Dead Left

This unlikely climb is in a unique position and has plenty of thought-provoking qualities. The climbing movement and the gear both require consideration along the length of the climb, but both are very manageable for a climber of experience. This route could be trouble, however, for a less experienced trad leader. My partner and I were both very happy to have done this climb, finding it interesting and rewarding.

The climb as described here is undocumented. We thought maybe we were doing Workingman's Dead, but after discussing that with the FA party of that route, we now understand that what was a Left hand branch of 'Dead On Arrival' that crosses an alternate finish of Those Fertile Years which was not documented in the Levine Book, then extends into some undocumented territory. As for when this may have been first done, we are not 100% sure, as the area has multiple features which might be confused for each other.

While the ascent we did stays in the lowest roof system of the buttress and crossed the route Those Fertile Years. Clarification is still underway and a picture will eventually be posted.

This climb starts on the D.O.A. buttress, just off of the trail on Hawk Eagle Ridge. The climb starts by surmounting a 10' tower of rock against the base which forms a shallow, left-facing corner and has a rounded top (mantle up). Climb up and left into a low angle corner which ends just below a left-angling roof. Place solid gear and cut out left under that roof, as some point clipping a very nasty fixed pin (as for D.O.A.) and a very small fixed stopper (other gear is nearby). Continue the rising, leftward traverse under that roof (the lowest of three) crossing the climb 'Those Fertile Years' and then passing the old bolted anchor of Cinch Crack, below you. Gear is largely available here, but with wisdom comes caution- note not to place it into the 2 large, hanging flakes overhead and over-rope in the traverse as they are not that bomber. At some point, there is a crack piercing the roof overhead that takes a great #2 Camalot at the lip, which is great protection for some upcoming moves. Reach the end of this rising traverse and look up over a bulge into an obtuse, right-facing corner. Pull up onto the face above the bulge (stimulating) and head up that right-leaning corner to the top of the buttress. Belay off of gear or the large tree.

To descend, walk North and then Northwest about 100 meters to the second left-facing dihedral uphill from DOA to reach a 5.3 downclimb.

A standard rack of stoppers and cams. LOTS of long slings keep the zig-zag nature of the climb from creating rope drag.