Muir

I did this climb decades ago and the write-up is virtually word-for-word from what I wrote in Appalachia, June 1972 (as was copied, with permission from me, by Peterson for his Cannon guide, and later "adopted" in "Secrets of the Notch".) A more modern description can be found in Jon Sykes' guidebook "Beyond the Notches".This is one of the few climbs that has actually tried to kill me. While on the traverse ledge (I forget exactly which ledge, P5 or P7) I encountered a 7ft high, 4ft square on base, pyramid-shaped boulder blocking the way. A pine tree grew behind it. It was going to be a scratch-and-wrestle job to pass behind, while simply grabbing the front and swinging around would be easy. A friend, Dave Isles, had warned me "about the lose blocks on the final traverse", so I went behind. On the other side I asked "Was the struggle worth it?" A gentle push sent the 3000-4000lb block crashing down the mountain with much "brimstone" smoke! Amen !Pitch lengths reflect the ropes of the day.1) Start just left of a small buttress about 200 yds (?? maybe less) south of the W-G. Climb in a diagonal on friction slab for 130 ft to belay below a steep wall. 130-140 ft 5.2 2) Move right onto more difficult friction and traverse right, descending a little to belay on the right side of a fractured gully. 70 ft 5.4-5.5 little pro 3) Easily up the right side of the gully; move right 25 ft at the top (pin ?still there??)up 10 ft then back left 25 ft to belay 70-80 ft4) Move left into the "yellow gully" (sandy rock for 20-25 ft). Now climb lose, scary, stacked blocks and flakes (still there?? after 40 years??) to the top of the gully, at the top move right 20-30 ft to a grassy ledge. 80-90 ft 5.4-5.55) Traverse right on a ledge 100 ft, move up ("just beyond a bush" ?! ) to a stance on an inclined slab which is 30 ft to the left of a prominent, open-book , watercourse gully. 130 ft 5.46) Move left 25 ft over 5.4-5.5 rock to a strenuous crack which is climbed 10 ft to easier ground. 40 ft 5.77) Move up on easy ground traversing right to trees 100 ft ("beware lose blocks")8) Move right to a corner; around this on the lower of two sidewalks ("beware lose blocks"). Climb a section of fractured rock to gain the Whitney Gilman ridge above the pipe pitch.

Start on friction slabs about 200 yds(?) south of the Whitney Gillman. [May be less than 200 yds] You want to be on the slabs left (south) of the minor buttress left of the W-G.

Std rack