Chutes and Ladders

A micro adventure route that has many aspects of a long multipitch:  not obvious approach, scramble to base, where to leave the pack strategizing, route finding, no bolts, rappel descent down a different aspect of the feature.  Great for dialing your multipitch systems, without having to stress a bunch on the climbing aspect.P1: After scrambling up a ladder-like section of rock, belay the leader from an alcove at the base of a nice varnished crack with large huecos. Climb up past a very cool cave, to just beneath a roof, then pull a slabby move or two left (well protected crux.) (Do not be tempted to go left lower on what looks like easier rock;  it is unprotected and crunchy.) Scrunch under the bulge and climb into a comfortable narrow ledge nook. Build an anchor in the cracks at your feet. 5.5, 80' or so.P:2 Climb up a varnished flare on the right side of the ledge. Continue up until reaching the obvious wide open area at the top. There are several options to build an anchor. 5.5? Another 80' or so.Descent: Scramble down a rampy boulder into a sort of large hole, just climbers' left of where the climbing stops on P2. At the bottom of the boulder continue down further and a bit right down a 4th class ramp. Scramble down until the need to rappel presents itself. There is a rappel anchor on a tree or bush( I forget which, but it is easy to spot.) Rappel down to a scrub oak with a webbing anchor (brushy.) This gets you to the middle of the second pitch of Nadia's Nine. 2 raps from the bush and down Nadia's Nine gets you to the base of, well, Nadia's Nine, which is around the corner to the left of Chutes and Ladders. If you left your pack at the base, you might be kicking yourself for not leaving it somewhere less effortful to get to. Variation: If you are able to determine that you are at the top of the first pitch of Nadia's Nine, you can scramble climbers left and down, instead rappeling that pitch.Note: If soloing the route, descend by down-climbing the way you came up.

Approach the same as for Nadia's Nine, but instead of going left at the top of the slope, go right around the corner generally following the cliff band where the going looks most trailish. As you come around to  the east side of the formation, there is a ramp with a way through the bushes that leads up to a ledgey area with a good size pine tree (the pine tree will be to your left when you are at the top of the ramp and about to scramble up about 4-5 feet.) After walking on a large flat boulder, you can see the ladder feature, which is the base of the route.

Single rack to 3 or 4 with extra #1 Camalots or equivalent, the more the merrier. (If you are conservative, 3- # 1's will give you one for the P1 anchor, which mostly takes #1"s, as does the initial crack.) Take webbing and quick links or leaver biners in case the old existing webbing is sun damaged or missing. This is an adventure route....