Type: Trad, 130 ft (39 m), 2 pitches, Grade II Fixed Hardware (2)
FA: Duncan Ferguson
Page Views: 9,479 total · 33/month
Shared By: Charles Vernon on Dec 31, 2000
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

You & This Route


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Description Suggest change

This is a steep, exposed route that is a good alternative if Hair City and the West Buttress are occupied or a good route just to do in its own right. Hike up the West Face of the Bastille past a large block to where the face first makes a sharp jog inward, forming a pocketed arete.

P1. Climb the arete, with tricky protection at first, then belay in a recess, or climb a chimney to a large ledge with bolts. You can rap from here to the ground, angling to the right up the hill, with a 70m. It can be done with a 60m if you are willing to do some reasonable but not entirely trivial downclimbing, or maybe without any downclimbing if you can swing really far to the right, but I can hardly recommend this. Knot the ends either way on this rap.

P2. If not rapping, choose from 3 alternatives above the belay: the West Face, a 5.8 crack to the right (with a rotten start); Hair City, which tackles the steepest part of the overhang at 5.9, directly above; or the West Buttress to the left, which climbs a shallow chimney over the left side of the overhang. All 3 reach another ledge, where one may belay or continue easily to the top of the Bastille.

Protection Suggest change

A standard rack.

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