Salad Days

See Porcupine Creek Wall page for approach directions.  The route starts just right of a short left-trending corner system below a large slab on the center-right side of the formation.  A small, solitary shrubbery exists at the base of the slab (and immediately next to P1 anchors) and makes a good landmark.

The route was originally climbed ground up on very dirty rock without the use of bolts.   This was followed by extensive cleaning, the addition of fixed stations and the development of several variations (some bolted) that avoid circuitous, loose or excessively dirty terrain.

P1 (See beta photo) Easy slab leads to short bolt-protected arete forming right side of left-leaning corner.  Stay right of small, stepped roofs before a somewhat exciting mantle leads back left onto slab above.  5.8 100’

P2 Easy corners lead to obvious flake.   Climb flake ~25’ to just before a horn-like jug.  Make a short, tenuous traverse across the wall to the left using an obvious sloping foot rail.  Keep traversing under steep orange rock to a tightly bolted jug haul that avoids loose blocks. Pass a slung block then 4th-class terrain leads to base of finger crack.  5.9 200’

P3. Very sustained thin finger crack.  Two cruxes, the first right off the anchor, the second just before roof.   5.11-  115’  Gear to 1.75”

After P3 only need a double rack.  Not sure if the following three pitches are hard for 5.8, easy for 5.9 or if I was just tired.  You decide.  Regardless, the next 350’ offers excellent, sustained moderate crack climbing.

P4 Climb into stembox, before it constricts exit right to right-trending crack (ignoring mid-pitch rap station).  When crack peters out avoid heathery weakness to right by climbing straight up past a bolt into small blank-looking dihedral. As dihedral ends stem left to finger crack layback.  There are several mild runouts on this pitch.  5.8/9 135’

P5.  Climb easily up the corner on the far left then continue up excellent cracks ending with a steep layback to an exposed belay perch.  5.8/9 95'

P6. Up corner 15’.  At base of suspect blocks pull out left past bolt to short slab.   Step up left to finger crack in R-facing corner.   Undercling right around large roof then more cracks lead to anchor at base of final slabs. (Alt. at top of short slab step right to nice layback and intermittent cracks - still dirty) 5.8/9 90'

P7 Easy slabs and overlaps lead to ridge crest. Links with P6.  Be mindful of loose rock on this pitch.  Low-5th 85' 

P8 Move belay across exposed 3rd class to base of final summit block (1"-2" cams for belay).  A difficult mantle leads to easier climbing and a very nice summit. Only need 3 draws for lead.  5.9 50'

Rap the route in 10 rappels with a single 70m rope.    P2 and P4 are greater than 35m in length and require the use of mid-stations (chains on P4, slung block on P2). P3 may be a rope stretcher, watch your ends (see beta photo).  Otherwise brave a complex, loose walk off.

•1x 70m rope

•12 mostly alpine runners

•1-2 sets of nuts micro-offsets, sm-lg stoppers

•2x 0.4"

•3x 0.5”-0.75”

•2x 1”-1.75”

•1x 2”- 4”