Doc's Route 

Good beginner route? Ha! The start is the best part, but the tiny cam stuck in the undercling (I eshewed the RPs in the cracks to that point) at the 5.7 crux is a couple feet below you, and I wouldn't want to fall on it. It was actually kind-of fun, but we were kidding each other that we were in England, on Gritstone, climbing at the crux above marginal gear. Not a really good beginner route.

This is described as located left of "Sunset Arete"... is this the same as "Arete", which is left of the classic finger crack?

I saw some bolts here - the first one is high, and the route continues up low angle rock and a sort of a headwall. In semi-darkness it looked dicy to get to the first bolt.

The crux 5.7 protects with a single #7 stopper at about eye level. Clip a single biner to this, and then clip the bolt once you're through. If that nut pulls out later, who cares? The other partially cruxy section is after the ledge, but the bolts here protect you real well. Maybe not such a great beginner route, since the start can be freaky.

I saw two guys trying this route in hiking boots and a 2-foot runner on that #7 stopper. You can imagine how far they got. Plus, that nut placement got stuck, and they walked around to rappel down to get it. Ha! Don't do this. You really have to rappel this route from top. Otherwise, you're in for some vertical bushwaking w/no belay. If you really wan't to, you can set up a belay/rap at the ledge with a bolt and a #2 Camalot, or something weird like that.

I applaud the 'ground-up' style (very reasonable on this terrain) and can easily understand the qualms about this being a 'beginner route'; however, the use of clean protection at the bottom shouldn't preclude 5.7 leaders from trying this. There are two placements possible to protect the initial section, and while neither is ideal, it should be quite easy to climb back to the ground to test them if you are having any doubts about pulling past them. This is a good habit to adopt - beginner or not. (I led it w/o clipping the bolts, since the first couple also offer nut placements and the climbing is about 5.2 anyway....the last 2 bolts seem warranted though.)

We climbed this route yesterday...after trudging through four feet of snow to get to the base. Gosh, do I sound like my grandpa telling stories of walking to school in the old days?

Here is my two cents on this one....my hubby is a "beginner leader"....this was his second lead and he cruised it...now he is 6' tall and has been climbing for three years. After he led it, he pulled the rope, and it fell leaving the first bolt clipped so I could lead with little/no risk of hitting the ground should I fall off doing the initial crux move. This is my second year of leading, and I am 5'2". I was thrilled to have the rope running through the first bolt given the ground rush potential. I agree....there was protection had I chosen to place a piece before the bolt. I actually found this section to be easy (of course - I had no risk)....it was the upper crux where the two bolts are close that I found to be the hardest moves...it is protected but a fall before the second bolt would result in hitting the ledge...it is a couple of dicey moves and very thin.

Beginner route....the verdict is still out....I vote "no."

Only a good beginner lead if the first bolt is clipped as Tonya mentioned. This was my girlfriend's first lead (sport or trad), and she's been on Supercrack Buttress with me in IC. She follows 10a trad and didn't feel comfortable clipping the first bolt. Be advised.~Wm

I think this is a good beginner lead, depending upon what you lead. If one is just breaking into 5.7, probably not! The first bolt is high up, I did the aforementioned small cam in the undercling, I felt it was solid and did not worry going for the bolt. You gotta admit, it is 5.7, no harder. The second crux is not thin really, just have to spend a minute figuring it out. I think it's great to have a quick warmup climb before hitting other stuff on the crag!