Unfathomable

This route follows weaknesses up the steep wall right of Defective Sonar. There are serious runouts on most pitches especially P1, P2, P5, P6, and P7.

Warning: Climbing at Laurel Knob is extremely dangerous due to long runouts, poor protection, difficult route finding, rappel descents, and other factors. The information in this posting is provided for informational and historical purposes only to aid in understanding roughly where the route has been climbed before. Information provided is approximate, subjective, and based upon sometimes vague memories and opinions of recreational climber(s) that may not have been recorded until long after climbing the route. As such, the information is unverified and may be inaccurate, incomplete, and/or misleading. Any person(s) attempting to climb this route or any others does so at their own risk and is solely responsible for their party's safety using their own route-finding skills and judgement and shall not rely on any information in this posting. Bolts and fixed anchors left in place on the route were placed so as to protect the first ascent party (often placed from strenuous stances while drilling on lead in traditional style), but it is neither claimed nor implied that such anchors as well as removable protection placement locations are safe or suitable to protect further ascents. It is the responsibility of climbers to practice redundancy in anchoring and thoroughly inspect bolts/fixed anchors before deciding to use them. All distances and pitch lengths where given are rough guesses from climbing the route and must not be relied upon for any purpose.

P1: Climb the fathom corner to the ledge about 40' up. Step up and left on steep face to a roof. Pull the 5.9 roof and continue up the face past a black tricam and 3 bolts to anchor (5.11a R) 

P2: Climb up past 2 bolts then left then up then left to get gear then up and right to another bolt continue up to belay at two #3 camalots (5.11b R)

P3: Traverse the horizontal crack feature out right. It becomes steep and pumpy near the end. Belay at a bolted anchor. (5.11a to old anchor location. Hasn’t been redpointed to new anchor location but likely 5.11+)

P4: follow the line of 9 bolts and 4 bathooks out right past some dikes and large crystals with mixed free and aid to big sloping ledge. The only natural hook aid move I used on the FA is on a large hold after the first bolt after the big dike (5.9 A1. Much of this pitch would likely go free but there is a very blank 15 foot section at the end) 

P5: Climb ramp up and right then step left onto the steep face following bolts past a short crimpy crux section then up an awesome shallow steep water groove. There is mandatory free 5.11a and there may be some difficult climbing without a bolt right there. (5.11a A0 PG13. Might go free around 5.12d) 

P6: Climb the incredible steep, deep, and wide groove to anchors. Look for a critical large offset/hybrid cam(s) before the first bolt and a critical red tricam (but be sure to also carry many other options including neighboring sizes) between the 2nd and 3rd bolts. (5.10a R)

P7: Continue up the left hand groove past 2 bolts to ledge, then continue up the mossy groove to a 2 bolt anchor. (5.9 R)

Descent: From top of P4, I double rope rappelled to the slab of Fathom. From there it should be possible to down-lead and/or double rope rappel off a single bolt on Fathom that l recall not looking ideal (possibly a spinner wedge bolt back when I saw it, so replacement may be warranted). I'm not sure if it's possible/practical to swing from P4 to P3 anchor on rappel but that might be another option although not sure where one will land after double rope rappelling from the P3 anchor.

Same start as Fathom. 

As with most routes, the "GPS" in the route heading was automatically carried over from the parent area and at the time of this update does not reflect the actual route coordinates which I do not know.

The horizontal crack on P3 uses a lot of gear and there are a number of critical pieces on other pitches (not always mentioned in description text or on topo). I used the following but others will likely want to bring more:

Triple cams from tiny to #0.75 camalot including offsets/hybrids, double #1 camalot, single #2 camalot, double #3 camalot (for P2 belay), nuts, tricams, cliffhanger hook, talon hook (for bathook holes), and 1 or 2 aiders.