Northeast Face (Original Route)

Old-school chimney adventure! This may be described more accurately as spelunking than climbing.

Pitch 1: Hope you like wide climbing! First pitch has twin offwidth cracks in the back of a wide chimney. Near the top you'll need to commit to one or the other, and neither will seem particularly appetizing. Left crack goes at 5.9 PG-13 (thin, sketchy pro) while the offwidth roof on the right goes at burly 5.10 (solid 4-5" pro). The belay is a slung mushroom. (5.9 PG-13, 120 feet)

Pitch 2: Head right up a right-leaning ramp of pure choss and enter another chimney. Squirm through a wondrous tunnel and wiggle upward to a big ledge. Lil boulder problem thrown in at the last step. Walk all the way to the back of the big ledge and belay at the base of yet another chimney. (5.8, 70 feet)

Pitch 3: Yay, more chimney climbing! This one's the best yet. About halfway up, you may be tempted onto the left wall by an incredible splitter fingercrack. Do it! There's a juggy roof traverse to get back into the chimney. From the top of the chimney (optional belay), climb blocky handcracks to the summit. (5.8, 110 feet)

P3 variation: The tasty overhanging corner about 50 feet left of the main chimney. Scary to get into, but great jamming and laybacking on the upper half. Spectacular position. (5.10)

Descent: Two-bolt chain anchor located on a bench on the north side of the tower, about 25 feet below the summit. Straight down to a tree-covered ledge, about 100 feet. Another 100-foot rappel from a slung tree (new cordalette as of 10/2017) deposits you at base of Deepthroat. (Haven't had enough chimneying for one day?? Give it a ride!). From here, either traverse north along the ledge until you can scamper down (arduous scrambling to get back to your packs) or roll the dice by slinging one of the frail-looking bushes that would allow you to rap straight down into the recess where you left your packs. *With two ropes, the second rappel gets you from the tree anchor back to your packs. Much easier than the options above, and highly recommended.

This route starts in a recess/amphitheater on the left side of the north face. See phototopo.

Single rack to 5" 6" piece useful Be warned that the second and third pitches travel chimneys with sparse pro. The age-old question: do squeeze chimneys count as runouts? You decide!