Kaopectate Blues

Located on the sub-dome to the left of the main Columbia Dome, Kaopectate Blues is a crack-climber's dream. The original line started to the right up a long bolt ladder with some aluminum dowels to gain a dike, then traversed horizontally left along the dike (5.10b A1) to gain the upper crack. The free variation starts more directly beneath, and the old 1/4" bolts were replaced with nice stainless 3/8" hardware in 2019. The belay anchors were also upgraded in 2019, and we made a solid effort to excavate decades of dirt that had filled in the crack on P1.

The Domelands guidebook shows this route split up into more short pitches - I will describe our ascent as some of those belays did not make sense to us.

P1) Climb up past an overlap and pass 3 bolts as you smear up and then right to gain the crack which starts out as a seam. Belay at bolts atop a bushy stance. 110' 5.11a

P2)  The goods. Follow the 0.5/0.75-size splitter to a thin move and a ledge, then a long sustained 2" crack to a bolted anchor inside an awkward little pod/alcove. 5.8++ 160'

P3) Long hands to finger splitter with a tips layback crux at the end. The large "loose blocks" in the topo have been removed. Bolted anchor at a ledge, 170' 5.9+

P4) Climb up a chimney, then step left to runout but easy and featured face. Gear belay near the left end of the mini headwall/overlap. 200' 5.7

P5) Probably only 4th class, but slabby and super exposed. We chose to keep the rope on. 100' to a gear anchor atop the sub-dome.

From here, descend by walking off left on slabby ramps towards the brushy gully. Watch for rattlesnakes. 15 minutes or so back down to the base.

Left side of Columbia's sub-dome. Hard to miss. See overview photo on the main page for general location.

Standard double rack to 3". Can't remember if we used a #4 or not, probably optional.