- Edit (TBD)
Description
Slipper goes up the main right facing corner on the north face of Lambda, then exits on the left.
Pitch 1. Start in a short corner to the right of the main corner. Move to the left at an obvious opportunity only some ten feet up. This is the crux move of the entire climb. Follow the corner with occasional short excursions to the right for easier climbing. Belay after corner makes its first large detour to the right, above the yucca. The pitch is short, but next good belay opportunity is good distance from here.
Pitch 2. The corner becomes much easier for a while, but soon after as the terrain steepens, protection becomes harder to find. Climbing remains in 5.6 range or below, but the rock is covered with lichen in places and somewhat crumbly as well. Pitch ends after the second trip to the right on a comfortable ledge.
Pitch 3. Start to the left by stepping onto the top of the large block the corner has led around. Go up the right side to arete on left, then follow arete. There will be some bushes/trees in the groove to the right of it. Go up several steps, hanging generally left of straight up. Finish either in the clean corner going left or along the wrinkles on the right. Either alternative is protectable.
Alternative, and cleaner, Pitch 3: Go right from Pitch 2 belay and connect trivially to Pitch 3 of We Are Off.
Location
Approach is as for West Face of Lambda, continuing at the level of the tree you step through into the gully north of Lambda. Go for a short distance up the gully. This is easiest close to Lambda.
From the top you can scramble along the ridge westward to a place where scrambling down on the south side is easy. From the bottom of the scramble, go west a bit to the normal way to reach the rap line down Not in Kansas.
Protection
There is no fixed gear of any kind. We used a double rack, but it is probably not essential.
Routes in Lambda
- 1Slipper5.7Trad