Jötnar

Jotnar is the only Grade VI big wall in the Pacific Northwest that is repeatable, has bolted anchors, and is achievable by reasonably experienced wall climbers in 3-4 days. Sam thinks to free the North Norwegian Buttress anywhere would require a minimum 5.13 free climbing in places, and beaks. Sam and Lani have done a healthy dose of the usual walls in The Big Ditch et al. I have done enough to know the ins, outs, what-have-yous, and have an unhealthy addiction to throwing large rocks and beating things with a hammer. We completed the route in Capsule-style over two trips and 14 days in the Summer of 2020. We are somewhat jaded by our desire for the extreme danger, but the route is pretty clean now and I imagine quite fun! We deemed that half of the holes or rivets could be patched at this point, but there were a multitude of death blocks (all gone! Kyle Smash!) and generally extreme dangerous situations that required safeguarding our lives and the belay. 

Jotnar has fully bolted stainless steel anchors, and several well placed portaledge bolts. As we recall, some of those 5 piece bolts might need retorqued but all of them are quite good.  This climb ascends a watercourse in some sections. You should aim for Late July-Early September to avoid the snow melt, most of the climbing is unaffected but it is worth knowing. Have a working ledge fly and a rain shell in the leaders pack/tagbag for the middle section of the route even on a sunny day. When the sun ducks behind the mountain it chills quickly.

P1 (5.7 R, 230ft) - The height of the seasonal snow pack will determine exactly where you'll be able to start. We started a couple hundred meters to the right of the main watercourse in a shallow moat. Indistinct and runout face  climbing takes you up to the start of the massive right trending ramp system that you can see from the lake and a bolted anchor. 

P2 (5.8 A3, 130ft) - Easy free climbing takes you up a small ramp to the left. Some steep cracks lead you to a large ledge. Thin aid takes you up the face to a stance below a splitter crack. This pitch was A4R on the FA though large sections of the original pitch now do not exist. It is possible to link into P3 though hauling becomes a little funky with the roofs below. 

P3 (C2, 80ft) - Climb the splitter cracks to a sheltered, but slabby belay. Good portaledge bivy. 

P4 (A3+, 120ft) - Crux aid pitch. A3 up a left facing crack. Halfway up you'll encounter a roof, hook the top of the doom block forming the roof to take you to a glory beak crack. Exit the corner to the right, past some more hooks to an ok stance below the mud corner. 

P5 (A2, 120ft) Climb the left facing corner to a belay just below a slab. This pitch and the next are the infamous seepage pitches and become a waterfall in the afternoon due to snow melt. I would recommend linking these pitches, and climbing them first thing in the morning. 

P6 (5.6 C3, 80ft) - Start off with some easy slab climbing up to a thin seam. Thin A2 leads up the face to a long section of hooking which leads to “Donald Trump’s Golden Shower Room”. This makes for a good portaledge bivy.

P7 (A2, 130ft) - Head up the left facing corner on rivets to a wildly steep series of cracks. It is helpful to leave a line fixed on this pitch for the descent as it overhangs 40+ feet. A 40M rope will reach. 

P8 (5.9 A2, 150ft) - Fang Roof. A2 up from the belay a short while, then C1 up a beautiful splitter hand crack (5.10) through the overhang. 5.9 free climbing leads to the belay.

P9 (A3, 140ft) - Second aid crux. Go right of the bush and quest up the face on thin pins, rivets and tons of hooks. A long stretch of bat hooks bypasses a bit of chossy corner. Near the top, at a bolt, either tension traverse to the right or make a massive reach to nest some beaks. 

P10 (5.7 A3, 140ft) - Start up a shallow right facing flake. Then trend left under “The Dude”, an enormous hanging roof/arete. A tension traverse left to some hooks and free climbing takes you to the anchor. 

P11 (5.7 C2, 80ft) - Up past a bolt to gain a crack. Follow this to its end. Easy free climbing takes you to a good grassy ledge. 

P12 (5.8 A3, 180ft) - “The Headwall”. 5.8 climbing straight up leads to a bolt. From the bolt, traverse right into a chimney hole, wild hooks with rivets takes you out a roof. Tricky beaks leads to a long river ladder with intermittent free moves. Good ledge for belay and comfortable portaledge bivy. If you can help it, do not haul above this point. 

P13 (5.9+ C2 150ft) - Free climb above the belay with thin gear. Trend to the left crack, passing a short river ladder, a false belay into more free climbing. Trend left, then back right to another good ledge by the crest of the buttress. 

P14 (5.9, 140ft) - Start right off the belay. Runout face climbing takes you to a broken series of ledges. Weave your way through, staying near the buttress crest. A couple battle trees guard the belay. 

P15 (5.8 C1, 140ft) - Traverse way left to the large right facing corner. 5.10 or C1 root aiding takes you up to a classic cedar grovel to a large ledge. Gear belay takes off fingers to hands. Bolted rappel anchor far to the right on this large ledge. 

P16 (5.7, 160ft) - Head up a 5.7 mossy dihedral and gully to the summit. 

There is a rumor that it is possible to climb at a moderate grade to the summit of middle peak.

Descent: Rappel the route. Many pitches are overhung enough that you'll have to swing, or place directional gear to make it to the next rappel. You'll have to down aid quite a ways on pitch 7 if you do not leave a fixed line in place for your descent. Take all of your fixed lines down off the mountain when you leave. There is already a fair amount of unsightly fixed lines from previous routes/attempts, let’s not contribute to the problem. 

Approach: Hike to Lake Serene, and traverse around on talus to the cirque.

Descent: Rap the route.

Double rack of nuts and cams from micronuts to #4 camalot, and a single #5. Single set of offsets, 5 each beaks, 2 lost arrows and 10 rivet hangers (some of these need to be #1 size as some rivets are driven deep) 2 sets of hooks. All anchors are bolted except for the 15th. Portaledge required (no ledges.)