Type: Trad, 4 pitches, Grade II
FA: Steve Shea & Dick Jimmerson, 1968
Page Views: 16,267 total · 58/month
Shared By: Charles Vernon on Dec 31, 2000
Admins: Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC

You & This Route


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Description Suggest change

This is a route with a couple of superb corners but also some rather questionable sections. Hike around to the east of the 100 foot high flatiron that leans against the face. Backflip begins in the long, clean right-facing flake near the narrow gully which separates the main rock from the Bookmark Pinnacle.

P1. Climb the 5.8 flake with excellent liebacks and hand-jams, and belay at its top.

P2. Ascend an easy corner on the left to a long ledge.

P3. Take the right of two clean, thin dihedrals (the other being Romulan Territority). After 30 or so feet, undercling out right where it turns into a roof. Belay on easier ground at some flakes. (5.8) Variations: 1) turn the 5.9 roof capping the dihedral, belay, and then continue in a crack to the end of Romulan Territority; 2) after the undercling, continue up an attractive looking but very thin 5.9 dihedral, and arrange a belay at its top.

P4. Climb up and right, then back left to a broken area, and continue to easy ground and the eastern descent, 5.8 or so, but a much lower quality pitch. Variation: directly above the belay is a 5.9 seam that apparently was the original line of the route. There is no longer a pin in this seam but according to the comments below, it protects reasonably with micro gear.

Protection Suggest change

Standard rack.

Descent Suggest change

Eds. You can go right down and around Bookmark Pinnacle. There are 1-2 raps that can be used (one is off a huge tree).

Eds. Apparently, a new descent has been added (caveat emptor): First, rappel to the east off the slings around the big block. Then, used the rappel station at the bottom of this first rappel to rappel south (not east!) into the bushy gully (Don’t stop at an old intermediate station with ratty slings in this gully, but continue to a level stance. Then, traverse L (west) for about 15 feet on the Bookmark face, where a rappel station around some large flakes using 5.5 mm cord and a steel rappel ring. From here, rappel to the bolts atop p1 and from there to the ground, which landed us exactly at our packs. 60m rope recommended.

Photos

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