Happy Hooker

This is a nerve-wracking excursion up the steepest and blankest part of the West Face Bulge. The route has a "Big Wall" feel due to the precarious aid climbing, electrifying exposure, and hanging belays.

Pitch 1: (A3-, 5.9, 50 feet) Begin from the 2-bolt anchor on the right side of Vampire Ledge. A few pins in a thin crack get you to the "expanding flake." Aid this (carefully!) to a bolt, tension-traverse left, then aid (pins and hooks) and free climb (5.9) up to a 2-bolt hanging belay.

Pitch 2: (A4-, 5.8, 80 feet) Intense, sustained hooking past 4 bolts, then a few free moves take you to the Vampire pitch 2 bolted belay. From here you can rap with 2 ropes to Vampire Ledge, or make 2 shorter rappels (80 feet, then 50 feet) to the Vampire Ledge.

Some repeat attempts resulted in very long falls on pitch 2, nearly hitting Vampire Ledge, as they attempted to link pitches 1 and 2. I wouldn't advise this, since with all the rope out, if you do fall, you'll get major rope stretch. The hooking on pitch 2 is extremely tenuous- any rope drag will make it even more difficult. When I led it I balanced on two or three hooks at the same time most of the way up pitch 2.

Pitch 3: (5.10b, A1 -or- 5.12c) Move left to a bolt, then tension traverse (or 5.12c) left over to a narrow ledge. Tiptoe left across the ledge, clip a bolt, then where the ledge peters out, make a face traverse left (5.10-) over to a tiny left-facing corner and another bolt. Move down a few feet left to a nice ledge with a 2-bolt anchor. This anchor can also be reached by traversing right from near the top of the second pitch of Stairway to Heaven (1 bolt; 5.10+).

Pitch 4: (5.11+, A0 -or- 5.13a; FFA Scott Cosgrove) Stellar face climbing on nice incut edges past 6 bolts to a 2-bolt anchor (hanging belay) shared with Stairway to Heaven. The AO move is at the second bolt. This is one of the best and most spectacular face pitches on Tahquitz.