Direct Northwest Face

An awesome crack route that is generally well-protected. Very memorable views and climbing.

3rd class up (about 150') to the base of the most obvious cracks on the NW Face and build a belay.

p1- Climb a great crack to a 5.9 overlap. Pull the overlap. Book says to stop here. We continued through the next great 5.8 crack section and stopped on a roomy ledge. Right at the end of the 60m, but we could've third-classed in higher from the ground. 5.9, 200'.

p2- Climb great 5.8 fingers to a .10a hands section. The book says to belay here at a small ledge. W/ a 60, it's easy to gun it through the .10c thin crack to a good ledge. Belay here where the crack peters out. Have some smaller nuts to back up the piton with. 5.10c, 170'.

p3- Work up to the top of the flake off the belay ledge and piece together a route through the face to the crack above and right. 5.9, 50'.

NOTE- w/ a 70, you might be able to link pitches two and three in a marathon pitch.

Walk off the back side down the obvious low-angle route.

I took doubles from the .1 camalot to a #2 camalot, with a single three.