The Meat Cleaver

I give this route 3 stars for adventure. It really should be a classic considering the awesome feature that it climbs. As soon as I saw it, I had "Cleaver Fever!" and knew I had to climb it, but the truth is: it is dirty, rotten, hard, and dangerous...and probably too much work and suffering for the average climber....

P1: Follow the obvious ramp that leads up to the "Cleaver" roof. This is about 5.9 R. The crack is rotting, mossy, and often wet. About halfway up the ramp there is a place for a #4 (the only gear I found that might hold a fall). A thank God #3 plugs into the start of the roof. Traverse out left jamming at first but then committing to a horrendously physical undercling. Plug a #5 or two and battle around the corner. One topo says this is 5.9!! If only there were some foot holds, it might feel 5.10, but the face is pretty blank and slick with lichen. It's pretty wide at the lip and we used a valley giant (YOU could place a blue Bigbro here if you are strong enough, I am not...). There are new bolt anchors on a chockstone ledge about 10' higher. THANK YOU, bolt fairies! Kevin Stricker maybe?? This belay would be scary without this updated anchor....

P2: This is pretty much a squeeze chimney. Big gear is useful here, too, although there is some smaller gear available, too. Climb right side in until the final steep section, then somehow spin around and crank over onto a nice ledge. 5.8+ (~80 feet).

P3: Follow the crack off the left side of the ledge past a tree and up to a roof. The crux is not slipping on lichen while approaching the roof. Pull over to to a ledge with another tree then up a short slab to the top and belay from a tree. 5.9- (~90).

The Meat Cleaver is a super cool looking feature that can bee seen from the hike up.... It's in the center of the wall left of the Equinox roof, and starts from ledges about 200' up. To find the start, first locate the route Arch Nemesis. Then scramble up a right-angling ledge with loose rock and follow the path of least resistance. Go right across ledges up a little then back left. Then go up over a fallen tree the diagonal up right on a shallow, pine needle-covered ledge. Go around right and down into a gully which leads up another 40 feet to a nice ledge with trees. You can start the first pitch from here or continue up 40 feet of 5.2ish rock to the ledge where the ramp to the roof begins. You might want to be roped for some or all of this approach. There were many sections threatening a death fall. Also, do yourself a favor and leave your packs on the ground.

From the top either:

1) Walk off; up and left on the summit slab, there is a short downclimb that leads to a saddle and the walkoff, or to the Wall of Mirrors.

2) Rap the Standard Route (the best option if it is not too crowded) walk right (east) around a corner and over some jumbled blocks to find the first set of chains. 5 raps with a single rope.

3) Rap the route. Might be able to rap the route in two with double ropes from the tree near the top to the first pitch anchor and then to the starting ledge. This distance is unconfirmed and your ropes might get stuck....

A light standard rack, and some big stuff.
Doubles of #3, #4, #5 C4s are nice and one #6.
A #9 Valley Giant is helpful, or a blue Bigbro (or both).