Purblind Pillar

"Purblind" starts at the obvious crack system about 80 feet west and slightly up from the beginning of "Healy's Haunted House". Approach as for both "Group Therapy" and "Healy's".

Pitch 1 (5.7): Begin climbing the easy crack/corner system for about 20 feet to a ledge with trees and shrubs. Pass the vegetation on the right and continue up the stellar crack system until you reach the end of the crack at a sling belay. There's an intermediate sling belay station about half way up. From the end of Pitch 1, you should see the bolt on Pitch 2. (190 ft.)

Pitch 2 (5.8) From the belay head up and right along a crack/flake line below an overhang. When the crack diminishes, move right on white, slabby face to a bolt (staying lower is easier). From the bolt move out right on rounded holds to cross over a shoulder to easier ground. Scamper directly up for a few feet to a flat ledge below another crack system and the belay--takes 1-1.75 cams (70 ft.)

Pitch 3 (5.7) From the pitch 2 belay move directly right about 20 feet along a ledge to a water groove/crack system. Do not climb the crack/chimney system directly above the pitch two belay unless you plan on doing the 5.9 variation*. After traversing out right you'll encounter a water groove/crack system. Climb this for another 30 feet or so and then traverse directly right onto the obvious brown face (a bolt protects the move out of the groove). Continue to traverse straight right--after clipping the bolt--on excellent holds until you reach the water groove/crack system that borders the right side of the brown face. Climb up this for a short distance and then traverse up and right a bit to a spacious ledge area below an obvious vertical crack system (150 ft.)

Pitch 4 (5.7) From the spacious ledge climb the obvious crack system to its end. The crack is very wide in places, but adequate protection can be had. When the crack ends, trend along a ledge system overlooking a large, brushy chasm/gully on your left. At the end of the ledge you'll find a bolted belay anchor in white rock. This ledge is very comfortable for up to 4 people (180 ft.)

Pitch 5 (5.8): From the bolted belay head up the micro-crack system on white rock (a single bolt protects the moves off of the belay). Continue up the crack system and then traverse directly right up easy ground to another excellent ledge area below an impressive left-facing dihedral (120 ft.)

Pitch 6 (5.7-): From the large ledge head up to the base of the large dihedral. From the belay you'll see a large patch of shrubbery blocking the entrance to a menacing off-width. Head towards the bush, but when feasible veer left to the face just left of the off-width. You'll see a bolt at the base of the face, clip this and climb up over excellent 5.6 terrain to another bolt, from here traverse right into the crack (the bush remains inviolate!) and head up to a class four ramp that ends at the top (195 ft.).

* 5.9 variation: instead of traversing right from the pitch 2 belay, go straight up the crack system directly above the pitch 2 belay. This pitch ends at a bolted belay anchor (80 ft.). From the anchor traverse right on easy holds to a water groove. Climb the groove up until just below a patch of diabolical scrub-oak (50 feet). Belay in the groove using a couple of large cams in pockets in the base of the groove itself. The next pitch ascends the obvious broad corner to the right of the water groove/now gully, with the small crack in its right side. A bolt protects the initial moves into the crack. Although this 5.9 pitch is good, initially it is somewhat friable, and not easy to protect. A Wild country Z3 cam (gray) protects the move above the bolt. After a few moves the crack widens to accept .33 to .5 cams. This is a technical pitch. Upon reaching the top of the corner and the end of the crack, traverse right around an improbable shoulder (strange mud-colored rock) and then up easy ground to end at the normal route pitch 4 bolted belay.