The Up Stream Trout

The Upstream Trout is a fun and adventurous route with mostly high quality rock, when it’s good its really good, when its bad its still kinda fun, if you brought goggles. The route is almost always shady and the crux pitch 4 has an AC unit at the belay making this a decent warm weather route. This is the path we took to put the route up, and probably the way it will get repeated the most. A harder direct pitch to pitch 2 is also an option, which is The Brook Trout and will be described separately. 

If you rap to the “ground” there is a15’? Bonus pitch to get to P1.

P1. Stem your way up the black tips corner to a stance in the wide pod. Clip a bolt and traverse right around the arete to a belay ledge, save a .75 for the very end. 12- 

P2. Up the steep crack that starts as baggy fingers and just keeps getting bigger. Great rock quality but unfortunately in the off season this pitch sits in a creek of sorts, may need brushing in the early season. 5.12

P3. Low angle hands up to the luxurious Trout Farm Trailer Park belay. 5.7

P4. A thin and bouldery start past 2 bolts leads to a long section of 5.11 jamming on shiny sandstone.  5.12+/ V6 5.11/ A0 5.11 

P5. More or less straight up the sand dune, enter the tunnel and explore Insomnia from inside. Emerge like a brown trout biting down on a dry fly at sunset in a remote alpine lake, Hooked. 5.don’t relate. Other final pitch options exist. 

Approach Descent:  When the approach trail splits go left (south) towards the sandman for 20 or so feet past a large pondo and then head down into the major gully. Stay on the skiers left side of the gully walking down the steep grassy ramp, this will dead end at a Vortex hole with rap anchors to the right. Rap to the right (not into the vortex hole) with a 70m rope. Land on the log pile and walk towards the main canyon on a small trail behind some trees for a short distance to the next set of anchors be careful. Rap the route or the Brook trout from here with a 70m rope.

 Located in the main drainage of the east wall. 

3x red C3

2x .3-#2

3x #3

1x #5

Couple medium size Nuts might be useful on P4

Half a dozen runners and draws

70m rope