) on edge of the face after the splitter crack system.

All Locations > California > Southern Sierra > The Needles / K… > The Needles > The Warlock > S Crack (5.10 6b 20 VII- 19 E2 5b PG13)

A rather wild "chimney" (not sure what else to call it) on edge of the face after the splitter crack system.

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Pitch 2.

Looking up the second half of Pitch 2 (this might be Pitch 3 in some route descriptions). This is where the routefinding is tricky. We were a bit unsure if we were supposed to go up the awesome corner on the left or the flake/corner on the right. The previous day we had climbed the corner on the left and exited on a tempting crack system that ended up going leftwards onto the South Face route. We decided that the corner on the left is probably on the S Crack route but just don't exit.

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Steph Abegg

Jul 6, 2017

“A rather wild "chimney" (not sure what else to call it) on edge of the face after the splitter crack system.”

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This is where the previous day we had exited off left to get to the South Face route, but to stay on the S Crack route, continue upwards. As you can see from where the rope goes in the photo, we ended up traversing across slab to a crack system off right. In my opinion, this crack system on the right was off route. I think the S Crack route continues up the corner on the left in the photo, but is unprotected for about 20 feet.

Unfortunately, the corner is a bit unprotected for a stretch (which is why Dow traversed off right trying to find more protectable terrain). But I think the S Crack route does indeed continue up the corner in the photo, but is unprotected for about 20 feet.

Looking up the second pitch

Pitch 2.

Danny starting the squeeze chimney the route is known for. This was Pitch 5 for us. We had brought a Valley Giant for this pitch and it fit perfectly. A #6 might have worked in a few places but the Valley Giant was the perfect piece to have. It would be a scary lead without.

Some fun exposed climbing on Pitch 6 (or Pitch 7 by some route descriptions).

Pitch 3. Awesome stemming.

A splitter crack that starts Pitch 4 (or Pitch 5 by some route descriptions). This is the only really splitter section of this route as the route is mostly climbing wide and wild climbing up flares and chimneys and grooves.

3rd class gully to get to start of S Crack.

Pitch 1 chimney.

My first attempt at a topo so take it for what it's worth

Pitch 5 lay back.

Third Pitch. The only two placements I could find in the right crack were a green alien and a 0.75 camalot, and they were pretty shallow and uninspiring

The vegetated crack system on the right that was our Pitch 3 instead of the corner system to the left. I don't believe this is the actual route. It was not protectable because of all the vegetation, but it was fairly easy.

Pitch 1 chimney.

Climbing the corner. Somewhere on Pitch 3 or 4 depending on how you break it up. This was also quite vegetated and kind of a spooky pitch. But a cool system.

Pitch 2.

A rather wild "chimney" (not sure what else to call it) on edge of the face after the splitter crack system.

Looking up the second half of Pitch 2 (this might be Pitch 3 in some route descriptions). This is where the routefinding is tricky. We were a bit unsure if we were supposed to go up the awesome corner on the left or the flake/corner on the right. The previous day we had climbed the corner on the left and exited on a tempting crack system that ended up going leftwards onto the South Face route. We decided that the corner on the left is probably on the S Crack route but just don't exit.

Pitch 6 (or 7 by some route descriptions) follows the "S" system to the right. (There is a direct finish that instead goes straight up from the top of the squeeze chimney; but this did not look as good and it also did not maintain the "S" feature that was part of the original route, so we went rightwards.) I think the MP description is for the direct finish.

The awesome stemming corner on the second half of Pitch 2 (some route descriptions might have this at Pitch 3).

The final pitch continues up blocky terrain to the ledge that intersects the last pitch of Imaginary Voyage. Seemed about 5.7 to me.

Looking up at the first pitch from below the third class gulley.