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When I first started climbing in American Fork Canyon I didn’t always have a guidebook available. This led to just trying routes without always knowing what they were. Embracing the unknown and just trying routes that looked fun or cool was an interesting way to approach climbing. I wanted this route to remain mysterious but alas, my hand has been forced and now I am posting the relevant information. For about 10 years, I would look at this wall from the Hell Cave area and try to piece together features that might make a complete route to the top. I got a closer look at a section of it out by climbing the Suspect route also.

I bolted this mainly on lead, with a little rap bolting thrown in, over about a week. I then spent about another month cleaning this route. The rock is loose and covered in lichen and moss, so I would recommend a helmet and a good sense of humor and an appreciation for adventure climbing. The pitches are short and go from one good belay ledge to the next. You can probably link some pitches but why bother? Maybe try enjoying the route? I do not want erroneous information  about this route to be disseminated so here you go. The straight dope.

Pitch 1

This pitch climbs up a slab at the beginning and trends to the right. There are some big holds but I wouldn’t recommend pulling on them, stemming around them might be your best option here. Pull onto a ledge and then continue up a dihedral. Pull onto a big ledge with a set of chains and belay here. 80 ft.

Pitch 2

You will immediately be confronted with a huge death block right off the belay. DO NOT PULL ON THIS! Traverse left under the block and pull up onto a slab. Getting onto the slab is the crux. The route continues up to a belay under a large roof. 50 ft.

Pitch 3

From the belay head to the left. A hard move on some slopey holds will lead you into an offset sharp crack feature. Follow this feature straight up for a few bolts to gain a luxurious ledge with a bolted anchor. 50 ft.

Pitch 4

This pitch looks intimidating at first, there aren’t too many holds visible and the exposure has just kicked in. You will be way above the canyon and the river. Traverse left through a few delicate move to gain some good hidden holds. The route goes up and to the right to a little roof. Another scary loose block will be encountered here. You are gonna want to grab it to clip a bolt. Try it, see what happens, I dare you. Navigating through this roof is the crux of the pitch. Once over the roof follow some bolts to the right and around a corner to locate the bolted belay stance. The best 5.7 in the canyon.

Pitch 5

From the belay go straight up. The crux is right off of the belay for the first few bolts on some less than vertical slab terrain. It will require good balance and technical climbing on small holds. If you blow it you will find yourself back on the ledge. This will require some precise footwork. Gain a small ledge after the crux and then follow a crack feature up and to the right. There is a bolted belay on a small ledge here. 5.9

Pitch 6

This is it, the best pitch on the route in my opinion. From the belay head straight up a slab. This is bad rock and isn’t bolted so be careful. At the top of the slab you will be confronted with the crux roof, which is the crux of the whole route. Traverse left under the roof and keep your eyes open for a miraculous hidden pocket. Some trickery may, or may not be involved,  but hey you are adventurous that is why you are up here right? And I would hate to blow your onsight…

From the roof follow increasingly positive hold straight up to reach a bolted belay on a prow with a ledge.

Descent

A single 70 meter rope will get you down in a few rappels. I used two 70’s on the F.A. and did it in two rappels. Be careful rappelling from the top of pitch 4 and over the roof, it is a free hanging rappel so make sure your rope is on the slab before you go over the lip.

Alternatively you could walk off the top of the route to the Forgotten Trails. It is about a 5 minute walk and you will arrive at the bottom of the route “Bumblies in the Dark”.

I would like to thank all the people who helped during the bolting, cleaning, and redpointing of this special route. Also, I would really like to give a big shout out to the assholes who stole my rope and draws off of the first pitch while I was cleaning it. You really inspire all of those who contribute new routes to this canyon to keep our routes and areas secret.

This route is all by itself in the middle of the mossy wall you will first encounter after crossing the river. The bolt line goes up the slab to the right through some lighter rock.

Fully bolted. 16 draws or so, some long slings, a helmet, and a sense of adventure.