Slip of the Arrow

This route is in the second edition of Handren’s guide as a three-pitch 5.7, and indeed most of it is no harder than 5.6, but the short crux section getting past the bolt is distinctly harder.

Most of the climbing is high quality. However, the descent involves exposed traversing and downclimbing; we stayed roped until we were on the ground, and would do so again.

P. 1: Up the easy hand and finger crack to a ledge. Step up to a bolt in a blank, varnished right-facing corner. Up the corner and/or arete (5.9- crux) for about ten feet to easy face climbing; head more or less straight up to a finger crack, and follow it as far as your rope (or rope drag) allows. Gear anchor.160-200’ depending where you belay.

P. 2: Continue up the finger crack, which turns into a right-facing corner. Up this (stepping left onto the arete briefly) until the crack ends under a headwall. Step left into a right-facing corner, which leads to ledges. If rope drag permits, continue up left into a big alcove below a whitish arete and crack. 5.6, 200’

P. 3: Handren’s guide calls the start of this pitch a 5.7 unprotected arete, but it takes reasonable gear and feels no harder than 5.6 or so, though the rock quality warrants care. Climb the arete and the crack above until it ends, then traverse a long way left on an easy foot ledge until it’s possible to cross a short friction slab and belay at a rubble-strewn stance. 5.6,100’

P. 4: Traverse left, downclimbing a bit, to a stance at the top of a blank-looking low-angle corner. 5.2, 100’

P. 5: Downclimb the corner a bit, and keep traversing left and downclimbing to the gully. 5.2, 120’

Easy, though loose and occasionally brushy, scrambling leads down and eventually back skier’s left to the base of the slab.

Right where the approach trail meets the slab is an obvious hand crack, which is the start of this route. A bolt should be visible in dark varnish about 80’ up.

Standard rack, lots of small wires. No fixed gear other than the protection bolt at the crux.