Unknown

This route isn't brand new (I've seen the bolts here for a few years at least) but isn't in any guidebook I own. It provides a better way to get to the good climbing on the North Face route (avoiding the low-angle 5.7 bush-filled corner).

The route starts from the same bench as

Hound Dog

. Scramble up and left (5.0) on blocky ground to the base of a slightly less than vertical face with several thin cracks. You encounter a bolt as soon as you arrive on the ledge. It doesn't protect much -- perhaps the intention was to start the route here, making this a belay bolt. Regardless, head up the thin cracks with a mix of face moves and fingerlocks. It is possible to stem off the blocky wall left of the face, which drops the grade significantly. After ~30' the cracks pinch off, and two bolts pull you right, onto the face (10a).

The route merges with the

North Face

after these two bolts, at a small ledge. There is a 2-bolt lowering anchor here, but you should just clip it and keep going up. The next ~35' of

North Face

is fun crack climbing with another spot of 10a.

The next ledge has a similar 2-bolt lowering anchor. I lowered from here, all the way to the ground. My 60m rope was barely long enough to do this --

tie a knot in the end!

I stemmed to the left wall a few times the first time up this route, making the cracks feel about 5.9. On a second lap, I tried sticking to the main face, and felt it upped the grade to solid 5.10, particularly when you consider hanging out to place the gear. I actually think it is a better climb if you do this. I'll leave it at 10a -- the difficulty of the face moves -- but recommend avoiding the left wall as much as possible without it being contrived.

Starts at the same bench as

Hound Dog

and the

North Face

, and merges with

North Face

about 60' up.

"Standard rack", but I don't recall placing anything bigger than a red Camalot (including the finish on

North Face

). Mostly, the route ate up stoppers and finger-sized cams.