Mystery Tour

The Mystery Tour strikes up and right, ascending the far edge of the North Buttress slab. It provides a more varied and less traveled alternative to the wide open spaces of Silent Running. The route has difficulties of 5.8 or less, aside from the relentless smearing on pitch 3 (5.9+).

Pitch 1. Climb Road to Nowhere (5.3, bolts). With a little simul-climbing, it goes in one lead (~75 m).

Pitch 2. A mixed-bag of clean and scruffy, starting straight up then angling toward the right skyline. Head up two short slabs, passing fresh bolts and a recent rap anchor. Catch a blocky ramp rightward through bits of suspect rock to another angling slabby bit (5.8). Traverse under a sizable overlap and find the bolted belay. (4 bolts & gear, 5.8)

Pitch 3.  The Money Pitch, featuring nearly 60 m of 5.9 slab climbing without much relief! You may want a couple of small cams for the initial overlaps, then venture up the loooong narrow slab to the horizontal tree. (13 bolts, 5.9+)

Pitch 4. An increasingly airy pitch up the rounded buttress. From the belay, step up and left, cross a small overlap (small cam) to gain a bolt and a rounded stance. Continue straight up the knobby 'Whales Back' buttress to the bolted belay. (6 bolts & small cam, 5.8)

Pitch 5. A short pitch that connects to Silent Running. Head leftward below the huge cedar bush, clip a bolt and cross the small rib. Climb the  slab and step left to reach Silent Running’s 5th belay. (3 bolts, 5.7)

All belays have double 3/8" bolts.

Descent options: 1. Rappel Silent Running, or 2. Rappel Mystery Tour, detouring skiers right to reach Road to Nowhere (see topo). Reversing Mystery Tour pitches 2 and 3 is not good, so find the detour!

All options require double 60 m ropes.

Right side of North Buttress of 3 O'Clock Rock.  Starts on

Road to Nowhere

, just a bit right of Silent Running.  Look for dark gray powder-coated bolts.

Mostly bolts with occasional cams (singles, tiny to 2"). Bring 14 draws and double 60s for the descent.