Type: Trad, Alpine, 800 ft (242 m), 6 pitches, Grade III
FA: Bernard Gillett and Bill Briggs, 1998
Page Views: 11,571 total · 43/month
Shared By: justin dubois on May 9, 2002
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

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Description Suggest change

This superb route is located on the clean, left hand side of Arrowhead, left of the Summit Ramp. There are several stellar lines up this part of the cliff, including Ithaca (12a) and Airhead (11d). Ithaca is probably the most distinct of all the lines in the area, as it follows the long, left-facing corner system left of Arrowplane.

This is a brilliant and sustained climb on excellent granite. The rock on this wall is like a steeper version of Lumpy. Orange splitters and good featured faces. It wanders up cracks for 5 pitches before forging up the "lightning Bolt" crack (5.11) on the last pitch headwall. One of the more memorable pitches in the Park!

Start by fourth classing to the bottom of the clean, concave wall right of the lowest point of the ridge on Arrowhead/McHenry's. One might want to rope up to reach the ledge below the first pitch as the approach meanders up some smooth easy slabs.

P1. Climb up a blank slab and water streaks to some right facing flakes and a ledge. 5.8 spice? 175'

P2. Traverse right along some grassy ledges and boulder up into a crack system above. Now follow these up past a small gold colored roof and up to a small ledge. 5.9.

P3. Continue with obvious cracks above, passing a jammmed flake, which grow steeper and lead to a small left facing corner with twin finger cracks. Climb up this awesome corner(5.9) and step across right at it's top.Exciting 5.10 and head right to belay at a spike below a splitter that forks above.

P4. Head straight up the fantastic crack and go left when it splits. Head around the giant flake on its left side and up to a small ledge below the killer Lightning Bolt crack. 5.10 It is possible to go right at the base of the flake when the crack forks, it leads to the same belay and looks fantastic. But requires some bold moves to begin. Bernard says it is 5.11a R getting into it.

We stopped at a ledge before the Lightning bolt and did a small but stout 10c pitch in a small, left-facing corner and block to gain the actual stance below the headwall. A 60 meter rope could probobly combine these.

P5. No route finding here. Step up and send the incredible 100ft. lightning bolt crack with bouldery moves off the belay to sustained stoking up above. 5.11 crux. Continue up through the maze of stacked blocks above, scary looking but very solid and mantle onto the ridge. Incredible 5.9.

Walk left a few hundred feet and rappel off a boulder in the lowest point of the saddle. Two or three fixed raps get you to 3rd class terrain, just left of the starting ledge.

Protection Suggest change

Rack up to #4 Friend with extra finger size. 2 60 meter ropes required for the raps.

Photos

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