OG Gothic Pillar (Free)
5.12b YDS 7b French 26 Ewbanks VIII+ UIAA 26 ZA E5 6b British R
Type: | Trad, 1600 ft (485 m), 9 pitches |
FA: | Layton Kor, Ed Webster, Fall 1987. FFA: Sonia Buckley, Adrian Weaver, 4/2022 |
Page Views: | 652 total · 18/month |
Shared By: | Adrian Weaver on May 4, 2022 |
Admins: | Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monty, Monomaniac, Tyler KC |
Description
This is an exposed and dramatic route that climbs the left skyline of the Hooker Buttress and tops out on a small free standing pillar (the Gothic Pillar). The FA of this route, and the entire pillar, was done by Layton Kor and Ed Webster in the fall of 1987. Ed Webster provides a nice, entertaining written account of their ascent in Kor’s book, Beyond the Vertical. Somehow this line was lost/forgotten for nearly 35 years, and it is unclear how many, if any, repeats it has had. In the meantime, several other enjoyable climbs (Sistine Reality, Baroque Down Palace, and Johnathan and Lindsey’s Free Gothic Pillar) have been established nearby. Even though there is another route called “The Free Gothic Pillar”, the line described here is independent and quite worthwhile. The line described here follows the Kor/Webster line for the first six pitches making two minor free climbing variations. From here, the wall becomes a bit ambiguous, and it is hard to tell where the original route goes. In any case, the meat and potatoes of this route are the first six pitches.
Approach
There are two possible approaches to this route. The first option described was used by the FA team and starts with the approaches used on Baroque Down Palace/Free Gothic Pillar.Go down the SOB Gully to the to the river, and head down stream to the Hooker Buttress. From here, multiple scrambling options lead to the lower terrace and then to the upper terrace (~300 feet 4th Class - 5.8 depending on your route). From the left edge of the upper terrace, continue scrambling up and left for several hundred feet more (5.7ish) passing Baroque Down Palace and Free Gothic Pillar. At the edge of the buttress, rappel ~100 feet to the base of the Gothic Gully, just above the point where it cliffs out. Hike up the gully ~100 feet to the start of the route. If you like scrambling, this approach is more enjoyable, and it gets you more climbing. It is however slower, more dangerous, and you must arm a rappel.
The other option is to just go down the Gothic Gully to where it cliffs out and start climbing. I would suggest an alternate start to get into this gully then what is described in the Zeilman guidebook and elsewhere on this site. Hike the trail to the turnoff to Exclamation Point. Continue past the Exclamation Point sign for 250 – 300 paces, then bust off the trail to the left, and go down a loose hill to the gully proper. The key is that you want to pass just to skier's left of a small sandstone band. This gully entrance is more direct, and it avoids two downclimbing sections and some stout bushwhacking. If not, the original gully entrance works fine.
The route starts about 150 feet from the cliffs at the bottom of the gully off some nice grass. It is also probably about 150 feet past the big, white boulder that marks the start of Sistine Reality.
P1 5.4, 50m. Climb or scramble up easy ledges and corners, and belay where the crack gets vertical.
P2 5.10a (.9R), 35m. Follow a crack to a pegmatite band, pass it, then continue up thin cracks and face holds until above a small roof that is to the left of the crack system. Step left above the roof, and climb to a bolt and belay. Above the roof, the aid line traverses right, climbs to an old ¼” bolt belay, and then traverses sharply back to the left to regain the corner system 100 feet higher.
P3 5.11+ (.10 PG13), 45m. An amazing pitch. Climb directly up the shallow, left-facing corner system past a bolt and pin (.11- ) and up into a strange “A frame” feature (.10, a bit spicy). Step left, and do some cool arete slapping (.11+) until you can reach a beautiful finger crack. Follow this past a wedged block to a small stance at the base of a red dihedral. The hard parts are well-protected but a bit run out on easier ground.
P4 5.12 (.11a R), 45m. From here, the aid line steps left to a detached pillar, climbs this, then aids straight up poor cracks and seams (A2-3) to a big roof. The free line climbs straight up the beautiful red corner. When the crack ends stem/face climb past two bolts (.12-) and do a spooky mantel to arrive at a diagonal crack system. Follow the crack for 50 feet with less-than-perfect gear (.11) to arrive at the big roof band. Turn the roof (crux), and face climb up and right to a small, right-facing dihedral with a hand crack. Lieback on up it, and belay on top below a giant pegmatite band. This is a demanding pitch, but it is really good.
P5 5.12-, 45m. Another great pitch. Climb a big flake through the pegmatite band to a stance just above. Do an insecure traverse left to the next crack (avoids a rotten looking chimney). Some burly liebacks (.10+) take you to another stance below a rotten, overhanging corner. Face climb up and left to an overhanging splitter crack on perfect rock (optional belay below the crack). Follow this for ~40 feet (crux), pass another pegmatite band, and belay on a small comfy ledge (the FA team bivied here).
P6 5.9R 60m. A very unique pitch. Face climb up and left to the left edge of a horizontal roof. Undercling traverse 60 feet right. From here, it gets a little ambiguous, and there are probably multiple variations possible. From a small ledge to the right of the roof, we climbed through a short pegmatite band to arrive on a ledge 15 feet above. From here, we traversed this second ledge ~10 feet to the right to a weakness then more or less climbed straight up connecting small corners and cracks aiming for a small, hanging, right-facing corner with some tiny bushes in it. When I was about 10 feet from the corner, I realized that it was formed by what appeared to be a detached block. Here I traversed left and set up a belay on a block that wiggled a bit. This belay is at a good stance about 25 feet above a nice-looking ledge (I couldn’t figure out how to climb to this ledge). Just keep going. You will make it somewhere.
P7 5.10- 65m. Assuming you made it to the wiggly block belay, pull over a juggy bulge, and climb a nice hand crack (.10-) for 60 feet to a ledge with a wild looking, detached rock spike (other variations will probably reconvene at this point). Step left, and climb the corner (.10-) being mindful of the rock spike. Continue up easier ground to a belay on a ledge below a big, bushy chimney.
P8 5.9 65m. Climb the chimney above for a full rope length, and belay on a ledge.
P9 5.9 60m. Climb the chimney above to a giant ledge, then continue up runout face on a blunt arete to the top of the pillar.
P10 5.7 30m. After enjoying the many luxuries offered by the top of the Gothic Pillar, downclimb to the notch (5.5) then up to the rim proper (5.7).
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