Ghost Dancer Arete  5.10+

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Type:  Trad, 5 pitches, 500 feet, Grade III Consensus:  5.10+ [details] FA:  Bob Robertson & Art Wiggins - late 1980s Submitted By:  jeff haskell on Sep 4, 2008 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (3) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Wyatt with the 1st bolt clipped on pitch 2.

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2013 Raptor Closures MORE INFO >>> Serpent Point and the adjacent walls within one-half mile are closed to public use from March 15 through July 15. This includes the landscape portions above the walls extending 50 feet from the rim edge. This pertains to the following areas: North Rim areas - The Alpine Aretes, Porcelain Arete, and Painted Wall. These climbing routes are closed: Alpine Route, Porcelain Arete, On the Border, Broken Porcelain, Northern Arete, Beyer Route, The Dragon, The Serpent, Forrest-Walker, Stratosfear, Journey Through Mirkwood, and Southern Arete. South Rim areas - Dragon Point and Dragon Point Buttress. These climbing routes are closed: Pilgrimage, Crumb Blunder, Magic Dragon, Black Adder, Black Snake, Black Heathen, Black Dragon Rider, and Silent Rage. This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment

Description 

Some fantastic sections on this climb; many of the bolts have been replaced; route finding is not very difficult. The only drawback may be that the approach, lengthy upper section and return hike make for a much bigger day than five pitches would normally require.

P1) Climb unprotected 5.7 to gain a small, right-facing corner. Traverse left to second right-facing corner and belay at the top of this with a single, recently replaced bolt. 80ft. (The Ripe Stuff heads out left from this belay.)

P2) Step right, then straight up towards the bolts crossing the peg band. The first two have been replaced and this is solid, fun face climbing. Continue up through beautiful rock to many options for a belay.

P3) Clip old bolt (you would be happier if they had replaced this one) and climb a ways to your next piece (mental crux). Continue up to a belay that is about 50ft. below a roof with a crack through it. (We combined P2 and P3 without much difficulty - approx. 180-190ft. combined.)

P4) More great rock leading up to the roof crack. (#4.5 cam was useful here) Above the roof, angle slightly right to a ledge at the base of another peg band. 180ft.

P5) Cross peg band heading up and left with just a few options for gear. (Here, the guidebook says offwidth. The only offwidth is a long ways out left? We think that we should have traversed over to that feature.) We turned a small roof directly above the peg to gain a dirty slot. Another 50ft above, the climbing eases and many ledge belay options exist. 150ft.

The "pitches" are over but about 800 feet of stepped, bushy terrain remain to gain the rim. Simul-climbing or simul-soloing is recommended to prevent this from becoming an all-day (or all-night) affair. Note: All 5 pitches contain at least short sections of 5.10 but most of the climbing is in the 5.8-5.9 range.

Location 

Same approach as for the Russian Arete. Continue up the gully past that route for a couple hundred more feet. Just before a vertical step in the gully the route begins on clean, slabby rock on the left.

Protection 

Double set of cams, set of nuts, and a few big pieces for pitch 5 offwidth. In addition to the 5 or so bolts on the climb, there are a few fixed pieces. No fixed belays with the exception of the bolt at the base of pitch two.

Photos of Ghost Dancer Arete Slideshow

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Spacing out up the canyon while belaying in the mo...	Erik Rieger on the 2nd pitch.	Erik Rieger traversing on the 3rd pitch.
Erik Rieger on the 3rd pitch.	Erik Rieger through the crux pitches. Only about ...