Amaroq

Developed alone and often into the night, Amaroq (AH-mah-rook) climbs through the heart of Wolfmothers. A major variation to Church for Thugs, it moves intrepidly left into previously unexplored terrain, linking a series of aretes and corners on beautiful stone. High on the route, a steep, bouldery crux looms above a massive roof, with the potential for a long, clean fall into space. 

Pitch 1

Begin on the original start to Church for Thugs, placing a small cam in a vertical slash before embarking on a spicy 5.10 sequence that enters groundfall terrain below a high bolt left. Follow three bolts, then look for small gear before stepping left beneath a shallow roof (large detached block — use caution), and traverse left to a good stance with a perfect #1 crack for a gear anchor, 75’, 10+/11-.

Pitch 2

Climb straight above the belay on intermittent splitters in bulletproof rock on tricky 5.10, placing gear carefully. Step right, then back left toward a V-slot, before trending left again on slightly easier terrain. Avoid loose rock above and right of the v-slot, and stay left moving to a single bolt. Pull a roof on the left into a corner, clip a bolt, and make airy moves onto the arete. A crucial #3 protects exposed face climbing, followed by another good piece before the crux bolt. Continue up and right past the bolt to an optional gear belay at an exposed stance (0.4–0.75), or link into the next pitch for a ledge-to-ledge mega-pitch, 100’, 10/10+.

Pitch 3 — “Book of Amaroq”

This is a wild pitch. From the stance, climb straight up, then foot traverse right along the base of the steep, crystalline corner. Place thin gear before two bolts in the corner, then set a high piece, and exit left (it’s also possible to exit right and join the upper section of CfT’s second pitch — a worthy variation). Move left to two more bolts leading to an exposed, blunt arete. Take your time decoding the cryptic compression sequence. Above the second bolt, find a perfect finger crack for several moves, then follow the arete slightly left, running it out to join Tooth & Claw’s third-pitch gear belay left of the tree at a great stance (#1–3), 100’, 11+/12- (the grade is tentative pending additional ascents).

Linking P2 and P3 creates one of Wolfmothers’ finest megapitches and is highly recommended for those comfortable running it out slightly and extending pieces carefully (bring at least two double-length slings). This yields a 50m+ pitch with the crux at the very end.

Pitch 4

Either move the belay quickly to the bolted anchor of Church for Thugs or just go for it, finishing on the final pitch of that route for full value (alternatively, climb Tooth & Claw’s last pitch for a 5.10 finish),100’, 11-/11.

Variations: the independent climbing (P2 and P3 above) can also be accessed from and finished on Tooth & Claw for a slightly easier option, and the crux can be avoided by cutting back to T&C just below the final boulder. You could even climb the first two pitches of Pet Cemetery (or mega first pitch of Church for Thugs) and climb the Book of Amaroq pitch starting from the bolted belay by moving left up the slab ramp to access the corner. For the full-value challenge, begin on Saudade por Unai for the hardest possible link-up of the wall.

Descent

Rap Pet Cemetery (20’ skier’s left) or Paw Prints (50’ skier’s left) with a single 70m rope. It is also possible to walk off west down the drainage near the Outback.

The Amaroq pitches were accessed from Church for Thugs on the FA but could be accessed by starting on Tooth and Claw and moving 15' right of the bolted anchor of its first pitch. It would also be possible to start the second pitch of T&C and at the slab ramp, step right, and climb the clean corner variation which would lead you into Amaroq's second pitch crux. This would also be an excellent way to access the money pitch.

Doubles from very thin to #2, single #3. Bring triples in thin to 0.5 if you are linking or if you prefer to sew it up. Small offset cams and Totems are extremely useful.