Almost Overhanging

Almost Overhanging is located on Almost Arete, the next prominent arete/buttress to the east of Grunt Arete (Open Book). The route is accessed via Garnet Canyon and ascends the northern (south facing) wall. This route sees very little modern traffic, despite the Ortenburger/Jackson guidebook claiming a "logical route on predominantly sound rock". Do not expect a climber’s trail. As of 2022 the route still suffers from abundant lichen and pitches of loose rock, though with more traffic could clean up to a classic moderate on par with Open Book. Recommended for parties in search of an old-school adventure and willing to forgive some flaws. The difficult climbing is located on the lower and uppermost pitches, with easier rambling on pitches 4-6. A large variety of climbing styles including bombay chimneys and a deviously overhanging crux roof make this an exciting and adventurous lead for the grade. Sadly, we attempted this route shortly after a rainstorm and battled substantial wetness on the first three, and most difficult, pitches.

Route Description (how we climbed it)

P1** (5.7, 50M): Belay from a large ledge to the east of the steepening (and probably wet) chimney. Ascend dirty slabs with minimal protection and loose flakes (5.7) to a very small tree with a sling. Trend back up and slightly west towards the chimney on easy ramps. Climb the face east of the chimney until it steepens to vertical and makes sense to gain the chimney. The crux of the chimney is surpassing a large chockstone with smooth walls on either side (5.7) to gain easier terrain above. When wet I found this crux very difficult, but could imagine it fair 5.7 with dry holds behind the chockstone. Belay from a large tree with many slings.

P2*** (5.7 40M): Excellent. Trend directly up following obvious cracks beginning about 10 feet left of the belay tree, aiming towards the lowermost small black roof above, bordering the lower right corner of the Postage Stamp (a large steep slab of yellow/white rock, about 100' by 100' to the west, see topo). Climb a steep right leaning crack in a gently right facing corner with good face holds to a trough (5.7). Ascend an obvious chimney system with great stemming, jams and face holds (5.7). Set a semi-hanging belay on the rightmost edge of the black roof (some manky fixed tat my be present here)

P3*** (5.9, 40M): Money pitch! Climb directly up easy slabs to gain a "yellow nose". Undercling and layback this mega rye-crispy flake out to the left on slippery feet (5.8). Climb up a corner into the crux overhang, which we once again encountered in sopping wet conditions. Powerful and bold movements gain massive jugs over the roof with epic exposure (5.9). This crux felt more like 5.10 to me, but due to wetness I was unable to use the seeping hand crack on the left wall which seemed like it might provide good jams and footholds when dry. Proceed up easy but dirty slabs trending slightly right to another smaller corner/roof system, which is passed on face holds to the right (5.7). A short ramp of easy fifth class vegetated slab trends up and slightly left to a good belay ledge with a small but healthy tree. Though small, this tree could probably be used for retreat from the route if necessary. 

P4* (5.6): Move the belay up and left to the large tree barely visible from the P4 belay. Several paths can be taken, ours was generally 5.6 on dirty rock. Short.

(note: an escape from the top of P4 to the southeast ridge of Disappointment Peak can be made via the prominent couloir/gully to the east, but continuation to the summit is recommended. (OJ guidebook topo appears to end here)

P5** (5.7): Better than it looks. Climb runout but easy, clean and fun slabs (5.5) up to a broken corner/chimney/gully thing. Face climb and chimney delicately past abundant death blocks (5.5). Choose protection between these blocks wisely. Higher up this corner becomes cleaner and a small roof is encountered. Exit right on a fun layback flake into a low-angle finger crack (5.7). Belay somewhere on easy fourth class slabs above. 

P6 & 7** (5.7, long): We began simul-climbing here to save time, though I believe this whole described pitch is probably about 60M. That said, the rope drag would be heinous if pitched out completely, as this pitch wanders on either side of the arete. If not simul-climbing consider an intermediate belay. Continue up the direct ridge crest on dirty and loose rock (easy 5th). Follow the arete edge directly until an obvious difficult steep step is encountered. Traverse onto the west face of the ridge to find an exposed vertical wall of detached flakes, cracks and patches of grass. Hold your breath and climb gently through this fun but consequential stretch (test your handholds!!!) past a fixed pin and regain the arete (5.6). Here another steep step on the ridge is encountered. Climb this intimidating nose directly (5.7) into an exposed sequence of face climbing on somewhat dirty rock with less than inspiring protection. Continue up easier terrain and belay from a massive boulder just below the summit, on the left side of the now knife-edge ridge. Exciting, exposed and beautiful.

P8*** (5.7, 5.9 move, 30M): It seems the summit could be gained most efficiently via a white slab directly above the belay, but no cracks for protection led us to the west, where we found a chimney with a fixed pin at the top. The chimney is somewhat visible from the belay and is reached via a delicate horizontal traverse on face holds across the west face (5.5). This chimney features some of the cleanest rock on the whole route, though I did send a pie-plate sized flake trundling into Garnet Canyon with an errant foot placement. A short crux is encountered at the top of this chimney surmounting and mantling through an awkward bulge (5.9). Clip a fixed pin and send. Gain the true summit on easy terrain. Belay from one of the many healthy and sizable summit trees.

Descent: From the arete summit, descend east on fourth class slabs to a funky rappel anchor on a large tree limb. Rappel 20M to grassy slopes below. Traverse skier's right to the ridgecrest and follow 3rd and 2nd class terrain back to Suprise Lake.

Follow the Garnet Trail almost to the platform camping area. If you can locate Open Book, then simply look one buttress to the east across a large talus gully. A VERY prominent and large square (100’ by 100’) of white/yellow rock adorns the main face of this buttress (Almost Arete) and is known as the Postage Stamp (see topo). Almost Overhanging ascends a line of weaknesses just east of the Postage Stamp. Another landmark to look for is the Satisfaction Crack, an ultra-obvious left trending crack/chimney system that extends hundreds of feet and separates Almost Arete from Satisfaction Buttress. Almost Overhanging starts about 75-100 feet west of Satisfaction Crack. A gigantic black roof is the final identifying feature, just east of the Postage Stamp - the route starts directly beneath this roof. Once the general area of the climb is located, hike directly up loose talus (no trail) to the base of a large chimney/gully (often wet). Scramble up this gully until steepening terrain forces you east onto an obvious and quite large grassy ledge (4th class). Either begin climbing from this ledge or direct start in the chimney if dry. The first two pitches follow the prominent broken chimney and crack system just west of the belay, leading directly up to the west edge of the big black roof.