Yellow Brick Road

Yellow Brick Road is a poor climb with little redeem, let alone would I recommend it. Having just done this route and finding it undesirable, I was curious to see what was said about it here on

MP.com

, but when I came on line to read what had been said, I was initially surprised to find nothing. Having first written up routes on M.P. on Hawk Eagle about 20 years ago, I was expecting that someone would have written this one up by now. Then it dawned on me, but for me, everyone has had the sense not to climb this thing once they looked up at it. Levin calls it a "junky pitch," but I feel that is an understatement. If the loose or poor rock was insufficient to deserve a worse description, the thorny bushes growing out of the crack for 3/4 the length of this climb certainly earn this thing a mention in the 'worst of Eldo' list. As a lifetime choss jockey and obscure tour denizen, I feel fairly uniquely qualified to bestow that honor, and I hereby do so. There, I hope I have been clear.

If you still want to climb this thing, head left just past

Self Abuse

and up onto the flat shelf at the base, just left of that route. Take a minute, and inspect down and to your right the climbs

January Rush

,

January Playmate

, and

Self Abuse

. Those are good routes that deserve your attention, & it is not too late to go climb them instead.

No? OK, now just above those lies this left-facing corner with loose rock and thorny bushes along its length. Work your way up and right for 50' or so to a fixed anchor, and belay. Rap off of the fixed stoppers and cord, cleaning your gear on the way down. Or worse, yet, belay your partner up, obligating them to suffer the route as well.

Rap off from the fixed anchor, 50' or so to the ground.

This is just left of

Self Abuse

in a left-facing corner with a small crack full of raspberry bushes. This ends on a ledge just left of the top of

Self Abuse

at a cord in 3 fixed stoppers.

A single set of stoppers and cams.