Not The Father

This route climbed a nice natural line to the top of a false pinnacle and then continues up a nice easy ridge and more walls above. As you drive into Rock creek this line climbs one of the features that appears to be a huge ridge along the skyline. Various people have claimed this route and even recently people claimed the route as ”son of ayer“ although there are existing retrobolts on every pitch. This climb has been repeated free many times on lead and even was a mini trac line for locals for several years. The real ascentionists aren’t on the internet project much but they just want to prevent more bolts from being added. Mountain Proj users beware the retro bolts maybe missing and it is best to bring gear (including offset cams) and 2 ropes to safely climb, belay, and descend this route.

p1 - var1 - 5.10+ Rstart underneath a shallow roof and lie back and climb a 4.5” crack to a nice hand crack that jogs left about 50’ up. Climbs a loose crack that takes up to 4” gear. The crack turns into a seam and retro bolts now protect the face moves on a blunt arete that lead to retrobolted anchors. This is an R/x pitch and beware you might have to build a creative gear belay.

p1 - var2 - 5.10 R “if you want climb soft routes, go to the gorge var.” start off a block via a tricky R rated move that leads to gear in the nice hand crack. Beware it is best to start below using the well protected wide crack. The gorge and the buttermilks are a great place to practice this r rated first move.

p2 - var 1 - 5.10 R climb a knob sequence off the belay to the left protected by a bolt. Use very thin gear in a horizontal to protect a slightly runout knob sequence to a bother bolt visible from the belay. A retro bolted variation goes left here (5.10). Do this var or just continue straight up pg13 terrain to a retro bolt on the edge of a lip. Do a great sequence and then trend slightly right and up 40‘ of easier, slabby mantles on slightly grainy rock. Do not go right into loose rock (“math appleseed” var.). Beware a retrobolt here may be missing. Place several thin pieces and extend with several long runners. Do a delicate pg13 sequence up an arete to the ledge. Beware of loose rock. Beware the retro bolts here are gone and you may have to belay with good varied gear on the ledge. This whole pitch, place gear even tiny gear when You can.

p3 - var 1- 5.8 climb to the right off the belay and head towards a right leaning 2.5” crack and climb a nice slot that takes .4-.75. Beware you might have to belay from great gear or link w/ p4 into the nice corner above.

p3 - var 2 - 5.8+  “chupacabra in a chimney” an entirely different pitch that takes you off route. Climb excellent thin hands and wide crack in an acute dihedral through a shrub. Thank you all for using common sense and not retrobolting this pitch.

p4 - var 1 - 5.8 A nice steep hand crack corner off the anchor takes great gear. And leads to a gear belay under the final headwall.

p4 - var 2 - 5.8+ “piss covered rail var” climb  left off the belay on a grainy piss covered rail and climb “chupacabra in a chimney”

p4 - var 3 - 5.8 climb the excellent corner above and instead of stepping right to the gear belay under the headwall, continue straight up a short stretch of varied cracks.

p 5 - var 1 - 5.10+  climb the excellent 5.10+ thin hands splitter just left of the gear belay and exit L under a flake to a belay on a ramp. Going right under this flake at the top of the splitter to the boulder problem above is much harder.

p 5 - var 2 - 5.10+ climb right off the belay to a massive loose flake. Check the base for innocent bystanders and mantle onto a shelf avoiding this obviously detached hazard. Place fingers size gear in a horozontal fracture and go up steep hands. Clip a bolt with a long sling to facilitate a spicy R rated mantle on top of the steep overhang or clip the bolt with a short draw or to keep the rope from pinching in the crack and belay on 1-1.5” on a lichen ramp.

Many more pitches above.

Have fun, be prepared, and be careful. There is much loose rock and the bolt count that has been posted anywhere is not accurate. Go into this climb with the skills and equipment to climb a Yosemite style R route that has a rappel that you haven't done. I’ll try to post a photo sometime and I hope this description is good enough to help people safely discover a bold route.

It is safest to rap the route with 2 ropes. bring webbing, gear to possibly leave behind if needed, headlamp, survival kit.

Hike the Gong Show approach. At the top of the trail go left and continue about 300yds uphill passing a lone pine tree. Go to the top of the talus slope/dirt mound. Start from here.

Trad rack tiny to 4”
Offset cams useful
No Stoppers
Long Slings/Draws