The Volunteer Wall

The route rightfully has a reputation for being dangerous from loose rock and long runouts. Fortunately there are likely clean fall potential (although sometimes long) on much of the harder moves. The 1st pitch (p1 and p2 linked as shown in guidebooks) has substantial runouts on easy terrain and the Rotten pitch has potential for very nasty long and unclean falls onto a slab if a hold breaks at the wrong spot on the way from the 2nd to 3rd bolt. There are numerous other potentially dangerous sections but those were the ones that stood out most on my ascent. Watch out for people practicing rappels from the top; they have been known to drop massive clusters of rope and huge rocks right down on the route at times.

Warning: Climbing at Whiteside Mountain is extremely dangerous due to long runouts, poor protection, loose rock, difficult route finding, 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, misleading, and/or may contain errors. 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. It is neither claimed nor implied that bolts, fixed anchors, and removable protection placement locations on the route including those shown/described are safe or suitable for protecting further ascents. It is the responsibility of climbers to thoroughly inspect bolts/fixed anchors before deciding to use them.

Notes from ascent:

Warning! All pitch lengths are rough guesses from leading route with 70m rope without middle marker.

P1: (5.11d, 5.9R) (The guidebook lists this as two separate pitches but it is listed as one linked here. I had a 70m rope and don't know whether they can be linked with shorter rope) climb slab up to huge scary-sounding hollow flakes, continue up to a bolt, climb nice left facing corner to a belay bolt, then continue up and left past a bolt then up past a very bad pin then up face (keep sharp eye out for gear) and continue to 2 bolt belay on register ledge 40 feet left of the top of the obvious left facing corner to the right.  (5.11a, 190 ft)

P2: (5.8R) walk right along register ledge then clip a fixed pin with a long sling and continue up face following path of least resistance to base of the huge right facing coal mine corner (160 ft)

P3: (5.11d/12a) "The coal mine" Climb the corner past a bolt and then past some small gear (a #2 ballnut works good as do micronuts) Continue to 2 bolt anchor to the left and make sure rope doesn't run through notch of crack. (90 ft)

P4: (5.10c PG13) "The Happy Hooker Pitch" make a mantly move to gain the face, then continue up and right past 2 widely spaced bolts and perhaps a fixed head to a 2 bolt belay (70 ft)

P5: (5.11a R) "The Rotten Pitch" clip a low first bolt, make tricky moves to gain a hard to clip 2nd bolt (watch out for a 1 foot ledge below you if you fall) then continue up and left on very scary rotten terrain which could be dangerous if one of those large creaky jugs were to break. Continue to two bolt anchor.

P6: (5.12a) "The Jump Pitch". Amazing pitch. Pull the roof then continue up the excellent steep face past widely spaced gear / bolts.

P7: (5.11d, 5.9R) "The bathtub Pitch" traverse 50 feet to the right and climb past a bolt into the "bathtub" (ledge fall potential on 5.8 or 5.9 moves just before getting into bathtub) then place a #4 camalot or similar on the right side and continue up the tightly bolted face above to a moderate crack. Traverse left to caver bolts and belay.

P8: (5.4) Continue to top

Standard rack. I took cams from tiny to #4 camalot (probably doubles on smaller sizes), nuts including micro ones, a few ball nuts, and probably tricams. While there are not a ton of gear placements on the route, it's often critical to have the right gear when good placement opportunities present themselves. All or most of the bolts appeared to have been replaced with modern 3/8" bolts. I led with a 70m rope and don't know if the long P1 as described in description (original P1 and P2 linked) can be done with a shorter rope.