This is the longest route at Tahquitz, starting at the lowest point and finishing on the summit. There is quite a lot of nice climbing along the way. Follow the left of the two shallow ridges that make up the base of the North Buttress, going up crack systems that gradually get more difficult (to about 5.4) as they change into a left-facing corner system. After four or five pitches from the ground, this leads to a series of broken ledges with two large trees. The upper tree has a “J” shape near the bottom, and marks the upper part of the route (you can belay from a large seat formed by the bottom of the J). The next pitch is nearly vertical, and the crux of the climb. It follows a corner - a crack in the back ranges from one to six inches in width. After two small overhangs, you go around a corner to the right and onto easier ground. A few easy pitches lead to the top of the rock.
By Brian Hench From: Laguna Beach Jun 8, 2008 rating: 5.7
Most of this route is 5.5 or less as advertised. However, there is one move on the crux pitch that is pretty hard. I thought maybe as hard as 5.8, and my two partners agreed. The rest of the crux pitch is maybe 5.6 or 5.7. There was a bail biner on an old angle piton, on that pitch attesting to a party getting caught off guard.
If you are a 5.6 trad leader you can avoid this pitch by going left and avoiding the "chimney" which seemed more of a left facing dihedral to me. The protection is actually excellent on this pitch, so if you're worried about pulling the moves, you can sew it up.
The North Buttress
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