The Cathedral Route

The crux of this route is encountered on the first pitch, and consists of a tricky sequence of moves as you move onto and off of the arete at the bottom. This is followed by a series of small edge crimps on lower angled black rock. There is another crux right below the first set of anchors.

Pitch 1: 8 bolts to LO (5.11c)- Follow the bolts through an initial loose section to an arete that leads to lower angled rock full of thin black ledges. Climb this slab to a corner with no more bolts in sight until you move right. Climb past two more bolts on clean gray rock to the anchors and a small belay ledge.

Pitch 2: 7 bolts to LO (5.10b)- Climb up and right from the anchors on clean gray rock. The starting moves are tricky, and felt hard for 5.10-. Follow the black horizontal bands upward. There is a short loose section encountered just before the next anchors.

Pitch 3: 11 bolts to LO (5.11a)- Head up and right from the anchors on good gray rock. The first three bolts through the roof are quite sustained. After about 100 feet of wavy gray rock, and several sustained sections, finish the pitch up a semi loose corner crack to anchors twenty feet below the top of the cliff. I thought this pitch to be more challenging than the first due to the continuously difficult climbing on vertical to slightly overhanging rock.

It is highly recommended that you climb to the summit, especially to see the faces of the surprised hikers as you emerge from the cliff. Another fun alternative is to have someone meet you at the top with a picnic lunch! Be careful as the final 20ft of rock is loose... but easy.

Hint- This route is in the shade most of the day, and has lots of sharp limestone points so be sure to dress appropriately (long sleeves and long pants recommended).

Park just before the Charleston Lodge at the end of S.R. 157, in the Cathedral Rock parking area. Be sure not to park along the streets as I received a $120 ticket for doing so even though the nearest sign instructing people not to do so was 100 feet away! From the parking lot walk up the stairs and take the trail leading off right. Be sure to watch the path for the point where an old water pipe angles left up the hillside (next to a couple felled trees. Follow this up the hill until it comes to an obvious talus slope that continues to the right side of the face at the top. Traverse left along the bottom of the wall until you reach what seems to be an impassable section of 4th/5th class scrambling down a 70 ft staircase. Don't go down! At this point look up to the headwall to your right and you will notice a large (about 6 ft) ledge 60ft up the wall with two small tree/bushes and a set of stainless chains hanging slightly behind them. This can take a few moments to locate... You will need to scramble up to the ledge via the slanted slope/straircase at the base of the wall to the starting anchors.

14 draws (or 12 draws and a couple slings for the bolted anchors).