Deep Throat

This route may have one of mixed climbing's most jaw dropping crux pitches. From the belay atop the second pitch, it's hard not to be intimidated by the overhanging mess of daggers above!

P1: awkward, loose 5.9 rock climbing weaves up past a pesky bush and some dollops of moss. There is a fixed pin towards the top of the pitch, just before low angle terrain is reached, and a fixed anchor on a comfortable ledge, approximately 40 meters.

P2: this a nice pitch of M5 corner climbing with increasing ice towards the top. Belay in the back of the "cave" on a chossy ledge with a fixed angle, 35 meters.

P3: take a deep breath, and start questing upward and outward. Although this pitch looks horrendous, it actually is mostly chimney climbing, and gear seems to appear often, including some fixed pins. The gear is surprisingly good, especially because it looks like there is hardly any at all from the belay! Leading this pitch is mostly about being patient while cleaning all the icicles away so that you can creep out amongst them. Things get easier as you go. It is a 50 meter quest to a fixed pin anchor up and left from the exit (do not attempt to follow with a pack!).

Descent: you can rap the route, which may require bringing a tag line to leave fixed to the top of P2. Alternatively, traverse down and left from the final belay 10 meters, and make two long raps to the ground on bolted anchors just left of the route.

This route is a testament to Jeff's and Will's vision. Especially impressive is the gumption it must have taken to quest off on P3 during the FA. As far as I know, it has only had three ascents in nearly 20 years, but it certainly deserves more. It comes in often (January through March) and is easy to scope from the Hidden Lake Rest area. It forms from snowmelt, so a reasonable amount of snow followed by warmish sunny days (40s in Glenwood) is what's required.

You can read about Will's experience on the route in the great book "50 Favorite Climbs", and get more details here: http://books.google.com/books?id=JzTZeow0yxYC&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=will+gadd+deep+throat&source=bl&ots=ZVPkMgH2Df&sig=gsi8MmBJT4AIg3o44i346J_rbIM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SejmUtjoHsrXyAHWxoDgBA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=will%20gadd%20deep%20throat&f=false.

A short film by John Dickey about the route: https://vimeo.com/106322511.