Long Live The Chief (free var. Hail To The Chief headwall)

Currently this is an adventure route.*

We did not fix lines and just went for it so expect a fresh experience.

Climb the first seven pitches of Hail To The Chief. Ratings for those pitches are 9, 10-, 11-, 10, 11, 9+, 7 fuzzy wuzzy. At start of pitch 6 traverse right clipping bolt. Go around blunt arête and climb gonger flakes (5.7) back to join original line.

From the giant ledge atop pitch 7, after moving belay to base of pillar. Climb up a ways then around left side of pillar. "The finger" Once around climb towards the huge block that is in the right gaping crack above. Belay up under block where smaller gear is available and is safe from above. Save the 5 & 6 for the next pitch. 9+

Climb over left side of block and engage flare utilizing a range of techniques. You will pass an old aid ladder (upper north face Rowell/Macdonald 6/1962) the last bolt on this old ladder serves as a fine directional to keep the rope from going deep. Next, you will have to wiggle through a Harding Slot sort of affair. Once out of the womb, move left a few feet and fire up #6 crack to anchor ledge. Exhale. This pitch is probably more like 10+ or 11-.  Really steep.

Thanks to Kevin Deweese and Steve Bosque for putting up Hail To The Chief and then telling me about it. The work they did was a lot!! Much appreciated.

Located on the West Face of Lower Cathedral Spire. Follow approach for Higher Spire. Start is located in an obvious corner to the left of obvious fractured roof system.

Rack we took for entire route:

One 000 tcu

Two 00 tcu’s

One set totem basics

One set offset aliens (very very helpful)

Two sets C4's to #4

One each C4 #5, #6

Solid set offset nuts down to small.

8 shoulder length slings

4 ten inch draws