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West Face

5.10b, TR, 45 ft (14 m),  Avg: 2.3 from 9 votes
FA: Chris Hawn ?
California > San Francisco B… > S Bay Area > Castle Rock Area > Mt Doom
Warning Access Issue: Trails are closed from sunset to 6:00 am. DetailsDrop down

Description

A short route but very fun. It is slightly overhanging with good holds to pull on. Definitely worth doing.

Location

This route is on the smaller northwest face of Mt. Doom. Walk right of the top of the crag through a narrow corridor and through some bushes to access the base of the route. No lead bolts on this face and not much for natural pro.

Protection

TR

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Some very nice moves on the steep West Face route on Mt. Doom
[Hide Photo] Some very nice moves on the steep West Face route on Mt. Doom
Top roping the west face of Mt. Doom
[Hide Photo] Top roping the west face of Mt. Doom
West Face, Mt. Doom
[Hide Photo] West Face, Mt. Doom

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

vincent L.
Redwood City
  5.10b
[Hide Comment] The West Face gets shade most of the day . Mar 23, 2014
John F Kim
San Jose, CA
  5.10c
[Hide Comment] I took a bunch of climbers over there (November 2019) and 5 or 6 of them tried this route, but only the 2 best climbers in our group finished it. They said the tough part was lots of holds were slopers. I think the climbers in our group who finished it are climbing 5.11s and easier 5.12s in the gym while the ones who couldn't finish it are climbing up to 5.10a/5.10b routes in the gym. I didn't try it myself.

To get to the base, from your arrival point on the big boulder below Summit Route, you can walk down and to the right (go counter clockwise around Mt. Doom) or you can walk onto the big ledge of the Slab Route and traverse across to the left side of the slab, then scramble down from there, going clockwise around Mt. Doom. Has a nice 2-bolt anchor above the route with hangers but no rings, so last climber rappels off Summit Route or Slab Route. Once on top (lead Summit Route or the slab), walk carefully to that end along the ledge above the slab route, tie your PAS or a sling into one of the slab route anchors, then you can reach over the top of the rock or sit on top above the route to set or clean the anchors for the West Face. Nov 25, 2019
John F Kim
San Jose, CA
  5.10c
[Hide Comment] Start is easy. When wall gets vertical, going left is 5.9/5.10a to crux which I thought was 5.10d for one move to get your left hand onto a great sidepull above the dark rock. Then it's 5.8 for a few moves to a second balancy crux that might be 5.10b? If you try to go straight up the vertical (slightly overhanging) part right beneath the anchors, I couldn't do it but think it looked like 5.11a/b. Jun 6, 2022