Type: Trad, 700 ft (212 m), 6 pitches, Grade III
FA: Fred Beckey & Ron Niccoli (1960) | FFA Fred Beckey & Steve Marts (1963)
Page Views: 106,075 total · 481/month
Shared By: jonah on Feb 2, 2006 · Updates
Admins: Jon Nelson, Micah Klesick, Zachary Winters

You & This Route


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Description Suggest change

Probably the most popular route in Leavenworth. Starts at the base of Snow Creek Wall and follows fantastic features up through the main shield to the top. This can be crowded, but it's a good place to chill and look at the view. Pretty easy to identify this route on the wall, because of the long, well-cleaned crack splitting the upper headwall. Follow that crack down to a ledge several bushes growing out of it. The regular start is the ledge/dihedral system about 80 feet right and 100 feet down from the end of that ledge.

P1-P2 (5.7): An easy left-trending corner/scramble to a ledge. From the ledge, traverse past a fixed sling down and left to the huge ledge with the several bushes; you'll probably have to do a little easy simulclimbing to do this as one pitch. It is very easy to get lost at P1, be sure to pause at the near horizontal scramble, may require some downclimbing to a big ledge. There's also several fun variations starting further left that are a bit harder, but would allow you to pass a really slow party on the first pitch. Belay from the left side of the ledge at a sandy, flat ledge below a juggy crack system.

P3 (5.9): From the ledge, either head up a steep crack with juggy flakes (some are a bit hollow) or start from the left up a dihedral. Either way, you end up at a roof. Step out to the right (this is airy and fun, with great pro) and follow the crack out right until it heads up again. Be careful of drag. Belay on a nice sloping ledge.  (AS OF 8/8/2021 it is suspected that the key flake on this pitch has been torn off.  Please use caution.)

P4 (5.8). Head up and left on an easy slab peppered with knobs toward a right-facing dihedral. Get into the dihedral (crux of this pitch), top out, clip the bolt above the dihedral to help with rope drag, and traverse left to another ledge. Belay from the base of the splitter. Watch out for rope drag on this, too. Longer than it looks.

P5 (5.7). The money pitch. Go up the obvious crack that splits the shield. One of the most enjoyable pitches in the world, I think. You'll giggle the whole way up. It's 130 feet long (?). You can jam in any of the bomber, perfect jams along the way, or if you get tired of that, step onto the stair-like knobs peppering the face. Sublime. And it ends on a perfect ledge with a separate crack to set an anchor. Gear wise might want to bring triples in hand size as its easy to run out of gear here 

P6 (5.9). Keep following the crack. A little "bouldery" crack move gets you off the ledge, then it's cruiser jamming to the top. A 70m rope will get you all the way to the summit boulder (takes small gear), but not to the trees 30 feet further up. Save small cams + nuts or, bring up your second before cruising up the low angle chickenheads.

From here, there is a rap route (requires 2x 70m ropes), or scramble down the gullies on the left (as you're facing the wall). Follow the cairns all the way (well marked).  Once you hit the tree rappel station there is an option of continuing to walk off (5.4 downclimb)--just continue to follow the cairns.

Protection Suggest change

Cams up to a #3 camalot with doubles in hand size will sew this puppy up. Rack o' nuts and some long slings. Sensible shoes for the descent.

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