Weather Or Not...

After finding that a couple of the other lines that we'd been eyeing had already been done, or at least partially, we settled on this one... and it turned out to be quite an excellent route! It doesn't climb the main section of Warbonnet, but it's nearly as long as the routes that do because of the lack of required 3rd/4th class scrambling at the start. Pitch 3 and 5 are as good as any similar style pitch that I've encountered on my fairly limited ascents of El Cap. I would highly recommend this route!

P-1 This pitch is not the highest quality, but it's not too bad either. It's the only logical way to gain the wall above. Climb up some flake systems interspersed with a short face section to a belay below the prominent orange colored short left angling corner. 5.9 ~ 180'

P-2 Climb the left facing/angling hand & fist crack to a short double crack system. Follow the right one to a ledge and belay. 5.10 ~ 80'

P-3 Climb past flakes and into a fantastic left facing corner ("Drop Of A Hat" diverts left here). The majority of this pitch is wide and requires at least one #5 camelot size piece to protect (if you walk it along like I did). The last portion of the corner is not OW and protects with a normal rack. Good face holds will appear at just the right time... Belay on sloping ledge. 5.10 ~ 90'

P-4 Climb out right onto boulder and continue up the easy corner to a nice flat ledge in the large corner system. 5.8 ~ 60'

P-5 This is an excellent and exciting pitch! Climb out left onto the double crack/flake system that splits the headwall. The flakes are a bit hollow sounding in spots but protect fairly well. Belay on a small flat ledge. I would have had a perfect onsight of this pitch but I opted to clip into a piece in an attempt to pull off a loose flake. 5.10 ~ 120'

Note: It is also possible to bail off right at the start of the crux section; this is what we did the first time up due to the scary flake that I couldn't remove. This variation follows a seam and ends up in the large corner system on another route. Don't go this way if you wanna continue the route.

P-6. Climb the excellent groove/dihedral to easier ground and a belay in the grungy ramp (that leads to top) at the rap bolts. 5.8+ ~ 190'

Finish up the chossy ramp system that leads to the "top" and the standard descent or take the new rap route listed below (better option).

Edit: We developed a rap route down this thing in Aug '12, making it a great half day outing. However, be advised that the rap route does not follow the lower portion of the climb, only the top 2 pitches - see photo.

From top, rap from bolts to top of P-5 and 3 stainless stoppers. Rap from here almost 200' down and climbers right to a set of bolts on another (undocumented) route. From here a shorter rap onto the ledge/chimney feature slightly to climbers left. One more rap from 2 nuts and 2 chockstones to the ground at 200'. Adjust your knot over the edge at this last rap anchor.

On the left side of wall. Start at the highest point of the talus slope.

Standard rack of nuts and double cams up to a #5 or #6 camelot. We had only one #5 camelot, but an older (slightly larger) one would have been perfect on pitch 3.