Birdlaw, 5.10b, 2 Pitches

Overview/Approach

Birdlaw is a decent 5.10 mixed route to use as a link up with the relatively new stellar bolted 5.9 pitch on Edgy.  I was there when the FAer’s worked on Edgy and got an early run at its really good bolted pitch on the black varnished face just to the left of Big Horn.  Big Horn has always been a preferred route of mine to guide friends, climbing at that grade, on to the left of the over hyped Birdland.  Big Horn, Rawlpindi and now Edgy, share the same start several meters up the hill to the west of Birdland.  The initial pitch for any of these routes is nothing to write home about.  However, if you climb Birdlaw, you end up in the chimney at a perfect spot to start the good pitches on Edgy or Big Horn.  If you climb Edgy first, you can then rap Edgy down to the base of the stellar lead on Big Horn and climb it.  If you do these three key pitches, Birdlaw's 2nd along with Edgy's and Big Horn's final pitches, you will have climbed some of the best rock in Red Rock. 

The first pitch of Birdlaw is a short 5^th class jaunt to a fixed anchor on a ledge below the steep varnished face above. The second pitch climbs some broken cracks utilizing medium to large pro in a horizontal before starting to place RP’s as you pull the crux moves up and left onto the relatively blank varnished face.  You will pass approximately three older (2021) glue in bolts.  The finish is a bit run out but on much easier terrain, to a fixed rap which is the same rap you would use to descend any of the before mentioned routes.

Park at Pine Creek.  Hike in as you would for Birdland, all the way to the base of that route and then scoot up another several meters to the flat staging area below an obvious chimney system.  Birdlaw climbs up and right. 

Route Description

1^st Pitch- 70’-5.6/ Climb up the easy face sandwiched between the Big Horn Chimney and Birdland.  Same rope up spot as Big Horn and Rawlpindi.  In short order you reach a treed ledge with a fixed anchor. 

2^nd Pitch- 100’-5.10b/ Climb the well varnished face just above the anchor through an old (2021) glue in.  Follow a seam that takes wires.  The moves peter out at horizontals that take medium to large gear.  Traverse left towards the crescent shaped feature in the dark varnish (crux).  Make committing moves on RP’s to surmount this short blank section for the grade.  Large holds await. Continue up and left through some run out, but easier, terrain through another glue-in or two, to the fixed chain rap above.  Best to belay off of gear in the chimney and set up for the best pitch (5.9) of Edgy up and left.

Descent

Rap the route with a single rope.

Essential Gear

Single to #2.  A #4 can be placed along with the #2 in the horizontals if you want to back it up.   RP’s and small nuts protect the crux climbing on this route. Receives full southern sun exposure.