Baker's Way

This is a classic route. It is exposed without being overwhelming and keeps the technical difficulty in the first moves of the first pitch. I am thinking date climb or if you're without a date, solo climb.... This climb can be finished by either completing the ascent of the First, via the North Arete, or downclimbing a bit to the start of the North Arete and down to hiking territory.

Start at the same place where

ZigZag

and The Roof routes start (see description), but rather than going up the slab, look for a small alcove on the right of the slab next to the trail. This alcove leads to a small vertical wall. From the alcove and above the wall, you will see a small tree, maybe some 40 feet up. This tree is a shared belay with the first pitch of

Fandango

. Getting up that small wall and to the tree is the crux of the route.

From the tree, continue up a small trough for some 10 feet, and then traverse right and only slightly up. You are aiming for a weakness on the small step to your right. Above that small weakness you will see a small gully climbing diagonally to the North with some small trees.

Once you are on top of the small step, the gully becomes very defined. Many of our friends have missed this gully and gone in exploration trips into undocumented gullies further up the wall....

Once on the gully, scramble up passing the junction knob on your right and until you reach the arete. This is really easy climbing.

Standard Flatiron rack.