Causative Striations

This route was written up in the 2016 AAJ:

http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13201213557/Incredulous-Bulk-West-Face-Causative-Striations

We found it to be a little bit crunchy in spots, but otherwise good fun.

The start is a striking splitter corner in a little alcove on the right side of the formation. Here's how we climbed it.

Pitch 1: Steep splitter thin hands! Sweet! 5.11- or maybe more like 5.10, I dunno. Keep going past a short crumbly fingers section (5.10-). Belay on big ledges.

Pitch 2: Long wandering low-angle pitch, 5.7. Generally trend up and right to a ledge belay under some big stacked kinda spooky flakes, just left of the big arete.

Pitch 3: Head up the balancy thin groove (5.10-, small gear) then left out a short hand crack roof/undercling. Continue up hands to a stance belay below a couple splitter cracks.

Pitch 4: Climb the splitter hand crack on the left, then keep going straight up. Careful of a couple loose blocks. Belay or link into the next pitch. 5.9

Pitch 5: Up then step right to a brief offwidth which gains the ridge (5.9). 4th class to the top.

At the summit proper, there is a little 5.8 boulder problem to get onto the very cool and exposed summit block.

To descend, do one rap off the backside to the east into the notch. Climb over a gendarme (4th/low 5th but loose, be careful) to gain the sandy plateau. Head right (towards the Hulk), then ski down dirt slopes back to the base.

The start is towards the right side of the main face of the "Bulk" in a small alcove -- see photo.

Doubles to #3 and one #4.