The Sword in the Stone

This rock is as good as anything on the Hulk. Amazing rock, amazing climbing. A classic for sure!

pitch 1, 35m (5.10+): Start in a left-facing corner with a crack that opens to #4 & surmounts a bulge, then gets lower angle. Grunt up the crack, using the face holds to make it a bit easier. Continue climbing cracks (mostly less steep) in the stellar corner. Belay at a ledge in the corner. The FA route overlay says this pitch should be 70m, but doing so looked like it required more 3s and 4s than we had, so we stopped here.

pitch 2, 70m (5.10): Continue up stellar corner to its top. Cross to stellar hand crack & climb it. Scramble up blocky 4th class, then belay at a flake after pulling a couple cool moves.

pitch 3, 70m (5.9): Up and left up hand crack, then 4th class to belay.

pitch 4, 70m (5.10): Awesome airy series of cracks! Keep left when you have a choice. Cross crystal band, up wide crack (not too grunty, can be protected with small gear (.4) on the right wall), then traverse right to belay at the base of an amazing steep thin hands splitter.

pitch 5, 40m (5.11-): Climb the amazing splitter, then up and right up the corner. Belay on a big ledge with some loose blocks.

pitch 6, 70m (5.10): Up dubiously glued in flakes on the right (there was a fixed ancient TCU when we climbed it), then climb good rock w/thin but low-angle moves. Belay below a little roof.

pitch 7, 70m (5.10+): Pull little roof, continue up left-facing corner cracks (awesome! sustained). Belay at big ledge.

pitch 8, 70m (5.9): Do a couple short Yosemite-style boulder problems, then 4th class / low 5th up the giant’s ladder. Belay when you run out of rope.

pitch 9, bonus 70m (low 5th): You could solo out, but this gets a little loose and you can make it more interesting if you stay roped. Choose your own adventure to the top.

You’re on top! Have a snack and don’t forget to sign the summit register just a short hike away, with phenomenal views of the sheer rock faces of the mountain.

Descend heinous scree gully down & right back to Crabtree Lake. May require snow gear in early season.

We passed 3 fixed pieces on route - a big nut on p4 and 2 old TCUs later on (p6).

The route heads up the right side of the middle buttress. If coming from the climber's right side of the lake, you will pass a wall of steep soaring splitters before you get to the corner where the route starts. The FA trip report is useful:

highexposures.com/blog/2011…

Double rack from thin to #3 with a single #4 worked for us. Set of nuts. Pitches are long, so bring shoulder slings to reduce drag per usual in the alpine. All anchors are gear anchors.