Waves of Emotion

Make sure to bring your bag of tricks cuz this ain’t no rinky-dink sport climb. With incredibly varied angles and style, ‘Waves of Emotion’ will make you experience exactly what it’s name implies. Due to the character of the route it does have some runout sections, but generally not over anything harder than 5.10 terrain.

The route starts on the toe protruding from the wall near the lowest part of the snowfield (to the right of The Fellowship). It’s recommend to climb off the snowfield and belay the first pitch from the small ledge below the base of the large, right facing corner.

Pitch 1, 5.10-

Climb up the corner or on the rib up to a small ledge and clip the first bolt. Make your way through a bit of a deceptive section leading to fun easy climbing up and left. Bolted belay.

Pitch 2, The Wave of Anxiety, 5.12-

Easy climbing through chert and cracks leads to a step-across a slab and a small inset corner at the base of the steep headwall. Climb through a cryptic crux to gain the midsection of the headwall. Another hard-to-read crux guards easier climbing before a final bulge. After the bulge, climb up and left to a welcoming belay after a long pitch.

Bolted belay, runner things well.

Pitch 3, The Mega Slab, 5.12-

Sharpen thy mind and stretch thy calves.

Embark up this epic pitch by climbing left and up to a high first bolt, then briefly join up with The Fellowship for two bolts. It is highly recommended to use standard alpine draws on bolts one and two, and a double length (48”) sling on bolt three. Above bolt three make a bit of a scary and committing step-over left to a sloping foot rail. From here, 5 bolts of amazing and sustained friction climbing lead up to and over a small overlap. Now at half way, continue up excellent easier climbing for what seems like an eternity eventually leading to a grassy ledge at the edge of The Ice Cream Parlor. A crazy long pitch (67.5m?!). Runner things well, bolt belay.

From the belay, walk up onto the ledge and back into the crazy cave.

Pitch 4, The Cave of Uncertainty, 5.11

Where am I? Is that really 5.11? Where’s the ice cream? You may ask yourself these questions while standing at the base of this pitch. Start at the back of the cave and at the bottom of the obvious weakness. Lean across to gain the crack and climb up and right eventually surmounting the first large feature (it’s nice for belaying and rope drag if the first bolt is back-cleaned). Foot traverse right until you can cross over the large corner feature and onto the steep face. Fire a short and tricky crux leading to easier climbing up the dihedral to a semi hanging belay. Bolt belay. Note: The large crack at the start of the pitch and sections of the cave seep early season and after heavy rain but can be climbed through.

Pitch 5, 5.10-

Climb up the fun face eventually crossing a small ledge system up and left to the base of a small tower feature. Make your way to the top of the tower to a bolted belay.

Move the belay over the top and off the tower to the large ledge. Belay unanchored slightly down and right below a lone bolt.

Pitch 6, 5.6

Climb up the short face past the lone bolt trending to the right and around the corner. Stay slightly right to cross over the first rib feature then move up and left up the obvious low angle chimney to another bolt. Exit the chimney just up and right of the bolt and continue straight up a longish section of 4th and easy 5th class, aiming for a short crack (anchors should be visible above the crack). Climb up the short crack past a bolt to a bolted belay. Be wary of loose rock.

Pitch 7, The Sexy Slab, 5.10+

Climb up easy ground off the belay to the first bolt. Make your way up and left through flake features then up and right below a small overlap. Eventually cross up and over the overlap and through a small crux. Continue trending up and right to a step-over to join a cool crack/seam system. Climb thought a few more tricky sections eventually easing in difficulty. Move up and right over a few short steps to a belay on a slabby ledge. Bolted belay, a runner here and there is nice.

Pitch 8, 5.9

Make easy moves up and left off the belay onto an easy slab leading to a short dihedral. Climb the interesting dihedral to easy ground leading to a bolted belay just to the left of a small tree.

From here walk up and over the feature and up the final hill to the summit of Ross! To descend, see the descent description on the main Ross Peak page.

The route starts on the toe protruding from the wall near the lowest part of the snowfield (to the right of The Fellowship).

11 quickdraws, 8 alpine draws, a double length (48in) sling for pitch three, and a 70m rope (anything less will come short!). Double ropes needed to rap. Wear your helmet as there are often mountain goats around that can cause rockfall.