Arm and Hammer

Excellent route that's probably over all the easiest of the headwall routes. The first couple pitches are the most dangerous and was the scene of perhaps the most severe accident in whitesides climbing history after a climber got severely off route on p2. Be careful with routefinding on these pitches! P2 aims for a hidden 2 bolt belay on a small ledge about 40 feet right of the coal mine corner.

Warning: Climbing at Whiteside Mountain is extremely dangerous due to long runouts, poor protection, loose rock, difficult route finding, and other factors. The information in this posting is provided for informational and historical purposes only to aid in understanding roughly where the route has been climbed before. Information provided is approximate, subjective, and based upon sometimes vague memories and opinions of recreational climber(s) that may not have been recorded until long after climbing the route. As such, the information is unverified and may be inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, and/or may contain errors. Any person(s) attempting to climb this route or any others does so at their own risk and is solely responsible for their party's safety using their own route-finding skills and judgement and shall not rely on any information in this posting. It is neither claimed nor implied that bolts, fixed anchors, and removable protection placement locations on the route including those shown/described are safe or suitable for protecting further ascents. It is the responsibility of climbers to thoroughly inspect bolts/fixed anchors before deciding to use them.

All pitch lengths given are rough guesses from leading the route with a 60m rope without middle marker!

P1: (5.11a, 5.8/5.9R) Meander up the poorly protected slab and then past series of huge scary-sounding hollow flake features. Climb up and right past the single bolt belay atop original P1 of Volunteer wall to another bolt. Continue roughly up about 10 feet and right about 6 feet to a small left facing “block” feature which takes pro that appears to be good (Climb carefully with good route-finding skills and be able/ready to downclimb if things don't feel right! Falling could be bad due to less than vertical terrain with stuff to potentially hit). Continue up easier face to a two bolt belay (190 ft.) 

P2: (5.9 PG13) Climb up to the left facing dihedral above the belay, step right over it, and continue up and a bit right up the face to a bolt that may be hard to see just after the wall steepens a bit. Then head back up and left to a hidden two bolt anchor (150 feet) 

P3: (5.10c) Follow 3 bolts to some gear in a flake, then 4 more bolts angling up and right to a 2 bolt anchor on a tiny ledge (90 feet) 

P4: (5.11c) “Sport climb” past 10 bolts to a bolted anchor. Stay left so one doesn't get sucked into Last of the Dixie Trads to the right. Generally well protected but there is potential for a big pendulum fall on leftward traversing sections. (100 feet). 

P5: (5.12a) More “sport climbing” through an incredibly steep and juggy headwall to a two bolt belay. Well protected except perhaps on easy traversing section. (100 feet) 

P6: (5.12a, 5.9R) The route rejoins volunteer wall. Climb up and left past a bolt to get into the “bathtub” (ledge fall potential on 5.8 or 5.9 moves not far above bolt just before getting into bathtub). Traverse to the right end of the bathtub, place a #4 camalot or similar, and continue up the bouldery face past 4 bolts to a crack which takes gear. Traverse left along the ledge to a belay at a cluster of caver bolts. (105 feet) 

P7: (5.5) Climb to the top (130 feet)

I brought single cams to #4 camalot, nuts, many slings and draws. There are some runouts on 5.9 climbing especially on the first two pitches and getting into the "bathtub" feature on the last pitch.