Mystical Mushroom Tour

Climb to the ledge on the left side of the big perched block. Traverse left (West) horizontally and duck low to cross sloping dirt ledge with spiky tree stump over the top of the corner dihedral . Optional to set up belay anchor either at left side or a few feet higher above top of corner dihedral (to break the route into two pitches for better communication and rope management). . (Variation: Instead of traversing horizontally, diagonal up left to meet the arete higher up. Fewer climbing moves, easier management of belay rope).

Then up the arete which forms the right edge of the upper Tower Wall (which is the Manticore Upper Arete ). Avoid a more difficult (5.6) section on the crest of the arete by going to the right side of the arete, next up a little, then move across to an interesting crack on the left side of the arete, by means of a tricky step on sloping rock. Up that crack, then slab footwork to a tree anchor (nice for top-roping other routes), or to the top of the cliff.

warning: The rock on and around this route has not been climbed much yet, and much of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber.

. . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2015. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).

The "mushroom" is the larger and lower of two substantial rocks resting on top of the main south-facing wall of the Sunny Picnics base area.

About 30 feet Right (east) from the Picnics Dihedral (which is the junction of the wider South-facing wall of the Sunny Picnics area with East-facing wall which forms the Right end of the Tower Wall).

As of 2015 there is a large fallen tree on the rock ten or fifteen feet to the right.

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Standard trad rack. Double rope technique might help for protecting the folowers on the traverse without too much rope drag. Or could break it into two pitches.