Smith Rock: Best Easy/Moderate Multi-pitch?

Hey guys, I was wondering what some of your recommendations are on easy multi-pitch climbing at smith rock.
I will be climbing with people new to outdoor. Preferably sport but trad would be ok too if it's below 5.7 (not a lot of gear; will probably run out a lot)

Check out Where I May Roam. Super fun but be careful on the rap down. It's quite confusing where to rap from and where the next rap station will be. A few people have gotten this wrong and I've seen some folks almost rap off the end of their ropes. So remember to tie a knot at the end of your rope.

First Kiss would be good. mountainproject.com/v/first…

Check out Voyage of the Cowdog and Dirty Pinkos. Two of my favorites.

mountainproject.com/v/dirty…

mountainproject.com/v/voyag…

+1 for Voyage of the Cow Dog! I've climbed it twice. Third pitch is siiiick!

Do you guys think having 4 people total (3 very new climbers) would be ok? I am more worried about issues with whether or not rappelling will needed and other safety concerns. I was considering if we did do a multipitch, I would just lead each pitch and belay them all up via alpine hitching for follow (except last person of course)

Paul Park wrote:Do you guys think having 4 people total (3 very new climbers) would be ok? I am more worried about issues with whether or not rappelling will needed and other safety concerns. I was considering if we did do a multipitch, I would just lead each pitch and belay them all up via alpine hitching for follow (except last person of course)

Not to be a dick but this sounds like a really bad idea. While multipitch sport isn't rocket science, this sounds like a bad idea for several reasons:

belay ledges may get really crowded.

if someone is a very new climber you don't know how they will react to exposure.

if anything happens to a member of your party you will be fucked... you better have your self rescue dialed because those n00bs aren't going to be much help.

if anything happens to you, you will be totally fucked.

With your set-up, if one of your lower climbers falls, they may pull off the upper climber you are simul-TR-belaying.

If you do 'first kiss' or 'wherever I may roam' and this happens on the traverse pitches, you and the inexperienced climbers could be in a world of shit and could possibly have multiple people dangling off route below a roof on the same rope, vertical limit style ("cut the rope!"). Although I guess if the second (and third) are putting the directionals back in this doesn't happen.

Finally, you will clog up a moderate route because your party will probably be very slow. This is inconsiderate to other climbers. This happened to me on the Monkey's Face when some old dudes from the Mazamas decided the bolt ladder was a good place to teach some young ladies how to jug a free hanging rope (party of 6-7). It was super annoying. If you do it, pick a time when there won't be other climbers around who want to do the route (i.e., not a weekend).

Not trying to be a killjoy. Those routes suggested upthread are great. I'd take one of your friends and go do em at the end of a cragging day or something. But one leader and three inexperienced followers is asking for trouble if you ask me.

It's a short two pitch route but Spiderman is fun and does not require a rap. The walk off is actually pretty cool IMO

Paul Park wrote:Do you guys think having 4 people total (3 very new climbers) would be ok?

That just sounds like no fun.

I would highly recommend against bringing 3 newbs up Voyage of the Cowdog or Wherever I May Roam. WIMR is heaving trafficked, belay stations aren't huge, and people rapping while your at one of the stations only complicates matters. Plus asking 3 newbs to rap off a multi-pitch doesn't sound ideal. VOTC might be more doable but it could be a cluster with just one more party and the exposure for newbs doesn't seem ideal.

Why not go find some easy single pitch climbs for the day given your group size and experience level?

+1 for Wherever I May Roam. Just get their early and be the first party up the wall.

Also recommend the walk off over the rap. Heard some not so fun sounding stories about the rap, so we walked off, and after a little bit of route finding it was very straightforward.

Spiderman is good fun for an easy traditional route. You can easily run it out on the starting ramp. the 5.7 dihedral only needs ~2-3 pieces, and the awesome upper finger crack and "improbable roof" only really needs 1-2 pieces. Also easily done as 2 pitches instead of 3 depending on where you want to stack people up.

Thanks for the input everyone. I originally was considering against doing a 4-person multipitch initially so all y'all's advice definitely helped me decide not to do it haha.

This will be a day trip for me and my first (and likely only trip for a long long time) so I wanted to get on some multi pitch if possible. I looked up some videos of the belay stations on some of these routes and I agree it would be terribly messy with 4 people.

Thanks again!

That's great...Don't you just love it when someone asks for advice, guidance, and/or recommendations and then clarifies their criteria AFTER THE FACT!!

If you're bringing a herd of newbs I might recommend something like Round River in the Marsupials: mountainproject.com/v/round…

Less crowded, easier climbing, walk off or one rap to the ground, and it's 5.4 so nobody really has a right to complain if there's a party of 4 with new climbers taking forever on it.

The guidebook description/topo is clearer the one on MP and will make it more obvious where the variations are.

Laurel Fan wrote:If you're bringing a herd of newbs I might recommend something like Round River in the Marsupials: mountainproject.com/v/round… Less crowded, easier climbing, walk off or one rap to the ground, and it's 5.4 so nobody really has a right to complain if there's a party of 4 with new climbers taking forever on it. The guidebook description/topo is clearer the one on MP and will make it more obvious where the variations are.

Forgot about that one...solid suggestion. It's fun too. The direct finish, while really short, might add a bit of value if you are looking for it.

I'll look into it, thanks for the suggestion :)