West face Major dihedral  5.11 R

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Type:  Trad, Alpine, 4 pitches, 500 feet, Grade III Consensus:  5.11 [details] FA:  Tim Wolfe, Chris Abbott, Susan Wolfe 1995 New Route:  Yes Submitted By:  Tim Wolfe on Aug 6, 2010 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: This is a topo of the route - it is very obvious

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Description 

This is a great bit of climbing - especially if it gets some action and the lichens and vegetation clean up. In retrospect this route could use some bolts at the belays to make it a classic. You can get farly good belays if you are careful, but some are hanging and uncomfortable.

Begin at the base of the obvious left facing corner on the west face of Steeple Peak. Access via a grassy ramp that extends along the entire base of the west face.
Pitch 1: Climb the corner until it becomes obviously less well protected and more difficult above. Belay (hanging) in the crack left of a small ledge. 5.9 - 130 ft
Pitch 2: Climb/stem up the difficult and poorly protected corner above. A wire can be threaded through a wafer shaped chickenhead in the grove like corner about 15 feet above the belay. After another 15 feet the crack opens up, and better protection/ easier climbing ensues. Belay near the end of your rope where a flake appears to the left of the crack, and a 4 inch horizontal ledge occurs. 5.10 R - 160 ft
Pitch 3: Climb the flake then the vegetated 2 inch crack/corner (clean the plants out for protection) to a left leaning roof. Undercling out increasingly thin holds to finger tip liebacks then bigger holds. Belay on the obvious ledge. 5.10d 100 ft.
Pitch 4: Climb through the lieback/flared undercling directly above to the roof. Hand traverse out the roof on thin holds/ poor feet to left edge, then to the top. 5.11 100 ft

Location 

Approach: Hike up to the classic Steeple Peak north ridge route then traverse right along the grassy ramps to the obvious large left facing corner.
Descent: Hike over and finish up the final pitches of the north ridge route (the awesome chimney)then descent the south side of that formation as described in the Kelsey guide.

Protection 

Standard alpine granite rack. If someone is willing - each belay could use a bolt to make it safer.