Medicine Man

Medicine Man highlights the incredible friction slab and delicate knob climbing available at Calaveras Dome. Primarily a face climb, MM follows a line up the left side of the North Face Apron. This route offers impressive exposure and a superb position over the Mokelumne River. All of the crux climbing is bolt protected. (5/16" buttonheads)

Approach:

The route begins in the Kool World Area, located immediately right of the War of the Walls Buttress. Medicine Man starts just right of a left-arching finger crack (Layin’ On The Hands, 8+). Look for a thin crack leading into a bolted face.

P1: Climb a thin crack that ends below a bolted face. Mantle and move left through three overlaps to a bolted anchor. 3 bolts. 10d. 70'.

P2: Delicate friction and thin knob climbing leads through a bolted face to a dike stance. Continue through easier but runout terrain to a bolted anchor. 3 bolts. 11a. 80'.

P3 & P4 Link easily.

P3: Move left into a layback corner and climb to a bolted anchor/tree belay. 9. 50'.

P4: Layback and undercling out the sweeping dihedral/corner to a hanging bolted belay in an overhanging corner. 2 bolts. 10d. 70'.

P5: The French Connection. A free and french-free bolt ladder leads to a bolted anchor at Shaman Ledge. A few fun mandatory free moves make it more than just an aid ladder. Goes all free at 12d/13a. 13 bolts. A0. 100'.

Shaman Ledge connects the base of Pill Bottle Pillar. Continue up the left side of Pill Bottle Pillar to finish Medicine Man. Traverse right past one bolt to reach the base of Shaman (.11), which ascends the right side of the pillar.

P6: Friction and thin edges lead off the belay. Follow thin face moves into a shallow left-facing dihedral and up to a bolted anchor. 5 bolts. 10b. 100'.

P7: Fun moves past two well-spaced bolts lead up and right through knobby terrain. Keep an eye out for hard-to-spot bolts that head left. Climb left onto the beautifully exposed slab to a bolted anchor. Great pitch. 8 bolts. 10d. 120'.

P8: Head straight up through knobs and dikes. The second half of the pitch is runout on easy (.6) terrain. 4 bolts. 9+. 155'.

Rap the route with two 60m ropes or move left and rap War of the Walls.

Two 70m ropes can reach from the top of P5 at Shaman Ledge to the top of P1.

R1: P8 to P7. 155'.

R2: P7 to P5. 155'.

R3: P5 to P2. 155'.

R4: P2 to ground. 155'.

Single rack from 0.3" to 2.5"

14+ draws.