The Maw

The Maw is unique route with varied and exciting climbing - a little bit of something for everyone. Sporty face moves to start, a short but sweet crack system, wild chimney traversing, and easy chicken-head runout.

Pitch 1 starts up a crumbly but fun corner for a short bit before reaching right to the first bolt. Easier climbing, and an opportunity to place a smaller piece before committing to the face. Enter a fun series of face moves through the next three bolts in the 5.11ish range. Pull these face moves to gain a ledge up right, near the base of the crack system. Pass some bolted placements, using the crack and face holds. Short but sweet crack climbing takes you up to the anchor, in mostly thin hands size. I felt like it was pretty straightforward 5.10- crack, relative to climbs in the area. Fun pitch.

Pitch 2 is just wild to look up at now. Cast off up an intimidating but not too difficult corner to reach main course. A unique, flaring, bomb bay chimney that you'll be horizontally traversing. Traverse left, well-protected through bolts, on some small and some amazing feet. Mid pitch you reach the crux, a bit of a bizarre down climb to a small ramp. 5.11 but no consequence. If you blow it here, just act cool like you meant to dyno the ramp. Place a bigger piece before executing a final reach to big chickens. It can be kind of blind groping if you're short, and it's more fun if your belayer tries shouting beta from afar. "Up left six inches! Down a little more! I'm getting cold!" Hero jug to the anchor above.

Pitch 3 takes you to the top. Interesting moves off the belay gain you a good chicken head to clip the first of three bolts on the pitch. Bolt clipped, pull a fun move on decent features, then cruise easy chicken heads up to a mid pitch ledge. Keep you eyes peeled for another bolt on this upper portion of the ledge, protecting an easy 10- move. From there cruise a bit of low grade slab to the top.

Look for the splitter Forest Lawn, and continue past the big chimney just left of that start. Looking up from there you can see the MAW, and follow the crack/bolt line down to the start. There's a nice belay stance where you can have a good time.

Descent: From the final anchor you can see the first rap anchor to skier's left. Three raps take you to the base of Forest Lawn. On your second rap, you'll see a set of anchors on the smooth face - skip these and instead look for the anchors at the top of FL P1, slightly lower.

Single rack to #2, doubles #3. Bunch of draws. 60m rope