- Edit (TBD)
Description
This route takes a nice line to the left of the Great Pumpkin. It is a quasi "old school" route designed for the leader who has their lid screwed on pretty tight. There are some lengthy runouts on easy ground and a spot of routefinding thrown in for good measure. The knobs are dandy and the polish is mirrorlike. It is said this route is a better version of the Great Pumpkin. Maybe give this one a try instead of standing in line over at the Pumpkin.
Pitch #1: Motor up the easy corner and lob in a few cams as you go. There is a bolt at the top of the corner before you start moving right and into a few cruxy moves. Watch out for rope drag. 3 bolts total on the pitch, then a 4 bolt (two that are good) belay.
Pitch #2: Undercling up an left out of the station on some very loose plates. Clip the bolt and begin to move right and up and across the polish. You can stuff some small gear into a flake after you move right and climb up a bit. Eventually get to the right facing corner where you can lob in a nut or some cams. Belay is at the top of this corner. 3 bolts on the pitch, then a 2 bolt belay.
Pitch #3: Run it out straight up to a bolt and then continue moaning upward and slightly right. If you are lucky you will find a small flake that takes 3/4" to 1" cams. Continue straight up from this flake until you either hit a rusted 1/4" bolt or the anchor. 1 good bolt, and 1 bad hidden bolt on the pitch, then a 2 bolt belay.
Pitch #4: Go up toward the big roof and maybe plug in a 1.5" cam as you turn the corner. Exit the roofs on the right via a 5.4 ramp and look for a fixed pin about half way out. Run the rope all the way back onto the slab to belay. Overlaps up there will take small to medium cams for an anchor. No bolts, set an anchor on top.
Location
Starts in a right facing corner/arch to the left of the Great Pumpkin. Descent is fairly straightforward, simply go up and left across the top of the dome until you can descend down endless slabs to the forest.
Protection
Bolts protect the bulk of the face climbing, but you do need some small to medium cams and a set of wireds to protect the occasional cracks and flakes that will accept pro. All anchors, save for the summmit, are bolted. The ASCA has replaced most if not all the bolts on this route... except for one rusted 1/4" timebomb near the top of the third pitch... no worries though, because if you got that far, you won't need it.
Rack:
6-8 draws
few long slings
few wireds
1 ea cams, .5" to 2.5"
Routes in West Face
- 13Roseanne5.9Trad