Wooden Ships

Wooden Ships is a special route in a special setting. Established as a memorial route to George Gardner, who passed away on the Grand in 2008.

With some high quality sections of climbing throughout, this is a line worthy of more traffic from proper suitors. The crux pitch is a bit ‘go for it’ with solid climbing above tricky or absent gear placements, but the majority of the climb protects well. The last pitch finishes at the “Step Across” move on Wall Street, feeding seamlessly into the Upper Exum route.

 P1. (5.7) Fairly nondescript, moderate climbing leads through dark rock to a large ledge above. Belay near a small flake below a small roof/overlap feature where dark rock meets light rock.

P2. (5.10- R) Kind of a cryptic pitch. Steep, crimpy climbing leads through the left edge of the small “roof.” Above this, traverse hard right for a few body lengths on good feet and continue up black rock to a mantle move on the face above. Continue up light colored rock and belay near the base of a prominent, arching wide crack.

P3. (5.9+) Follow the wide crack as it graduals eases off into a 5.8 corner. Belay on a small ledge below another prominent corner that leads to the Step Across move on Wall Street.

P4. (5.7) Climb this excellent corner and belay at the base of the Golden Staircase on the Upper Exum. Continue to the summit via the Upper Exum or reverse the Wall Street approach to descend.

Two options:
Approach as for Wall Street (Upper Exum). Once in the Wall Street Couloir, descend downward, further into the gully, eventually gaining a large ledge (skiers left) and follow this ledge to a prominent memorial cairn near the base of the route.

Approach as for the Lower Exum. Wooden Ships begins on the same enormous ledge system approximately 300-400' or so past (uphill and climbers left) of the first pitch of the Lower Exum. Start just downhill of the chorten.