Questando La Via Sin Arboles

From the base of the south face, walk down left to the toe of the dome, then walk up left 150 feet along the base of the west side. There is a huge left-facing dihedral (with a dramatic hand crack on its right wall) 100 feet above the ground. This is NOT the climb. Look for a smaller left-facing dihedral, with a few trees, 50 feet left of the huge dihedral, and also about 100 feet above the ground. Start directly below this smaller dihedral.

1. Clip a piton 10 feet off the ground, move up and right across some small rounded overhangs. Continue up the crack that leads to the smaller dihedral. Pull up and past a small tree to the next level of slab.  Climb the wall of the dihedral to reach a ramp with a thin seam and little gear/no gear for 20 feet. Climb the ramp to where it steepens and place gear in a crack before making awkward moves to reach a 2-piton belay which can be backed up with a #2 cam. 160 feet, 5.9. (If you arrive at a tree with rappel slings, you are on the rappel route, not the climbing route.)

2. Step up on friction and continue up small cracks. Climb a wide v-slot to gain a face with thin cracks and small pro. Traverse up and left across the slab to gain a large flake, #2 cam. Pull up and over the flake to gain right facing corner with a large block. Look up to find  3 bolts on the face. Climb the corner/face clipping bouts to a comfortable belay at 2 pitons. 160 feet, 5.10.

3. Step up on blocks to reach the bolt. Make thin face moves to pull up onto a slab/ledge. Cross the slab up and right to reach a wide right facing corner (not visible from the belay). Stem the corner working up and into the base of a finger and hands crack. Sustained stemming and jamming leads up the crack to a ramp with right facing dihedral and trees. Clip a pin and move left and up a second crack/ramp system for 15 feet. Place gear high and then traverse right to regain the crack in the dihedral. step on or over a tree to clip a pin. Continue up the flared crack past the third pin to reach the top of the crack.  Look right for a small belay ledge with one bolt and a slingable horn, a thin crack left of the bolt provides gear placements to back up the bolt.  100 feet, 5.10+.

4. Traverse left along a thin crack with little/no gear.  At the end of the crack make a reach to clip the first of two bolts. Make delicate moves on polished face/slab to the second bolt. Step down and left to reach a seam which you follow to the overhang.  Place solid gear, #1-2 cams, in the base, middle and above the roof.  Make long reaches to gain large holds.  Work your feet up and pull on to the face above the overhang. Follow a wide crack for 20 feet to a treed sloping belay ledge with 1 bolt on the right wall of a left-facing dihedral. 80 feet, 5.10.

5. Walk left to a gnarly tree to gain access to the finger crack splitting this smooth face, which is prominently visible from the approach trail. Climb the crack and face holds for about 50 - 70 feet placing small cams and nuts.  From the end of the finger crack, look for bolt 20 feet up and right above a flared crescent shaped crack. From the first bolt look up 20-30 ft to spot the second bolt.  Climb the face using edges and crystalized pockets to gain the second bolt. Pull up on to a tree covered ledge and belay 110 feet, 5.10.

6. Follow the left arête to the top of the ridge. 100 feet, 5.4.

This climb is on the far left (west) side of the dome. Pitches 2, 3, and 5 are visible from the approach trail. Pitch 5 ascends the clean face with a sharp left edge at the upper left corner of the dome.

Descent: The usual: Scramble northeast along the boulder-strewn ridge, then walk down east through the forest. Caught in the rain? Large trees on alternate sides of the climb provide a 2-rope rappel route to the ground. (Rappel stations are marked “R”on the photo; often you can’t see the slings on these trees from the climb.)

Carry a full rack for cracks from 1/4 inch to 3 inches.