The 'long' trad classic of Pine Creek, with lots of hand cracks and variety. A bit of crumbly and/or hollow rock in several spots (including the crux).

Rites of Spring

Cake Walk

Inspector Wedget

Kakaw

Friendly Faces Everywhere

Another Summer

Inspector Downside

South Park

Upside Downside

The Lizard Lounge

Armando's Stilletto

Astrolamb

Plot Twist

Another Summer is a two pitch variation to Rites of Spring. Climb the first two pitches of Rites of Spring and when climbing the third pitch cut left out of the obvious roof (careful of loose blocks here), head over and straight up the crack/seam to a small stance and a gear belay (5.11b). The fourth pitch follows the very obvious crack straight up at first, followed by a hand traverse and then straight to the top following the obvious crack/seam and then some face climbing to a two bolt belay which is also the final belay for Rites of Spring (5.12a). Rappel with two ropes.

The improbable looking seam you’ve probably rapped past adjacent to the 3rd pitch of Rites of Spring.  From the top of the 2nd pitch of Rites, climb 20 ft of the Rites pitch with long slings then reach right to clip the 1st bolt. Consider back-cleaning the highest one or two pieces out left. Down climb el cap style till you’re on top rope and ready to tackle the crux entry exam. Boulder into the seam then get your enduro lie back on past the two entry bolts. Tricky moves get you into the enduro crack which is the bulk of the route.  This pinches eventually to a micro cam and a slab exit to a rest. Recoup and sustain through the final 12- bolted section and fun moves out right to a crack and the chains. Hold on and be smart with those feet. Good luck!

PITCH 1: 10b 70m: Link the first two pitches of Rites of Spring or do Free Beaks 12b into  Belly of the Beast 12d for the hard girl version. Ledge with 4 bolt anchor.

PITCH 2: 12a 40m: Head right into commiting but well protected 11d liebacking (Wrongs of Spring 11d in the new guidebook) that ends at a full stance rest.  Milk it then set off into steep hand jams and a punch it thin section to another full rest followed by more glory hands up a pillar to a 2 bolt anchor at a ledge.

PITCH 3: 11+ 30m: Have the belayer hang low off the left bolt and let the leader use the right one to protect the 11+ boulder problem off the stance.  Small gear can be found mid boulder problem but is hard to place.  Ignore the bolt up and out right (A0) and continue up the well protected 10a corner above. At the second roof look for a downward face traverse protected by 3 bolts out right.  It looks wild but goes at a fun and interesting mid 11 and ends at a nice hand crack.  Protect high for the follower and end at a two bolt anchor at a stance.

PITCH 4: 12c 35m: Head straight right, a bit of gear gets you to the bolt protected 12+ boulder problem which ends at a splitter crack.  Pump your way up the nice cupped to thin hands single and double cracks to a one bolt 10+ boulder move to the anchors at a hanging stance below the big roof.

PITCH 5: 12c 15m: For the last two pitches all you need is a single set of micro cams to #2 so leave everything else at the anchor.  Climb right under the roof placing gear off the belay then clipping the 1st of 4 bolts.  Get your try hard on and navigate right then up and out the roof at a weakness clipping bolts as you go.  Rest at a stance and place a small piece or two and crack climb to small ledge with 2 bolt anchor.

PITCH 6: 12c 30m: Pumpy sport crack climbing takes you up the incredible leftward feature through several boulder problems to some interesting arete moves.  Surf the satisfying and easy arete to a glorious ledge and 2 bolt anchor.

DESCENT: 6 raps with one 70 meter and knots in the end. Rap the route skipping the anchors above pitch 5.  Do a straight down rap from the top of pitch 4 to a ledge with a two bolt anchor.  WARNING: Don't use these anchors due to potential to pull rock off during the pulls.  Instead swing left to the top of pitch 3 for a clean pull. From there rap straight down to anchors on ministry wall.  You can NOT rap pitch 2 with a 70 and it Leans too much.  We're going to go back at night and clean up the straight down rappels.

Arete to blocky ledge to improbable face. The upper face looks like 5.12 slab from the ground!

Inspector Downside is the obvious linkup of Inspector Wedget into Upside Downside. It combines all of the former with the best and hardest climbing of the latter.

Climb Inspector Wedget but instead of clipping the anchor, step right and clip the second bolt on Upside Downside. Continue to that route's anchor.

Good rests but full value!

Great long crack and face climb with a tenuous 5.11 crux that is so much more fun if you just yard on the 3rd bolt. With that single point of aid, the climb is a super fun, varied 5.9/10a. Note: the 2nd bolt is not really needed now, but on the ground-up FA, this bolt was placed from a sloper that turned out to be the top of a lodged block that we trundled, leaving a bomber jug and a far easier mantle. If you clip it, then once the 3rd is clipped, unclip the 2nd to reduce rope drag.

Start between Inspector Wedget and Armando's Stilletto

3 pitch corner. Stay left on the 3rd, entering the Bombay chimney. Rap with 1 70 m rope

Climb the first pitch of Armando's Stilletto (10D). Three-quarters the way up the second pitch of A.S. climb right to almost stand on an old tree stump. From the stump, climb right out a right facing corner/roof to the arete and around to a 2 bolt anchor (10c) . Look for small gear up and left (0 tcu) protecting the moves to and around arete. From anchor follow crack, stepping left to ramp and up and right. A small cam with a runner protects moves to down climb and go right to a wide layback crack. Layback this (4") to the steep hand's above. Avoid the wideness way right. Fire a bulge with a medley of hand and finger sized jams. Bust left when you can and finish up the splitter fingers to a 2 bolt anchor. A single 70m will get you down to the anchor of Friendly Faces.

Start on the lb corner of Inspector Wedget (cams) and at the first big rest head left by a sand colored bolt and turn the corner with a big reach. Up the easy ramp to a short mystery corner past a couple of bolts to the end of the face. Blind reach to a jug from the undercling in the arch. Finish on Dont Mean Maybe and lower from the new lower anchor.

The grade is very height dependent, short = omg

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Armando's Stilletto / Rites of Spring