With two 60m ropes, the route can be rapped in two double rope rappels. This might be a good idea since the route gets quite crowded and the belay ledge atop P3 is small (i.e. if you're rapping past climbers, it'll be uncomfortable). First, rap from top of P4 to top of P2 (two 60m ropes) and then do another double rope rap to the ground. NOTE that two 50m ropes will NOT reach top of P2 from top of P4.
To access the upper pitches you'll need to use the anchor to the right and around the corner from the usual P4 one. There are a bolt and a pin in the seam leading up to a roof just above and to the left of the normal P4 anchors. This is not the route. Also note, that above P4 the route is more exposed to sun and wind.
P5, 120', 5.7
Follow the seam past bolt through an easy roof. Continue up left-trending crack to top of left-hand pillar.
P6, 120', 5.7
Step across the void and climb chimney. There is chimney to the left and an offwidth to the right. I didn't see the bolt and piton near the chimney mentioned by Handren at 30' and 60', respectively, and it's challenging to protect. As with the person before me I opted to climb the more solid varnished face to the right of the chimney, using the offwidth for pro. The only bolt I found was on a face to the right of the offwidth. You end up in the same place, the pod mentioned by Handren. Above the pod start moving up 20' and left 15' to a (now) single bolt anchor on a ledge below a crack.
P7, 120', 5.7
Climb finger crack to flake to small ledge below roof.
P8, 60', 5.7
Head around the right side of the roof, up crack and through a series of bushy ledges until you reach the base of twin cracks (look up and left from the first ledge).
note: I combined P7 and P8, after finding my options for gear placements fairly limited for an anchor at P7, belaying just below the first bushy ledge (we scrambled up to the actual belay later). It was difficult to communicate with J with the wind, but the rope drag wasn't too bad.
P9, 80-90' (110' per Handren), 5.7
Head up the twin cracks to a ledge with a single bolt anchor.
P10, 170', 5.8 Two options here. Handren describes a right-facing corner. To your left there's an obvious white sandstone dihedral, leading up to a blank (appearing) slab, then to the roof. There's also a shallower, varnished, but likewise right-facing corner to your right, which leads all the way to the roof. Either works. After the roof head up to a large ledge with trees below the summit.
Summit (optional P11) From the route top out go up and left to start. There's a series of ramps interspersed by short technical sections (up to 5.7-5.8?). We soloed this but it could be done on rope with mindful management.
Descent Notes Only one of the anchors above P4 was rigged for a rap and only b/c someone had added webbing, but did check out the possible series of rap anchors as noted by asmrz. There were some anchors visible on neighboring routes (climber's left) but they seemed to go only part way up. Handren describes 2 summit walk-off options, noted to be less than ideal. We tried to find the top of Cat in the Hat without success. Eventually we found cairns that we thought would lead to one of the walk-offs. Instead (after some time) they took us to a series of 2 double rope rap stations that dumped us just upstream from the route.
rpc - Mar 16, 2004 12:14 pm - Voted 10/10
Route CommentP1 and P2 can easily be combined with a 60m-rope.
With two 60m ropes, the route can be rapped in two double rope rappels. This might be a good idea since the route gets quite crowded and the belay ledge atop P3 is small (i.e. if you're rapping past climbers, it'll be uncomfortable). First, rap from top of P4 to top of P2 (two 60m ropes) and then do another double rope rap to the ground. NOTE that two 50m ropes will NOT reach top of P2 from top of P4.
fossana - Jun 21, 2009 1:06 pm - Hasn't voted
P5-P10 & Descentaddenda to Handren's description in italics
To access the upper pitches you'll need to use the anchor to the right and around the corner from the usual P4 one. There are a bolt and a pin in the seam leading up to a roof just above and to the left of the normal P4 anchors. This is not the route. Also note, that above P4 the route is more exposed to sun and wind.
P5, 120', 5.7
Follow the seam past bolt through an easy roof. Continue up left-trending crack to top of left-hand pillar.
P6, 120', 5.7
Step across the void and climb chimney. There is chimney to the left and an offwidth to the right. I didn't see the bolt and piton near the chimney mentioned by Handren at 30' and 60', respectively, and it's challenging to protect. As with the person before me I opted to climb the more solid varnished face to the right of the chimney, using the offwidth for pro. The only bolt I found was on a face to the right of the offwidth. You end up in the same place, the pod mentioned by Handren. Above the pod start moving up 20' and left 15' to a (now) single bolt anchor on a ledge below a crack.
P7, 120', 5.7
Climb finger crack to flake to small ledge below roof.
P8, 60', 5.7
Head around the right side of the roof, up crack and through a series of bushy ledges until you reach the base of twin cracks (look up and left from the first ledge).
note: I combined P7 and P8, after finding my options for gear placements fairly limited for an anchor at P7, belaying just below the first bushy ledge (we scrambled up to the actual belay later). It was difficult to communicate with J with the wind, but the rope drag wasn't too bad.
P9, 80-90' (110' per Handren), 5.7
Head up the twin cracks to a ledge with a single bolt anchor.
P10, 170', 5.8
Two options here. Handren describes a right-facing corner. To your left there's an obvious white sandstone dihedral, leading up to a blank (appearing) slab, then to the roof. There's also a shallower, varnished, but likewise right-facing corner to your right, which leads all the way to the roof. Either works. After the roof head up to a large ledge with trees below the summit.
Summit (optional P11)
From the route top out go up and left to start. There's a series of ramps interspersed by short technical sections (up to 5.7-5.8?). We soloed this but it could be done on rope with mindful management.
Descent Notes
Only one of the anchors above P4 was rigged for a rap and only b/c someone had added webbing, but did check out the possible series of rap anchors as noted by asmrz. There were some anchors visible on neighboring routes (climber's left) but they seemed to go only part way up. Handren describes 2 summit walk-off options, noted to be less than ideal. We tried to find the top of Cat in the Hat without success. Eventually we found cairns that we thought would lead to one of the walk-offs. Instead (after some time) they took us to a series of 2 double rope rap stations that dumped us just upstream from the route.