Moveable Feast

This was the second all free route on North Chasm View, after The Cruise. Unlike The Cruise, it was also a new route; reported as 5.10+ in Climbing #41.

I like to think of the Moveable Feast as the easiest route on North Chasm View Wall. For a few pitches, you're out there, hangin' with the big boys. The rock and pro are great. Then it's suddenly over and you're groveling up a chimney to the camp.

The quality of the middle section, the miraculous "Corner Escape Pitch", is as good as any 5.11 or 5.12 gnarler. After leaving the safety of the last hand-jam in the corner and stepping out onto the wall, the exposure is huge.

The route is on the far left side of Chasm View Wall (downstream, west facing end).

First, descend SOB Gully.

Next, at about 200 feet elevation above the river, climb out left to the top of a buttress. This buttress prevents hiking upstream at river level.

After the short climb, look for a rap station that accesses the gully on the upstream side of the buttress. Rappel into the poison ivy, tick, and talus filled gully. Pull the rope. Now you are committed. Finally, head up the new gully to the approach pitches.

Begin with a couple easy pitches up bushy ledges and small corners to the base of the prominent right facing dihedral. Variations are possible and there are several ledges to set belays on. The harder climbing begins off a nice ledge at the base of the main corner.

Above is the "Corner Escape Pitch". On the left side of the corner, a large ledge is passed on the way to the crux. When the hand jams get more difficult, dodge right onto the exposed wall. A hidden flake crack must be reached from a hand jam. Then a little more traversing gains a new crack system that leads to the exit gully/chimney. Belay where the traversing ends below the new crack (not so comfortable).

From this stance, two pitches up an obvious crack end near the exit gully. The crack is lined with pegmatite and there is a challenging bulge to pass.

From here climbers have a choice. Some will finish on upper Stoned Oven. Others will go up the obvious exit chimney/gully. A tough 5.8 chimney is found partway up. Then ledges are easily traversed left to a final crack/grovel up to the trees at the top.

A short hike up the hillside ends at the campground.

A rope, a rack, and the shirt on your back. Ed and Bryan hauled a full load because the route looked so big, thus they named it: "The Movable Feast". They easily got it done in a day, even hauling.

I don't give detailed gear advice because most of my friends just give it back to me and bring their own racks.