Red Face Magic

This route, which I heard about on a trip report on stephabegg.com, is a link-up of the three primary routes on Zowie and takes an amazingly direct line to the summit. The first pitch is 5.8+ and the price of admission for the rest of the route. The technical climbing is broken up by two bouts of 5.easy but allows for linking pitches with a touch of simuling while the second is on easy terrain. When I climbed the route, we combined pitches 2 and 3. There are many great belay opportunities on this route, especially on the lower half. I feel like the route is PG-13 because of the lack of pro pulling the roof on P1, especially if you don't clip the block of death. However, the holds are huge, and a fall would be unlikely.

It seems a lot of people compare Zowie to Petit. In my opinion, the average climbing quality on Petit is better, but no single pitch is better than pitches 5 or 6 on this route. The easier approach and descent to Zowie make this route a great entry park tower in my opinion, but the first pitch should not be attempted by someone only claiming to be a 5.8 leader.

Descriptions below include approximate pitch lengths. Any updates with firmer numbers would be greatly appreciated.

P1. Climb a prominent, left-facing dihedral system that arcs to the left at the mid-point of the pitch. As it arcs, face climbing becomes the name of the game while you protect in the crack system. This pitch is 5.8+ which lines up with what I heard about + ratings meaning "it's harder than 5.8." The corner system will spit you out into somewhat obvious face climbing where you will likely encounter a large, loose block that used to have tat around it. Work up to a large belay ledge on 5.easy terrain on the right side of a gully, before an obvious step over point. Over the last few years, the large loose blocks are mostly gone from this ledge system but caution is still warranted. (~150 feet, 5.8+).

P2. Traverse climber's left across the gully and work up to the base of a prominent chimney. The crux of this pitch is getting across the gully, maybe 5.3, maybe 4th Class. There is a perfect 0.4 X4-sized pod to pull onto the face for the crux move (~120 feet, 5.easy).

P3. Climb the chimney working up to a squeeze. Drop your pack, and wiggle up the squeeze, finding easier ground above. I've seen descriptions that rate this pitch 5.6, but maybe they weren't taking the squeeze. In my opinion, it's every bit of 5.7 (~100 feet, 5.7). Update: avoiding the squeeze and stemming left around it definitely makes P3 go at 5.6.

P4. Work up more broken 5.easy terrain to the base of a small roof and corner system. This pitch is forgettable, but the rock quality is good. If you belay right above the chimney on a large ledge, there are three variations to access the easy terrain. One option is to navigate right, up, then left to a short 5.8 offwidth section (BD #5). Another option is to go straight left and up from the belay which is generally pretty easy but has a well-protected 5.8/5.9 finger crack move before accessing the easy terrain. The third option is to move right, stay right, then work up and left through 4th Class/low 5th terrain. There is loose rock on the next pitch that is mostly avoidable, but do not belay in a position where you would be directly in line with anything coming down. You're aiming for a right-facing blocky corner system that leads to a clear cut hand crack on the climber's left.

P5. A stellar pitch! This is what climbing on Zowie is all about. Some descriptions claim this pitch is 5.9, but I don't believe any single move is harder than 5.7. Work up a blocky section to a small roof, and traverse out and around to the right, regaining the corner system and climbing a stellar hand crack through another small roof to the next belay on a ledge with a giant, leaning death block. There is a bunch of core shot tat at the belay - don't use that. The exposure at the back side of this belay is amazing, don't forget to take in the views (~100 feet, 5.7).

P6. This pitch is maybe better than pitch 5 depending on your preferred style. There are two options here, taking the offwidth to the left or a face/crack climb directly up the center of the face. Take the face option, trying to not put too much torque on the death block as you work up from the ledge. After multiple romps up this route, I still haven't found a way to entirely avoid the block. Work up the face enjoying excellent holds and great movement, belaying at the rappel anchors at the back side of the summit on climber's right. Some descriptions say this is 5.8, I think it all comes from a single V0 move with gear at your face (~80 feet, 5.7).

Descent: rappel from bolts on the summit down to a ledge system (60 feet), then walk to the north end where you will find another set of bolts in a small notch feature. Take this rappel (80 feet) to the top of the descent gully. Work your way down skier's left to join a foot path over very exposed but secure 3rd Class terrain with a short scramble in the middle. A pair of brown rap bolts will be skier's right at the very end of the gully where it cliffs out, a secure-enough distance back from the ledge. Be careful as the path turns into loose scree near the rap rings. Take this rap to the ground (60 feet).

Approach Zowie trending to the right side of the base. Look for a left-facing dihedral on the right that arcs to the left about 80 feet up.

A standard alpine rack. Alternatively, doubles from 0.3 to 3 for a comfortable experience on the first pitch.