Improbable Traverse

CONDITION UPDATE 7/22/22:

The rockfall event in November 2021 has done a lot of damage to this route. Along with the lower pitches being plastered in dirt and loose rock, the traverse itself had a roughly 30x40ft section fall off. It still goes, but now consists of 5.9 to 10- downclimbing ~20 feet out from an old pin. There is no protection for an additional 30+ feet.

The route then traverses back through the meat of the rockfall and encounters a considerable section of unstable loose dirt and stacked blocks. Travel through this section in particular is a total gamble due to the unstable and unavoidable nature of the terrain. 

Climbing this route is not recommended 

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The west face of Guye Peak is easily visible from the interstate when driving from the west. With the exception of the traverse pitch, the rock is generally poor in quality and can be very lose.

Approach: Start by hiking up the talus cone beneath the face and scramble a couple hundred feet of loose, mossy, dirty slabs to the the start of the roped climbing.

Pitch 1: wander up 100 feet of low 4th/low 5th class, occasionally crumbly and dirty rock to a tree, belay at the tree.

Pitch 2: continue for another 100 feet to a slung block belay, again low to mid 5th.

Pitch 3: continue up similar terrain to a large ledge, known as "Lunch Ledge". A second option is to climb some steeper and more difficult, but probably more fun cracks to the right, to a smaller sloping ledge at the start of the traverse pitch.

Pitch 4/5: The rock quality improves significantly here. If you start the traverse from the Lunch Ledge, you should climb a short pitch (~50 ft) right and up to the small alcove at the top of the cracks in the option for P3. If you start at that alcove, one pitch will suffice for the "Improbable Traverse." Climb 5.8 moves straight out to the right, being careful not to go too high following an off-route piton. There should be good ledges for the feet and several old fixed pitons for protection. Make sure to protect the traverse for your follower as well.

At the end of the traverse climb down slightly to the base of the 4th class ramp that visibly cuts across the face from the highway.

Pitch 6/7: Climb 4th class up the ramp to the top of the ramp. Here the primary difficulties cease and a route to the summit can be found that avoids 5th class terrain.

Descent: From the summit traverse north up and over two subsummits. Traversing over the final summit looks to be 5.9+ with significant exposure and poor rock/protection, so most rap off a tree on the east side and climb a short gully to bypass the true summit.