The Ecstasy of Gold

This route shares several start pitches of Ikigai before splitting off to chase the gold of the aesthetic Golden Shield Headwall. A single crack splits the face before becoming a solid golden thin flake that peters out just in time to join golden double dykes on immaculate granite.

While climbing Ikigai, I couldn't take my eyes off this shield of stone and became obsessed with the rock quality and the possibility of a free route, hence the route name The Ecstasy of Gold. The name also comes from an amazing track on the soundtrack to The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.  A few other route pitches and features come from the soundtrack, too.

Note: pitch lengths are my best guess and should not be relied upon for rapping. 

Start on Ikigai for P1 through P3.

P1: 5.10a, 100'. Crux off the ground to the top of a chock stone. Easy scrambling leads to the back of the chimney and a bolt. Stem up passed three more bolts to a two-bolt anchor.

P2: 5.11b, 70'. Scramble up the gulley for 20 ft, then head up a short section of face to an awkward mantel to a ramp. Follow the ramp up and right passed another bolt to the base of the left-facing dihedral. Jam the widening hand crack in the dihedral (5.10), then step down and left to a two-bolt anchor on a good ledge.

P3: 5.11b, 80'. The Seam. Climb up easy terrain passed a couple bolts (5.10a to 5.11a, height dependent). Continue up 5.9 cracks protected by medium-size cams to a ledge. Tip toe up the technical seam passed  five more bolts (crux) to a decent sloping belay.

The next two pitches divert from Ikigai's Dave Slab pitches.  It is also possible to climb the Dave Slab pitches.  Choose your fate.

P4: 5.7R or 5.9, 90'. Head straight up into the right-facing, right-trending dihedral to a #5 BD layback (5.7R since I'm sure you don't want to bring your #5 BD just for this pitch) or sneak out right on a thin flake (5.9) to a two-bolt anchor on a ledge.

P5: 5.11a, 90'. Continue up the right-trending dihedral into a juggy golden chimney that becomes a cool face, Cut hard right along a ledge to join back with Ikigai above the mantle move.  Heads up here for the second.  Even though it's easy climbing, it would be a big swing.

P6: 5.12a, 80'. Climb Ikigai's crux pitch, hand size gear leads to steep bolted face to a two-bolt belay on a good ledge.

P7: 5.11a, 90'. Zig Zag Pitch. From the right side of the belay, climb an easy right-facing dihedral. Cut left through a golden bulge (crux) passed two bolts to easier terrain. Cut hard left and down dyke system to a bolt. Pull onto the ramp, clip another bolt, then downclimb 10' until it is possible to climb left into a left-facing dihedral (5.10+ awkward). Continue up the finger and hand crack to the top of the pillar to a two-bolt belay next to the trapped death block that protrudes over the pillar.  Cool ledge.

P8: 5.11b, 100'. Climb under the roof and exit on the left into powerful laybacking (crux, exposed) passed bolts to a right-leaning ramp that leads to a good ledge at a left-facing corner.  

P9: 5.9, 100' Continue up Ikiga (5.9 steep), then head way right and up to a lone bolt that leads to an easy (5.5) downclimb ramp then a 5.9 step across to the right to gain Inseguimento Ledge.

Rap Note: It is possible to do a ~190’ rap from Inseguimento Ledge down and climber’s left to a two-bolt anchor on the far (climber’s) left of a long ledge. 30’ down and climber’s left is the anchor on top of P6. This anchor can be skipped to join the anchor on top of Ikigai’s P5.

P10: 5.11c, 100'. From Inseguimento Ledge, Layback to gain the crack (11a), through fingers and hands until it's possible to step right onto a cool dyke ledge.  Continue up and right into a thought-provoking corner (crux) to a ledge followed by more hard climbing (11a).  At the big hollow flake, either head straight up passed a bolt to link into P11, or skip the bolt and belay out left above a bush.

P11 5.11b: 80' Climb the large hollow flake to a thin finger crack to a bolt (5.11a) into a left-facing dihedral (medium sized gear).  As the dihedral starts to cut right, continue straight up and left (bolts) to enter the Golden Shield Headwall (crux) to a two-bolt anchor on a sloping ledge. 

P12: 5.11a, 70'. Can be combined with P13, although you may want all the gear for this.  Straight up passed a bolt leads to thin technical gear climbing to a two-bolt belay just before the crack cuts hard right.

P13: 5.11d, 110'. Fun, easy climbing along the right-trending low-angle dihedral passed a couple bushes leads to cool fingers as the crack turns vertical then to tips (crux) and maybe a medium size piece before a two-bolt anchor at a stance.

P14: 5.12b, 130'. Walking on Sunshine. Start up the crack on the left (bolts), then hard right to gain a thin crack (crux, bolts), up to a ledge below a prominent roof.  A medium size cam followed by a tips/finger size cam up to the roof.  Layback out the roof to more glorious laybacking on immaculate golden granite passed a couple bolts leads to thin and medium gear then more bolts to a cool flake change to a two-bolt anchor at a good stance.  Amazing pitch.

P15: 5.12a, 90'. The Trio. Just you and two dykes.  Climb the golden double dykes, eventually escaping left to a two-bolt anchor on a good ledge at the top of the Golden Shield Headwall.  Another stellar pitch.

Lower angle climbing to the top.

P16: 5.10, 90'. Straight up (bolts) just right of a bottoming crack.  As the bottoming crack cuts right passed a bad bolt, head up and left passed a bolt (5.9) to a short crack to gain a good belay on top of a prominent pillar on the skyline.

P17: 5.9, 130'. Head straight up and left to a high first bolt to join a long dyke.  Follow the dyke up until it's possible to step right (bolt) to join an easy hand crack straight up then curves left.  Climb straight up the face (bolt) to a two-bolt anchor on a good ledge.

P18: 5.7, 60': Climb either of two cracks straight up to a bolt, then step left to join a left-facing corner with fingers and hands to a nice ledge and two-bolt anchor.

P19: 5.4R, 180'. Continue straight up and trend left to join Ikigai on a big ledge.  Easy climbing leads up to the summit tree of Ikigai.

From the Charlotte Creek Camp, hike about 1 mile to a climber's trail (36.768106,-118.473115). Follow the cairns, eventually joining a steep, dry creek bed.  At the top, cut left to join the main gulley that terminates the right side of the entire Bubbs Creek Wall.

12 - 14 draws/slings, single rack from blue metolius (green alien) to #3 BD with an extra one or two .3’s and an extra .4. Nuts could be useful, but we didn't place any.