The Bees Knees

This is a new route (2020) on the shady side of Death Canyon. The rock is solid and protection good. This route will clean up nicely with a few ascents but be prepared for a little bit of lichen or dirt here and there.

P1: 5.8 From a large grassy ledge follow a vauge weakness past a dead tree moving left to a ledge. Climb up from the ledge and past a fixed pin in a leaning left facing corner. 5.8 moves past a fixed beak brings you to a right leaning ramp with a fixed pin anchor.

P2: 5.8 Move left off the belay to a short .75 crack into a RF corner under a large roof. Continue up, clipping another fixed beak then right under the roof moving into a large RF corner. Follow a 5.7 Finger crack up the corner. Move left onto the face near the top where the crack become dirty and peters out. Belay on a nice ledge on a fixed anchor.

P3 5.8 Continue up 10ft on lower angle rock to a traverse following a right trending crack (Sweet jug rail 5.6). Continue straight up a 5.8 fingercrack/flake (Avoid the ledge to your right with the tree) to another ledge then move right to gain a broken left trending ramp. Continue up this ramp (5.6) to a fixed anchor below an open book corner.

P3 Var 5.6 Continue up 10ft on lower angle rock to a traverse following a right trending crack (Sweet jug rail 5.6). Continue traversing right onto a large grassy ledge with a tree. Belay here. If using this variation it is probably best linked to this tree w/P2. From the tree, continue up and left on 5.easy terrain to regain P3 on the left trending ramp.

P4 5.9? Stem up the steep corner and the move right following a sloping hand rail/crack. As the hand rail ends move up past a small stump with steep face climbing above. Pull a small buldge/roof (5.8) and into lower angle 5.easy terrain above. Finish on a large grassy ledge with a fixed anchor.

Descent: Rap the route. 4 raps with a 70m rope. 60m might work but I haven’t tried.

This route is located on the first major formation on the left or south side as you enter death canyon. This formation also contains the route "Black Diamond” 5.10 (Chouinard,Hill, Raffa, Steward 1987). It is best approached by crossing the bridge just above Phelps lake then bushwacking 600' uphill to a ledge where the route begins. A map can be found here.

https://caltopo.com/m/CDBV

Single #3 C4, 00-2 C3. Doubles .3-2 C4. A single set of stoppers (Offsets and 1 or 2 Rp's helpful). 12-15 Runners. Fixed Anchors on all pitches. 70m rope.