Lamia

Lamia is a fun, varied route climbing up to, and through, the major chimney system on the right side of the Banshee Wall. The first three pitches are great quality rock while the rock quality on the upper third of the route deteriorates a bit. Still, it’s a worthy route to the top of the wall.Pitch 1 (5.10-, 25’)– A short pitch. Place big gear behind the massive detached flake’s left end and climb up around the outside edge of the flake (it’s too narrow to climb it as an offwidth) to a big ledge on top of the flake. While you could keep going into the next pitch, it’s best to belay here to lessen the amount of rope out for the follower and makes for better communication. Gear for belay.Pitch 2 (5.10+, 100’) – Climb the rampy dihedral up and left to reach another rampy dihedral back right. Continue up the dihedral to a short, steep finishing dihedral to a small ledge. Gear for belay.Pitch 3 (5.11-, 200’)– Step left from the ledge into the splitter crack up the face. Good jamming leads to a tough pull over a small roof. Continue up the crack as the difficulty eases off and climbing easier, blocky, ledgy terrain all the way up to the huge ledge and terrace at the base of the huge chimney/corner above. Look for fixed nuts/webbing for belay on huge ledge.Pitch 4 (5.9, 50’)– Another short pitch. Climb the corner and wide chimney (trickier than it looks) up to a big, comfy ledge out left. Gear for belay.Pitch 5 (5.10, 160’)– Tip toe up the corner and wide crack until the crack turns into a chimney. Chimney up the featured chimney for about 20 feet and exit the chimney to right on a good ledge at the base of a steepening wall. Gear for belay.Pitch 6 (5.10-, 90’)– Climb the face above the ledge with some trickier-than-it-looks moves until the angle backs off a bit. Climb up into the alcove at the top of the corner and climb through a cool hole in the top of the alcove blocks to the top of the wall. Gear for belay.

Lamia starts from near the large ponderosa tree at the base of the Banshee Wall, right of the start of  La Llorona. The massive flake is obvious. It does take some low fifth class scrambling to reach this ledge with the large ponderosa. See the description for La Llorona for more details.

A double rack from finger to hands. #3, #4, #5, #6. Nuts. Long runners. The big cams are not really necessary if you cruise the start but could also prove useful on the fifth pitch (although we didn't have anything bigger than #4 on our ascent.)