Realities Realm

Walk a ledge system until underneath the middle of the face. Use caution on the exposed and mossy ledges.

P1) Start on a pillar with moderate free climbing up to a belay.

P2) Move right under the roofs with some serious aid moves until able to surmount the roofs and move back left into the main crack system. There is likely a belay bolt at the end of the second roof.

P3) A series of thin piton placements lead up a right-leaning crack to its end. From there, hook moves to the left turn into free climbing to a tree belay.

P4) Easier free climbing leads to the top.

Interesting Historical Information

“On October 19, 1973, we crossed the cold river and hiked downstream to the wall. In the morning we crossed the sometimes very exposed ledge at the base of the main wall to where Dave had left a fixed rope from his previous solo attempt. The second pitch leads through the two most obvious roofs on the Wall near two large patches of white rock. The rope drag became so great that Dave ended the second pitch just above the corner of the second roof. From here he nailed up a right-leaning, slightly overhanging crack until it petered out. He then traversed left on skyhooks until he got to the chicken heads that led up to the partially dead belay tree. The fourth pitch ascends the rock to the left of the dirt-filled crack, wandering back and forth until a ledge 20 feet below the top is reached. From the tree up, the climbing was all moderate and free. The aid climbing was strenuous and difficult. It took us a day and a half to complete the climb. NCCS III, F7, A4.”

--Mick Holt, American Alpine Journal 1976

“Dave Neff and I did Huddleson's Bluff one crisp clear October day in '72 or maybe '73... I was so young and inexperienced I realize now that I was just a belay slave for Dave, who was two years older than I and regarded as one of the leading technical climbers of the [Washington State University] Alpine Club. The route itself was divided into four pitches, more because of availability of good anchor placements and natural breaks in the line, more than the actual length of the route. I remember climbing an arch that led up to the right on the first pitch. It continued up through a small roof, and the crux was a short stretch of thin knifeblade placements that led to a thin flake that Dave successfully nailed and got up and over. I had no idea what expanding flakes were, nor did I really know about bottoming cracks...that is why Dave let me belay and he led every pitch. It may have been my first real multi-pitch climb that actually involved aid climbing, etriers, jumars, and the like. I remember being really stoked to have actually done a first ascent.”

-- Mick Holt, 2009

Full rack plus pitons