Trail Slab - Right Corner

Interesting moves in a variety of rock situations: face/slab + corner/dihedral + arete/ridge.

Three drawbacks:

• breakable rock zone in the obvious direct line of the corner - - >

see Photo

• zig-zag of the route (to avoid the worst of the breakable rock). In Top-Rope mode, need to use directionals to prevent falling climber in upper section from swinging sideways down.

• start is shared with another route (but can be made independent).

directions

: Start same as the route "Right Gully", where the approach trail meets the wall, just right of the small light-colored buttress, on rock which is just left of dirty gully just left of 8-10-ft-high rock.

. . Alternate Start: Alcove under around the left side of the 12-15-ft-high detached flake - which is the real bottom of the left-facing inside corner of this route -- but the obvious approach is a loose dirty scramble . . . however see Variation 1.

Up a ways on rock (staying left of the dirty gully) trending a bit right. When reach the 2nd bolt, traverse horizontal right about 10 feet (just above the loose gully) into an alcove under the left side of a 12-15-ft high detached flake.

. . Variation 1: Shorter instead to aim to get near the main left-facing inside corner 20-30 ft above its base, at the 4th bolt

From the 4th bolt, up the left-facing corner a ways until meet darker jagged rock - [

see Photo

]. This rock segment has some very positive holds, but the hold or a larger chunk of rock could break off - (and just below this segment is a light-colored triangular rock which is sitting unattached). So avoid this segment of the corner. Instead traverse left about six feet, then up a short ways until above the darker jagged rock segment.

. . (It is tempting to try to step right below the dark jagged rock to reach a inverted triangle / sharp pyramid rock about 2 ft high on a ledge. But this rock is loose, and anyway the climbing above it is

much

harder than the main route or Variation 2).

Now see a bolt in the corner on its right wall (above the dark jagged rock) -- with another bolt about 3 feet up right on the arete above the right wall of the corner -- and another bolt about 10-12 ft up in the corner on its right wall.

Choose from two bolted lines . . .

Main route keeps it simpler . . . Continue up in the corner to the higher bolt in the corner then move right onto the arete just above that bolt.

Variation 2: More interesting (and tricky to keep the difficulty from getting higher) to step right around the arete below the lower bolt, and up along the right side of  the arete by the next bolt.

. . . (Perhaps most interesting is to step right to the arete below the lower bolt, then directly up the arete staying left of the next bolt. No single move is harder, but

finding

the holds in combination to avoid harder moves is trickier).

. . . (If doing this Variation on Top-Rope, make sure to set directional protections on the two bolts which are below the top anchor).

One more bolt then finish to two-bolt anchor with ramshorn.

. . If continuing on higher to sector Moynier, the leader can scramble above the top anchor about 25 ft to a tree, which as of 2018 has a static rope attached that could be clipped as an anchor (but then likely still want to belay the followers from the lower two-bolt anchor).

warning

: The rock on and near this route has not been climbed much yet, and some of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber.

Where the approach trail meets the wall, just right of the small light-colored buttress, on rock which is just left of dirty gully just left of 8-10-ft-high rock - (same start as "Trail Slab - Right Gully").

see H on this Photo

10 intermediate bolts for leading up to bolt anchor.

. . . (Bolts + hangers are 304 stainless steel, 3/8 inch, installed 2018).

The line of the bolts zig-zags in the middle, first left then right. This is to avoid dangerous loose rock along the line directly up the corner. To avoid rope drag, the Leader could consider using longer draws just before and after the move left. If climbing on top-rope, could be good to clip the climber's rope through quickdraws placed on those bolts, to guide the climber away from the loose rock.

Top-roping

:

The top anchor is designed so that a belayer on the ground can stand way off to the left, which reduces the chance of getting hit by a loose or breaking rock.

warning

: To reduce the chance of a falling climber on top-rope swinging down sideways, clip the climber's rope through a quickdraw placed on the bolt immediately below and right from the top anchor, as directional protection. If climbing Variation 2, clip the climber's rope through a quickdraw placed on the

two

bolts immediately below and right from the top anchor, as directional protection.

Rope stretch: Because this route is so long, if a climber on top-rope falls near the bottom the could get injured hitting the ground or protruding rock near the ground. The simplest way to reduce this danger is to belay from the top instead of the bottom, and there are other ways.

Top anchor is 2-bolts-connected-with chain, and a "rams horn" ("pig tail") lower-off piece, which is connected to the lower bolt hanger by a small shackle (which has claimed strength of 38 kN / 8500 lb).

. . (Bolts + upper hanger are 304 Stainless steel, 3/8 inch - intalled in 2018.

. . . The ramshorn and shackle are 316 Stainless steel.

. . . Lower hanger, chain, and quick-links are plated steel - installed in 2017).

note: The two anchor bolts are vertically offset, so cannot just connect two quickdraws for lower-off or top-rope as many American sport climbers are accustomed. Consider bringing a sling or climbing accessory cord with one or two carabiners or quick-links.

In case anchor hardware is damaged or missing or otherwise inadequate, recommend to carry a few feet of 8mm climbing accessory cord and at least one quick-link.