Dreamer Direct / Urban By-pass

Approach

Start hiking form the end of road 2065, as described in “how to get there”. Hike for about 10 minutes up the old overgrown logging road passing the remains of old logging equipment (very old equipment). This section of the trail is mostly level and will take you to a dry creek/wash (hopefully dry). Cross this and continue for another 10 to 15 minutes until you arrive at Copper Creek. Cross this carefully on wet slippery rocks and head out into the talus field looking for rock cairns to mark the trail. This will be your first view of the objective up high to your right. Once you get to the slab waterfalls, turn right and follow more cairns up what looks like a creek bed that is so overgrown at the start that it feels like a tunnel. Follow the talus/slabs/creek bed all the way to the base of the climb – do not attempt any bush whacking as this will only lead you into an impenetrable alder forest. The pathway will continue to up getting ever steeper all the way to the base of the climb. The last several hundred feet will involve steep granite slabs, veer to the right edge of the slabs, as this is the easiest approach. Your goal is the highest erect cedar trees. The cedar trees are a good spot to leave you packs and rope up, as the climbing starts about 40 ft above the trees. The total hike time will take between 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 hours from the car, depending on where exactly you park.

Route Description

See the following web sites for great info on the routes, including the topos.
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TOPO

Three routes actually head up the formation from the starting point at the cedar trees. Botany 101 is on the right and follows the bushes up the lower angle corner system, this is technically the easiest route up, but is thought to be quite dirty and rarely done. Three main routes head straight up the slabs to the left of Botany, Dreamer (5.9), Safe Sex (5.8) and Dreamer Direct/Urban Bypass (5.10b). These three routes crisscross several times during the 10 pitches to the top, and can be combined in several ways to create many iterations of the routes.

Dream Direct/Urban Bypass start slightly to the left of the other routes, with pitch 0 (listed on the topo as a scramble approach) heading up a shallow corner ramp for 100 ft. This pitch is low 5 class, but worth roping up for as it is all friction granite. Protection is sparse with only one good piece in the middle of the pitch. The anchors are two good bolts just above an obvious ledge. This is one of the few really comfortable ledges on the route. Pitch 1 (150’) heads up 5.6-5.7 friction climbing up a slab with 4 bolts spaced evenly up the pitch, there are no other opportunities for gear until a few feet below the bolted anchor above a scrubby bush with a large root, that is the stance for the belay. Pitch 2 (165’) traverses out right on friction about 40 ft to a rusted ¼’’ bolt. This section will also take a small alien in a shallow crack, just before the bolt. From the bolt head up a crack/lie back (a small cam near the beginning) that starts as tips and gradually widens to about ¾’’ near the top (60 ft) before you traverse on edges back and up the next bolted anchor. This pitch feels hard for 5.7, and a little run-out on marginal gear at the start. Pitch 3 (150’) heads straight up the classic Urban By-pass Pitch. This pitch goes straight up a smearing/friction granite slab past 8 bolts with no real hand holds to a hanging belay just above a small roof (12’’ roof). This pitch is a continuous 5.10b with no breaks or rests till the anchors, and gives new meaning to leg presses.

From here you can rappel the route with double ropes or continue up into Safe Sex or Dreamer to the top of the buttress. Rappel carefully and be very conscious about possible rope snags in bushes, horns and the rappel rings themselves. Three double rope and one single rope rappel will set you on the ground just above the cedar trees.

Essential Gear

1 set nuts
1 set cams (small to 1'')

12 draws or runners

2 ropes (mandatory)

lots of water

Miscellaneous Info

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Images

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