Nipping at the Heels

Very unique position, literally sandwiched between the shale and the quartzite arete/slab of Amyloid Plaques.   The first pitch is essentially the same as for Bebop Arete and can easily be scrambled.  Before the actual arete of Bebop Arete, hang a right at an obvious quartzite ledge/stance and aim for “the Pit”, a nice nook with enough room to dump a pack and suit up.  Just right of the Pit is a single bolt belay (an angle will soon be added but a 3/4” cam works great too).  This belay position affords an excellent view of most of the route, up and left.The money pitch begins up and out of the Pit to a left trending finger and hand crack that takes bomber gear (Red metolius, blue metolius, pink Tricam, small nut, ...) with great feet.  There’s a little bit of movement up and left of this crack before it mellows out for about 20’ over a couple of “almost” ledges to some smaller nuts or micro cams and the bolts.

The second part of this pitch continues traversing up and left through 4 or 5 bolts. It is possible to exit up and right at almost any point on this climb as it literally traverses under the edge of the arete the entire way. Try to stay low and left for some excellent movement and exposure, never harder than 5.8.

Ends at (2) Fixe Rap Rings to the left of the arete, or exit up and right from the last bolt and finish the last 35’ of easy 5th class to the 2nd set of anchors on Amyloid Plaques.

Descent: a 70m will reach straight down from the anchors to a small evergreen near the beginning of the actual arete on Bebop Arete (also a pretty obvious quartzite stance/ledge).  This is about 30’ left of the Pit.  BE CAREFUL OF THE SHARP SHALE.  Either carefully downclimb from here or do a short rap from the evergreen (a lower rap station may be added at some point).

At the top of “Windy Canyon” on the left.  Literally under the arete/slab/ridge of Amyloid Plaques.

Full set of Metolius cams up to the green #5, helpful to have double Orange and double Red metolius (size 3 and 4), small to ledium