The Living Stone

The Living Stone takes a line of seems and high caliber face climbing, avoiding continuous crack systems up the north east face. We established the line ground up to Der Major over 9 days in August of 24 and returned to give it an independent exit and send in August of 25. Every pitch is of good quality and has a character of its own. Most pitches are quite long and end on good ledges. Any fixed hardware we added was put in from a stance or hook the old fashion way, with that, expect some committing and consequential climbing in the 5.10+/5.11- range. There are a handful of fixed beaks for protection, they are well placed but time will tell how kindly the freeze thaw cycle treats them, over the 2 years we didn’t see any change in them, but a medium sized beak in the back pocket may not be a bad idea. Bailing from up to the top of pitch 6 is relatively doable via a hard to find fixed nut anchor on Der Minor up hill from the old bolt anchor. Above P6 is not recommended  

P1. A pin and 3 bolts takes a direct line up the face to gain a large right facing corner that rolls to the left into a ramp and ends on a large ledge. 5.11 68M 

P2. Straight up past a handful of bolts and pins (these bolts and pins are shared with another line called “Getting Lucky” that goes left into Brain Larceny and ends at der minor) at the ledge with the striking splitter piercing the jade slab at an angle to the right, go right and follow it to a ledge system with a bolt and piton belay 5.12 50M 

P3. The improbable roof. Walk right across the ledge then up the unprotected slab aiming for the large overlap. Where the wall steepens pull some wild moves on big holds to the next overlap before busting right to gain some chicken heads and the first bolt. Surf dikes to get up to the roof. Belay on a ledge just above the lip of the roof. To protect the follower clip the rope to a carabiner direct to the bolt above the roof 5.13 50M

P4. Go left off the belay and follow the seem through the center of the jade heart feature. Belay at 2 bolts and a stance. 5.10 35M

P5. Boulder out the angling seam, go up and left when the steepness degrades. Gain another seem that arcs left to a traverse bolt and right facing corner pull the roof at the top of the corner and ride features to a big easy ramp up to an old bolt and KB belay on Der Minor. Long wandering pitch. 5.12+ 68M 

P6. Move the belay down Der Minor ~30’ to the nice grassy patch, (The Der Minor INN, good bivvy for 2). Up the flake to the improbable small corner feature with 2 bolts. Continue up the seam until you can move left aiming for another bolt. Connect crack systems trending left to get up to a belay at the base of the big left facing corner. Gear belay on a good ledge stance. 5.13- 50M

P7. Move left to gain a small crack. Keep moving left to gain a small tower. Up the tower and a short traverse with a bolt then straight up a corner flake feature to a belay with 1 bolt and gear on a small ledge. 5.12- 55M

P8. Follow the crack up to the steep awkward feature. Once out of the steepness follow the corners up to a belay on Der Major. 5.12 60M

P9. Move the belay up Der Major a ways to the base of a clean left facing corner with a roof guarding it. Climb through the roof to access the corner crack, follow this through a squeeze and up discontinuous cracks past some blocks to a large flat ledge. A much more enjoyable way off Der Major than the “Mtn pitches” 5.12- 55M 

P10. Up the long ~5.6 ramp to the top. 5.6 35M 

Start ~50ft climbers left of Gambling. look for pin followed by 3 hard to see bolts that lead to a right facing corner/ramp that accumulates on a large ledge. 

Doubles from .1 to #3
Good set of RPs
Medium nuts
Healthy amount of Draws and runners
Beaks optional