Observatory  5.6

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Type:  Trad, 3 pitches, 480 feet Consensus:  5.6 [details] FA:  Bradley & Mayrose, 1963 Submitted By:  Leo Paik on May 25, 2007 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

This is a line drawn in upon Kurt Johnson's recent...

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Season raptor closures MORE INFO >>> The following areas are closed from March 1-July 31 or until further notice: Twin Owls, Rock One, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sheep Mountain, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Lightning Rock and Checkerboard Rock are currently closed. The closures include the named rock formations and the areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber's access trails to the formation. Alligator Rock is also closed. www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/area_closures.htm 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 

This is a line up Observatory Dome just right of the obvious, right-facing dihedral. Interestingly, S. Kimball describes it as "to the right of the major curving, diedral, climb cracks and slabs for two full pitches." Rossiter describes it as "climb two pitches of cracks and slabs out to the right from the big dihedral." Gillett describes it as "ascending the face right of the dihedral, beginning in a left-leaning crack. Head right at the crack's end." Hmmm. This sucker is more than 2 pitches in length unless you start on something else.

So, here's one variation (the original line may have started off the ledge coming in from the right, about a pitch up):

P1. Start in the obvious, left-facing chimney. Fight a tree and bush. Then chimney up to a crack with chockstones (some a bit loose, some freed from their perches). Continue up to a large ledge. ~180'.

P2. Continue up to the beginning of the big, right-facing dihedral. Move right at its beginning. Continue up cracks & face mostly about 20 ft right of the dihedral. Belay at a good ledge with a small, dead tree. ~200'.

P3. Here you have a few choices: The original line probably went up and likely exited to the right below the overhangs. You can also go up and left to the top of the dihedral for a bit of jamming. ~100' to a tree.

Walkoff left.

This route is on the lean side of a star, but there aren't any crowds, and there is plenty of room for FAs up here.

Addendum: in retrospect, I think this climb may have originally been climbed by approaching along a ledge system from the right which probably would have skipped the P1 described above.

Location 

Basically this is up the center of the crag staying just right of the big, right-facing dihedral.

Protection 

Set of wires, set of cams to #4 Camalot. 60m rope helpful.

Photos of Observatory Slideshow

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P1's chimney variation. That round object on the ...	P2 as it domes out.	P3's left variation.