Talk Me Off The Ledge

A worthwhile alternate finish to Suicide Slab’s 4th/5th pitches.

Follow the route description for Suicide Slab. On the 3rd pitch, instead of trending up and right to the chains, belay at the first bolt after the small roof. This bolt has been backed up with a piton.

P1: Climb up and right from this alt belay and clip the last bolt of Suicide Slab’s P3, but instead of moving right to the chains continue up the crack/seam to the steep roof above. Trend a little bit right when you reach the overhang and clip a piton. Surprisingly good holds, hand jams, and pro take you up the short, crack to an airy/juggy pull over the lip of the roof. After the roof look left for a bolt on the low angle rock and continue up from there to a large ledge and a 2 bolt anchor. (.10b or like V2?).

P2: From the anchors climb up and right up low angle rock/arete between 2 gullies. The rock is decent. There is limited pro, but the climbing is easy. Sling some trees if you can. Belay on a tree at the top of the gully just right of the arete you are climbing. (5.easy R).

Thanks to Pete Van Slooten and Sam Huntoon for putting up Suicide Slab and providing access and inspiration for this. Don’t think I’d have ever seen this line without their hard work on that route.

Descent: Scramble off the backside of the ridge back down to the base of the south ridge or continue up the south ridge to the summit and hike down the East Ridge.

Follow the route description for Suicide Slab. On the 3rd pitch, instead of trending up and right to the chains, belay at the first bolt after the small roof. This bolt has been backed up with a piton.

The route itself goes through the furthest right, overhanging hand crack in the large roof above Suicide slab’s 3rd pitch.

Single rack to 4 will work. However, I placed 2 BD #1s and a BD #4 in the roof itself. Be mindful of the slab below the roof if you fall.

*edit: The piton in the roof was placed on lead for the ground-up FA when the crack above was unprotectable due to a large, chalked piece of rock in the crack. We cleaned the crack out on rappel and better pro became available for the FFA, deeming the piton less necessary. The bolt and anchor above the roof were added later to avoid having to belay off of and climb through the sap-covered tree.