The Obscurist

This is one of the longer continuously vertical routes in the Tahoe region. With finger cracks, thin smearing technical face, awkward and physical stemming, steep hand jams, route finding and thought provoking gear over continuously technical terrain. The gear is all there and nothing is dangerous about the route. Regardless, you'll want to have your skillset finely tuned. If you're at all serious about traditional climbing, this is one in the area you'll really want to get on.

Pitch 1 starts in a steep crusty corner overhang before moving out right into a long section of fingers and liebacks on discontinuous cracks. A thin "point of no return" traverse left across the face past a few bolts puts you on a nice stance before the technicalities begin. The crux is a well protected boulder section which leads to easier terrain out right and finally hand traverses left to the anchor.

Pitch 2 climbs the thin technical arching dihedral on golden granite to an overhanging bulge at it's end with perfect hand jams. Climb into the corner until you can traverse left along a very exposed thin seam to a short vertical corner. At the top of the corner, climb up the face on steep jugs staying slightly left. A few pins and some hidden gear will deliver you to the two bolt belay and a nice little exposed perch.

Pitch 3 climbs up around the corner to the right through some broken 5.8 and a ledge. From here, some 5.9 moves stemming and groveling up a short steep section will lead to the small pine tree on top.

Right of center of the main face on Eagle Rock. Look for the bright orange dihedral arching out right about 200ft up and the start is almost directly below it. Look for the piton with a tag marking the start. Some scrambling to a grassy ledge is required to reach the start.

Rappel the route at any time with 2 60m ropes.

Cams, .5"-2"

Nuts, 1 set.