- Edit (TBD)
Description
If you're looking for something a bit harder than Timebinder on the Prow, check out this route. It is a healthy combo of sport bolted pitches and gear protected cracks. It climbs the large arete feature up the gut of the west face. It gets morning shade and afternoon sun once the sun comes around the prow. The final bit of the approach up the Mordor-esque gully can have quite a bit of fresh loose talus. Also be aware that falling rock gets funneled down into the middle of the gully, so a helmet isn't a bad idea.
P1 - 5.10c/d - Climb twin cracks and up right, through chockstone roof crack. After the roof, continue on somewhat runout 5.10-. Have a red alien or purple C4 to protect the runout and a #4 in a horizontal to the right to end the runout. Continue up blocky ramp to a tree. Belay here. 100'
P2 - 5.8 - From tree belay on good, grassy ledge, climb up well featured, but dirty slab. Skirt right around steeper slab and up into 5.6 chimney. You can sling a block for belay. You will notice a two bolt anchor to the left of the base of the chimney. This is a rap station. Just pass it and continue up the chimney. ~75'
P3 - 5.12a - Start up slopey right facing lieback flake, follow thin crimps through a traverse out right to the arete. Lieback up to a jug and continue to a horizontal where a #3 can be placed. You may want to link this pitch into the next one. Belay in right facing dihedral at single bolt and fixed nut. 5 bolts ~50'
*You can easily link P3 and P4.
P4 - 5.10b - Step left around arete and climb straight up crack system. As the crack peters out, traverse hard left to a small ledge where you can build a belay in a large, left facing flake. Belay below the first bolt of the next pitch. I don't recommend belaying from bolted anchor on far right (rap station). Hands and finger sizes, #1, #3 for belay. ~60'
P5 - 5.12b - The green and orange colored wall. A test piece of sorts for Blodgett face climbing. Awkward wide lieback flake to ledge/roof. Head up steep thin crimps to a wild shouldery boulder problem. Rest up and tackle the physical climbing above. 8 bolts, 2 bolt belay. ~70'
P6 - 5.9+ - Pretty solid, pretty juggy. 3 bolts and gear, 2 bolt anchor at summit. 130'
Descent: Walk off or rappel.
Rap w/ single 70m rope to top of P5. Single 70m rope rap to top of pitch 4. Single 70 to top of P3. Another single rope rap to a rap station down and left of the P2 chimney on a good sized ledge. From the rap station, single rope rap to the belay tree of P1. From the P1 slung tree, one more all the way to the start of the route.
Location
Approach:
Start approach as you would for The Drip Buttress. This route is located on the west face of the Prow, in the gully between The Drip and The Prow. Hike up left of the waterfall, straight up gully through loose talus (lots of rockfall here). After short distance, you'll encounter seasonally dry waterfall/slab with bright white polished rock. Just above this waterfall/slab, you'll find steep cracks on The Prow (to the right). This is where P1 starts.
Protection
Standard rack, doubles of #1, 9 QDs and some alpine draws.
Single 70m rope.