Doorway Flake

The first three pitches present a collection of enjoyable features. Without long stretches of any one climbing style, they are each a mixture of knobs, cracks, slab smearing, and face climbing. The last two pitches predictably round off with low Class 5 friction and blocks to the summit.

Pitch 1

Boulder up some sculpted knobs to the bottom edge of the flake where a good crack takes a range of pro sizes. Fun stemming gets one over the threshold, with its sharp finger crack deep inside. The top edge of the flake's crack takes a 4" cam to protect some cool knobs up to a bolt. Then step right and up cracks and ledges past a bolt. Move back left using a quartz-encrusted block, the Crystal Step, to reach a large ledge. Continue up smears past two bolts to the anchor, 5.8.

Pitch 2

From the right end of the belay ledge, step right on face moves up to the bolt in view. Cruise up easy ground then pull over a steep block with a horizontal 1 1/2" crack for pro. The obvious vertical edge above starts facing right, changes to facing left at an alcove, passing four bolts. This is fun, challenging 5.9 face climbing. Step down and left to a narrow ledge, clip the high bolt (drilled overhead on the FA). Use the pinch underclings to move out leftward to a diving board with 3/4" pro. Climb its dihedral with one bolt to the anchor, 5.9.

Pitch 3

Go left off the belay ledge and up some edges with a slot for pro and a bolt. Move straight up to the big circle of bushes, passing it on its left. On smears, reach left to the start of a blissfully clean crack system going through the White Spot. Pass a hanging block with a white stump on its left. Move right to a lovely 1" crack, climb it then traverse right to a large easy trough for a short distance to the anchor, 5.7.

Pitch 4

Cruise up easy dihedrals including a long 4" wide layback crack. When it turns right, step left for some pro or pad up to a single bolt at a stance below a bush patch. Smear rightward and up close to the hanging branches, and move left past them to the anchor, 5.6.

Pitch 5

One bolt protects a slabby hump heading straight up toward the summit. Clamber up the blocks to a chain anchor, 5.6.

Descent: rappel the route.

Follow the approach directions on the South Face page to the grassy saddle. Continue left (west) along the wall and up to the base of Skeena26. Do the 4th class scramble, and on up to the far western wall. For more on the 4th class segment of the approach, see the sketch on that page.

From the bivy site, cross the talus field to the nearest point of the wall. The namesake flake is 6m directly above.

Locator for Skeena26 start, beginning of 4th class approach segment. Cruise up the shallow dihedrals on the left:

Gear: standard single rack to 4", a dozen draws plus some long ones, two 60m ropes

All of the holes on this route were drilled with hand drill and hammer. As the route is within the boundaries of designated Wilderness, power drills are not allowed. All bolts are 3/8" stainless steel wedge bolts. Hangers are modern, stainless steel, mostly powder coated. Anchors are mostly Fixe stainless steel two-hanger chain with equalized ring.