Yellow Bird  5.10a

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Type:  Trad, 1 pitch, 80 feet, Grade II Consensus:  5.10a [details] FA:  Fred Becky and ? 1964. Freed by Tom Hargis and Don McPherson, 1972 Season:  Most of the Year Submitted By:  Ken Trout on Jan 26, 2009 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (2) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Description 

This route is so good that Fred Becky notes he did it twice on the day it was first done. Start with a cruxy bulge, passed with help from a tricky flake. Then some bolted face climbing up to a roof. Follow the steep crack up right to VW ledge. Rappel or lower from here. It is possible to climb a 5.6 or 5.9 second pitch to the top.

Midnight Rock has long had a reputation as the Cookie Cliff of Washington. While Yosemite's Cookie has lots more to do, it might be fair to say that Yellow Bird is a better 5.10a pitch than can be found at the Cookie.

The first pitch used to be rated 5.9.

Location 

This is the first route reached on the dusty approach. The rest of the routes at Midnight require negotiating some exposed class three across Dead End Ledge. I found the Yellow Bird belay zone to be acceptable for a none climber.

Protection 

Up to a #2 Camalot. Maybe bring some bigger stuff if planning to bag the "summit".