This route climbs several pitches up the polished face between the prominent right-facing Southern Dihedral and the Central Buttress and then takes a bold line through the headwall to the top.
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| Pitch 1 (John with Austin belaying) |
Pitch 1: 5.10+ 35m *** The first pitch is located 10ft left of the initial easy corner of SSMR and can be identified by locating the bolts below the overhang that protect the polished slab. Start on good holds directly below a small dihedral which forms the right side of the lower polished slab. Gain the dihedral which provides some protection (gray and red Aliens & stoppers) then move left onto the polished slab. Three bolts protect 5.8 climbing up the slab and lead to a roof (optional 1.5” cam below roof). Turn the roof (2 bolts) and continue 20ft up a shallow crack (crux) to a small ledge (gear= yellow Alien and small (Superlight gold) offset stopper) and a 2-bolt belay-one bolt is a spinner and needs replacing (FA Joel/Roger 8/18/13).
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| Gretchen and Angie on Pitch 2 |
Pitch 2: 5.10- 40m *** Continue straight up from the belay initially but trend leftward to better cracks. Follow moderate but sustained, discontinuous cracks. Near the top of the slab stay on the face left of the broken area. Continue straight up past 4 bolts on good rock, avoiding loose rock on either side of the route, to chain anchors on a sloping ledge. Gear: Many Aliens (extra green-red), stoppers and cams to #2/Gold Camalot. Bolts were added 9/15/14 to protect the more direct finish.
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| Pitch 3 Banzai |
Pitch 3: 5.10- 57m *** Locate the initial protection bolt on the wall directly above the sloping grassy ledge and additional bolts on the slab 25m above. Climb the polished slab with bolt-protected cruxes and good protection between to an angling ledge and a 2-bolt belay anchor. Gear up to a #3 Camalot including many small cams and wired stoppers, quick-draws for 6 bolts and some slings to reduce rope drag (FA: Joel and Roger 7/14/2013).
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| Joel on the crux moves on The Backdoor |
The Backdoor
Pitch 4: 5.11b 45m **** From the top of Pitch 3 of Banzai continue straight up the slab with good gear (a few pieces 0.75-3") for about 15m to the vertical face above. Ascend the line of bolts between two large roofs. From underneath the right-hand roof begin the crux sequence (5.11) by making a difficult under-cling move with minimal feet to reach back leftward around the roof. Continue straight up through a couple of bulges (5.10) into a dihedral/crack and a small belay ledge with bolt anchors. 10 bolts plus a small amount of gear (gear noted above for the slab plus optional: gold and green Camalot). (FFA RH, Austin 6/22/14)
Pitch 5: 5.8 20m Move straight up past a single bolt to easy ground above to the top ledge and bolt anchors.
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