Bella Vista to Benediction [Linkup]

This is the purest (most obvious) line on these slabs and was recently cleaned from the top down. Jay says the climbing on the top pitch of Bella Vista (pitch 5 that heads left) is better quality. I haven't climbed it yet, but I do enjoy the 5.3-ish (PG/R) finish on Benediction.

P1 110' 5.4 PG: Climb the slab up and right, running it out on friction 25' to the first bolt. Continue weaving upward, following the bolts. At a right-facing corner hop left at a bolt to a stance, and make a semi-hanging belay.

P2 90' 5.5 G 5.3 R: Climb a short vertical crack, then the slab above, moving up and slightly left to a flap. Go over this and up the unprotected slab above to the right side of the headwall. Using the short vertical crack, climb to the right of a steep headwall. Make a belay at the spruce tree.

P3 40' 5.7 PG 5.2 R: Climb up the headwall using a short vertical crack and the face to its left [Benediction variation goes directly up from immediate left of belay tree. It is slightly easier but unprotected]. Walkable slab leads to a slightly steeper end at a spruce tree anchor.

P4 80' 5.3 R: Step right onto the main slab and make a few moves to a bolt, climb a bit more to some gear, then continue up easing slab to a point by a spruce tree on the left. Step into the wooded patch at an oak tree (rap station) and belay.

P5 90' 5.3 PG/R: Step back out right and climb some occasionally unprotected slab to the uppermost rappel anchor.

You can combine Pitches 1 and 2, as well as 3, 4 and 5 with a 70M. It's advisable to have a tag line (second rope) for the rappel. Two 60M will reach Belay 3's rap station, and from there with two 60M to the trees on the left of Pitch 1. You can carefully scramble through the woods or use that last rap (single 60M reaches) to get the rest of the way down. I say it's advisable because I don't recall seeing a rap station on my way down from the top rap until I reached the belay 3 rap. If you find a rap station at Pitch 4's belay, then you would be fine with a single 60M.

Follow Pitches 1-4 of Bella Vista, then top pitch of Benediction.

Trad with bolts