Mines of Moria

The king line of the Gremlin Cave Wall. Ascend right next to the cave in an adventure that tests you in all the ways Ramshorn does best: patience, technical ability, crimp strength, and composure under exposure. The character is defined by a blend of satisfying chert/fossil holds and bulletproof grey edges. Tops out slightly above the Ramshorn Canyon Main Wall and gives a great view of the canyon.

P1 - The entrance pitch: 5.10, 9 bolts, 20m

Follows a concave face into a weakness that ends at a very pleasant belay ledge with a specimen whitebark pine. Though short, this pitch is quite varied, with some thoughtful face moves lower and even a couple finger jams in the seam.

P2 - The cave pitch: 5.10+, 19 bolts, 37m

Starts with some 5.9 slab rambling, launches into a steeper (near vertical) bulge with surprising jugs right over the lip of the cave, and finishes with a long technical run to a semi hanging belay. Be gentle down low to avoid "mining" any loose rock. Rock quality improves dramatically when leaving the cave.

P3 - The money pitch: 5.11+, 18 bolts, 36m

Long and engaging. The crux of the route consists of piecing together a thin 3 bolt sequence right off the belay deck. For the remainder, have patience and steal rests where you can... Although it eases off slightly, you can't turn your brain off until the chains. 

P4 - The view pitch: 5.10-, 12/13 bolts, 25m 

At long last, the climbing breaks out of the shadow of the main wall, exiting the mines and heading back into daylight. Some creative left/right wandering will help see you to the top (this pitch has 2 sets of anchors, see descent for topout options).

Left of the cave. For the full approach to the cave, see route topo and approach description for the Gremlin Cave Wall.

There are 2 options:

1: Do a short rappel/downclimb off the back of the fin and walk off north to climbers right. This descent is actually quite pleasant, as years of decomposed pine duff hold the scree in place. If descending in this manner, leave extra gear at the base of the main wall to avoid walking back up to the cave. On the last pitch, climb over the top to the 2nd set of anchors to belay the follower. Use the 1st set for option 2.

2: Rappel the route. A 70m ROPE IS REQUIRED, knot your ends! The rappel is not recommended if windy... 50/50 your rope will get stuck. It is best left as a bail option, or if you plan to only climb the lower two pitches and avoid the 5.11 grade.