Goldbug

The compelling feature of this line is the prominent right-facing dihedral system that starts a few pitches up, and is the next major feature left of the beautiful upper dihedral of Western Front. The dihedral of Goldbug is pretty obvious from below; it has a large horizontal roof on the left side partway up, and the left wall of the dihedral is furrowed with several, rippling, parallel cracks. The lower pitches are somewhat crumbly and mediocre, with much better climbing once the upper dihedral system is reached. There are other options than what we took for these lower pitches. 

We know of no recorded ascents of this line, and have checked with one of current guidebook authors. However, it's an obvious line on a well-travelled peak. Please chime in if you know about prior ascents. We did find two anchors on the lower pitches, which were very apparently for rappel/bail. The first was at the top of our pitch 2. The second was at the belay atop our pitch 3, and was two stoppers basket-hitched with cord that rattled right out of the crack when touched. The tat on these anchors looked at least a few years old. Neither anchor had a ring/link or biner, and the tat was a bit burned from having a rope pulled through it. 

Start approx. one hundred feet left of the start of Western Front on the west face, and about 20-30' left of the starting corner for New Era. 

P1--Scramble up ledges into a splitter hand/fist crack on the left wall of a corner, pull over a mini-roof, step right, and finish up a flaky corner (crux) to a large ledge with a sizable detached pillar. .10-, 160'

P2--Move left on the ledge and up a blocky, chossy chute for a bit, until a face traverse right leads to a small belay alcove. (One of two fixed/bail anchors we found is at this stance, an angle piton and a stopper with tat. Belay off cams adjacent to this.) .7, 120'

P3--A right-leaning ramp with a flared hand/fist crack leads to a small shelf, traverse left and finish in a right-facing flake with a flared handcrack and over a small bulge to a small belay ledge. This ledge has a perched triangular block leaning against the wall, and is at the base of the major upper dihedral system .9, 120'

P4--Pull around a flake bulge into the large dihedral system and up the corner crack until it pinches shut and forces you into the furrowed, parallel cracks on the dihedral's left wall which are offwidth for a ways. The wide climbing is the crux of the route. Belay on a small ledge in the main corner after the OW ends. .10, 120'

P5--Continue up cool twin handcracks in the furrows on the left wall of the dihedral system, and finish up more handcrack on great rock to a good ledge. This was the best pitch on the route. .9, 120'

P6--Follow the corner upward on hand/fist cracks, step left into an easier, gritty system (possible to stay right on better, harder crack), and back right to finish up good rock with a fistcrack that pinches down to fingers. Finish on a major ledge/terrace where the angle changes and the steep portion of the west face ends. .9, 200'

One can unrope here and scramble the 4th/easy 5th up and generally rightward to the summit, or simul to the top. 

On the west face, about 100' or so left of Western Front. 

Med-Large stoppers,
(1X) purple-red C3
(2X) .3
(3X) .4, .5
(2X) .75-#3
(1X) #4, #5 (used throughout P4 with bumping/backcleaning)
12+ slings