Magnum P.I.

Done as a single pitch to the anchor, this is simply a good route that needs a little more brushing/cleaning. Done to the top of the rock, this is an adventure climb. The route description, rating, and gear are all accounting for that. If you can not abide by lichen, some minor runouts, wide sections, a little loose rock here and there, and some indistinct terrain, you'll hate it.

If you regularly do FAs or alpine routes, you likely won't notice or mind the detractors and might give it one more star than I did, so as to fall in the center of what might be highly polarized opinions about this route.

To climb this route:

P1. (5.9, PG-13, 90') Start just right of

Petticoat

and down and right of its P1 top anchor. Start up on double cracks with join after a short while, then step left into a crack with a flake in it (crux, a noisy flake), and delicately climb past into thin hands jams and better protection. Climb this more enjoyable crack for a while on good rock and protection... before it degrades into a lichenous and slightly more difficult to protect affair. If the second would bring a brush or scraper, this whole affair could be made nicer in the future. Climb to the ledge directly or place protection and carefully step left to finish the last few feet as for '

Thunderstruck

' and go to the

Thunderstruck

/

Petticoat

anchors and belay. There will be rope drag if you try to continue, but it is possible and with correct rigging of the rope, reasonable to do P2 as part of P1.

P2. (5.8+, 80', PG-13): Ascend a few shallow cracks and seams up a rib of rock left of the obvious gully. The climbing is easy for the first 60'. As a large protrusion on the buttress to the right appears, step right past some bushes and into some flakes and make your way past #3 Camalot and a 1/2" cam (green Alien?) through some funky 5.8+ stuff an onto a sloping ledge. A belay comes from one each 2, 2.5, and 3" cams.

Do not skip this belay.

P3. (5.9+, 130' PG-13): From the belay, work out and right past a horizontal (good pro) and into a corner just out of view. Pass an old raven's nest (2' stick pile), and place a 5" cam overhead and out right. Make sure it is solid. Now climb a 'classic' 5.9+ section of rock that will likely be rattly fists, or stacks, to reach through the roof and up into... the offwidth. If you brought a #5 C4 Camalot, get that out and start using it. If you didn't... well, it's only 5.8 O.W.

Climb up and onward. You can finish either left of the gully, or right of it. Protection and climbing moves either way are moderate.

From the top left, a short section of climbing (belay recommended for both parties) reaches the anchor that the right finish goes directly too, although by a wandering path.

To descend:

1. Rap directly off of the back of the rock from the sling anchor (length unknown) and bushwhack back to the base somehow.

2. Rap Westward from the sling anchor (newly replaced 4/2012) for 34 meters (a 70m rope is really recommended) to a good ledge that is considerably west of the initial rap. The rope pulls easily to here. A 5 meter section of 3rd class takes you down and Eastward to a second sling/horn rap (newly replaced as of 4/2012). Rap down that for 35 meters (70m rope REQUIRED) into a deep and mossy gully to a bushy shelf. Pull the rope there and downclimb 4 meters of 5.4 to the ground proper. You are 40 meters West of the base of the climb now.

This route starts just right of

Petticoat

in a crack system, perhaps 6 meters to the right.

The first pitch goes on stoppers and cams from small to 2.5". The upper pitches require filling out the rack to at least 4.5" (old school #4 Camalot, or better yet, a new #5 "C4"). A piece wider still is optional and actually a good idea if you don't like running out 5.8+ OW. Take lots of slings.

In case the anchors are aged, or you get off route on the descent, also take 20' of cordalete or webbing and a knife to replace/back-up/supplement the existing anchors. We replaced the completely rotten slings up top with a single cord on 4/7/12, but that will need backed up as it ages.

A 70m rope is NECESSARY for the raps as we did them, back to the NW base.