Manticore Face

Interesting vertical sequence at the bottom on positive holds. Then in the upper half an interesting less-than-vertical sequence on less-positive holds.

Start at the right side of the alcove and climb straight up by a thin crack to a ledge. Scramble up through bushes to the next rock face. The complex crack sequence on the left side is the Madara variation of the Red Knob route (easier). On the right edge of the face is the Manticore Upper Arete (easier).

Climb up the obvious vertical crack 5 feet left of the arete for 15 feet. Up a little higher passing a crack diagonaling up left - (Variation: Follow this lower diagonal crack). Bear left at the next higher crack diagonaling up left (without using the wider zig-zag crack a foot to its right, which is on the Manticore Upper Arete route). Up to finish about 5 feet left of the arete. Could use the tree-sling anchor for Red Knob Madara Variation, which is about twenty or thirty feet below the top of the cliff, about ten feet climber's left (west) from the arete.

Could also Top-Rope ... the Red Knob Madara Variation, The Rossinator, and Rock Romancer routes from the Madara Face tree anchor ... Also ... from a top anchor nearby, could Top-Rope (in the Sunny Picnics area) the Manticore Dihedral , Picnics Arete and Picnics Dihedral routes, and perhaps with a directional the Rodeo Clown boulder problem ... also ... Sigrun's Choice route in the Enclosure area.

. . . [ Manticore? | images ] . . .

warning: The rock on and around this route has not been climbed much yet, and much of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber.

. . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2015. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

At the right side of a seven-foot high alcove with a thin crack above. 15 feet right of the Dead Tree Dihedral. 10 feet left of the arete which forms the right edge of the Tower Wall. Top of route finishes about four feet left of the top of the arete.

Top: As of 2015, there are anchor slings (? for the Madara variation of the route Red Knob ?) roughly at the top of this route -- about five feet west (climber's left) from the top of the arete (of Manticore Upper Arete). . . (warning: Using this as an anchor for Top-Rope could result in a falling climber swinging substantially sideways to climber's left).

Top-Rope: Top anchor can be set up with static line off tree -- likely need to use two trees to handle the angle. Or control rope angle by using a sling from the tree anchor which is twenty to thirty feet below the top of the cliff, about ten feet climber's left (west) from the arete (requires a low class 5 move to get from the top of the cliff down to this tree, so recommend using a rope to reach it).

The rock is high-friction, so think about how to minimize rope drag for Top-Roping. If belaying from the bottom, seems like having the belayer stand below right from the Manticore Dihedral helps reduce rope friction.

. (Difficult for belayer at bottom to see or hear climber in middle and upper sections).

? Lead ? The thin crack in the bottom section is flaring, and does not hold Trad protection. Protection for leading the upper crux section is unknown.