Witch Doctor

Witch Doctor Notes:

this route was a big effort. I made three trips out there rapping in from the summit to clean and equip the upper half of the route. I made two separate trips with partners to work “ground up” on the bottom half. On the bottom half, there remains a few runout sections but typically on easier terrain.

Open Source: I welcome any future parties to add and or remove bolts at will: probably would be cooler if you decided to add...

We took a lot of time to clean, equip and free this rather large rock climb. Despite our efforts there remains a good bit of high adventure on this limestone big wall. In its current state one can expect good pro on nearly all the 5.10-5.11 climbing, bolted anchors and equipped (with tat and ‘biners) rap stations from the summit.

Matt and I rapped the whole wall twice, one of the times in the dark. We got a rope stuck pulling ropes off pitch 2 of SW face-left(2nd to last rap)

Pitch notes taken on the route the day Matt and I free climbed it.

P1: 150’ .10r Start at cairn and go up to cracked leaning slab—fixed pin above protects going way left out on to face left of orange choss cracks start the .8r in s short splitter then .8r face/ledges then go up past two bolts to anchor on ledge with little bush

P2: 100’ 5.9 up and right past initial bolt. Then, straight up past 3 bolts (5.11+) in to shallow right facing corner to an anchor. Marvell lead this pitch originally with only the first of three bolts in the upper business

P3 5.10 nice crack then 5.8r some choss 150’

P4 leave corner to left: 5.9 crack then 5.8r then 5.9/.10r some choss 150’

Stop at bolts under choss corner, 20’ out left is the rap anchor. Rap anchor could be used to belay P5. Both stations are threatened by rockfall by the leader. Use caution here. 

20’ out left is the rap anchor. Rap anchor could be used to belay P5. Both stations are threatened by rockfall by the leader. Use caution here. 

P5: awful, dirty wide 5.9 corner for 60-70’. Leave corner to arete crack at good stance, climb arete crack to blocky roof and some bolts. 5.11 or A0. Some choss. 120’. 

P6: go right across 4 bolts at 5.11+. Some choss at top where it gets easy. Go far right with good foot rail then back left to anchor. 60’

P7: 5.4 choss slabs: go 50’ left and up a little to next slab belay. Pass one bolt along the way. 50’ 

P8: start with runout easy slab (needs a bolt or 2) to visible bolts up slab then corner, then left around arete (hollow flakes, good bolts) then go left to gully ledge. Stop here. 5.10 180’ (only one bolt on ledge)

P9: straight right to a bolt then up strange rock to ledge anchor 5.9. 30’

P10: .11a up to unnecessary anchor, go out right and up to more bolts and strange climbing. 80’

P11: left facing corner hand cracks. Good climbing. 5.10. Take the right fork of the cracks to red roofs, then left side big block to anchor. 80’

P12: go left across face and up bolts. 70’. 5.11+

Pitches 11 and 12 link well. 

P13: go around roof to left then take nice crack system through roofs to summit. 5.10+. Steep hand cracks. 140’

South Face Notch Peak