Type: Trad, 400 ft (121 m), 5 pitches, Grade II
FA: unknown
Page Views: 44,993 total · 181/month
Shared By: Eric Jacobsen on Oct 24, 2003 · Updates
Admins: Andrew Gram, Nathan Fisher, Perin Blanchard, GRK, D C

You & This Route


467 Opinions
Your To-Do List: Add To-Do ·
Your Star Rating:
Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty Rating:
-none- Change
Your Ticks:Add New Tick
-none-
Use onX Backcountry to explore the terrain in 3D, view recent satellite imagery, and more. Now available in onX Backcountry Mobile apps! For more information see this post.
Warning Access Issue: Gate Buttress Area Recreational Lease: Climbs on Church Buttress above vault remain closed DetailsDrop down

Description Suggest change

This is a classic trad route with lots of variety. All natural belay stations so be prepared with cordelette or slings for setting up your belay anchors.

Pitch 1. Start on the left side of the wall and climb over a large flake up cracks that angle up to the left. About 40 feet up, traverse across to the right, downclimbing at one point. Pro is abundent, but be sure to think about protecting your partner. Put a set of opposing pieces at the bottom of the downclimb. Belay at the end of the traverse.

Pitch 2. Climb the handcrack, moving onto the face to the right before you get up under the roof. Some large pieces are useful here. Traverse right 10 feet to the belay.

Pitch 3. Follow the pretty finger crack up and left to the belay on a prow sticking out in front of a tree. Small cams or nuts work well. If you need to bail at this point, traverse right 20 feet to a set of bolted anchors at the start of the Hook.

Pitch 4. Follows a tight chimney up under the huge Schoolroom roof. Hard to protect with standard pieces and a pretty awkward squeeze. Good pro at the top of the chimney before the easy traverse to the left, passing under the roof. I found the pro on the traverse to be pretty marginal but the climbing is easy. Belay from the tree.

Pitch 5. Climb straight up from the belay tree through a gully with sweet hand cracks. Walk for part of the gully and just 10-15 feet past a big dead tree lying down, you'll see a set of chains to belay from, they should be on the climbers left over a lip.

If belaying from bolts look along ridge / shelf to climbers left towards small pine tree were shelf ends that is the schoolroom rappel tree, then you can scramble up to the belay tree with fresh webbing and one quick-link. From here it's a 60' rap to the "Schoolroom rappel" chains, and then another 90' rap to the ground. Though if my memory serves me the first rap is a rope stretcher and the second was fine? You can probably rap directly form the bolts at the top of Schoolroom with a bit of swinging though I have not tried.

Protection Suggest change

You'll use a range of pro on this route, but a standard rack will work. The second pitch hand crack will take some large cams or hexes, and a big bro would be ideal on the hard to protect fourth pitch chimney, but not strictly necessary. A 60m rope is recommended for the second rappel.

Photos

loading