PRINT: Rock Climb Narrow Arrow Direct, Index

Narrow Arrow Direct

5.12c, Trad, 100 ft (30 m),

Avg: 3.9 from 30 votes
FA: Fa: Ron burgner, Mark Weigelt FFA P2-3: John Stoddard FFA P1: Toprope long ago? Dave Morales?
Washington > Central-W Casca… > Skykomish Valley > Index > Lower Town Wall > (D) Narrow Arrow & fu…

Description

Right of Narrow Arrow Overhang, this pitch traditionally starts with a beatdown in a difficult wide stemming corner (.11b). An easier and less cruxy method is to use the start of Shirley. Either way, climb up through varied terrain and mantle up onto a small stance at the base of a corner. Layback a flake up a slab and make an airy step-across move left under the roof. Pull the roof past a pin and establish on the face above. The left facing lieback feature thins out just before a core-intensive reach to a large flake. Follow this past a bolt to an awkward stance on a small ledge. Clip the final bolt and begin the crux, a five or six move boulder problem (V5ish).

Location

This is the rightmost of the two "Narrow Arrow" routes. The beginning climbs dirty ledges below a bolt. A 60m rope will lower to the ground from the anchor. It is possible to continue for three more pitches (up to .10c), including an airy offwidth (gear to 6"). All pitches are excellent and can also provide access to new pitches above and right of the Narrow Arrow feature.

Protection

Three bolts and two pins (the first questionable). A selection of gear is needed, very thin to green Camalot size. Include nuts.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Almost through the crux sequence. With permission from Manny Pacheco.

Sarah Peery styling her way up the slabs on the first half of P1

Sarah Peery firing in some pro on P1

p4 short offwidth. it combines well with the previous awesome 10d pitch.

Looking up at the big slopers above the roof.

Pullin' the easy roof on TR.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

blakeherrington

This route continues for 3 more pitches to the narrow arrow summit.

p2 is a finger crack in a corner. 5.10b
p3 is a very demanding 5.10d pitch with an amazing roof. One of the best 5.10s at Index
P4 is a short offwidth and roof. 5.10 Aug 18, 2008

Jon Nelson
Redmond, WA

I remember doing the last two pitches to the NA summit in the early 80s. The pitch getting to the summit cleft was fantastic 5.10 crack climbing on the prow. At the time I thought it was the best crack pitch at Index. (I wish I could remember how we got to the start of the 2nd pitch - it wasn't aid and it certainly wasn't 12c. But anyway, there is a way to do the last pitches without doing 12c.)

And back then we didn't have any pro that would fit the wide crack in the summit cleft, so that felt incredibly desperate to me. I remember stacking two hexes in the roof at the start and then running it out to the top. Now you have the option of doing a 5.11 finger traverse out right. Jul 5, 2012

Derek Pearson
Snohomish, WA

I have traversed from Thin Fingers. You can even come from Tatoosh lots of drag if you traverse in one pitch.

Best to climb to TF belay and then go from there. Jul 5, 2012

Drewsky

5.12c

Just did this route ground to summit yesterday and can confirm that the offwidth is a real grovel if you suck at offwidths: the first pitch felt like a cakewalk compared to the last. The final short pitch links well with the .10c/d pitch below it, avoiding a crappy belay stance in the chimney below the roof. In fact, I'd be willing to bet all three (short) crack pitches could be linked pretty easily. Really good climbing on this one! The first time I did the upper pitches years ago we traversed in from Thin Fingers with relative ease. An even better option is to do Shirley and traverse about 5 feet left to the NAD anchor. This would be the easiest way that doesn't involve rope tensioned shenanigans. Sep 30, 2012

Jon Todorovich

The upper pitches are amazing and get very little traffic. The belay on top of pitch 2 is an incredible position and feels way more exposed than it should for only being 2 pitches off the ground. Pitch 3 is classic index climbing! Thin cracks, corners, roof, and sustained -- I loved this pitch. Make sure you have some small cams. The offwidth takes a number 5 camalot perfectly and is very short. Feb 20, 2015

MorganH

The boulder problem is quite challenging for those of use that have chubby fingers and are weak. Jul 24, 2015

Tavish Hansen

5.5

Fun fact, all of the pitches of this can be done as a single TR with two 70s, off the anchors at the top of the offwidth. We were calling it the mondo TR, and its frickin sick. Mar 16, 2019

Matt Carroll
Van

about as good as it gets. i've heard rumors about a no hands rest before the crux...but i sure did not find it. really awesome climbing Mar 1, 2020

Matthew Tangeman
SW Colorado

5.12c PG13

Wow wow wow. I knew P1 was good, but after finally taking the route to the summit, this one makes my Index top 5. It feels like a classic 5.11 desert tower, but without the choss! Pulling the roof on perfect hands above the 10d section with all that air below my feet was incredible.

Be sure to have some RPs or tiny cams for the 10d section on the upper pitches, along with a #4 and #5 C4. The #5 is probably all you will place on 'The Cleft'. We brought a #6 per a couple suggestions, and while you could squeeze it in at the top, I wouldn't really recommend this. Sep 15, 2021

Anthony H
Bellingham, WA

I don't know about no-hands rest... but I can confirm that there is an almost-no-hands rest before the crux that allows for pretty much full recovery for punters like me who lack power endurance. Jul 3, 2024

Lukasz Fidkowski
Berkeley, CA

Heads up: there's a new hornet's nest under the roof halfway up P1. Aug 1, 2024