This is the unmistakable crack in the center of the overhanging face located in the middle of the slabs.  From below it looks like an overhanging, traversing finger crack of terrible difficulty.  However from the base of the route on the left, one sees that it is actually a traversing offwidth.  The crack is formed by a huge secure flake that fractured from the face.  You traverse the top of this flake.  Excellent rock quality and interesting position make this a hidden gem.  Each move may only be 5.9, but when you string them together, there is a significant grunt factor to this route.  Very satisfying.

Optical Illusion

Greenville Avenue

JAFC (Just Another Face Climb)

Joyride

(This info is based on the new S. Platte guidebook.)

Greenville Ave. is an easy route but deserves to be climbed simply because of its aesthetic appeal. Climb the vertical crack to where

Optical Illusion

begins. Belay off the tree and then traverse the crack below

Optical Illusion

over to the bolt anchor to the right.

This route is on the Upper Etive Slabs near Sphinx Rock.  To find, exit 285 at Pine Junction, and drive about five miles towards the town of Pine.  After about 5 miles, or about 1/2 mile before Pine, you will see these slabs behind you, on your left.  They sit up on the hill behind some possibly private property??  Park before the crag on the right (north) side of the road, and follow a water drainage up to the left side of the crag.  You can find this drainage towards the left side of where the crag lies further up the hill.  I believe that this approach eliminates any trespassing since we did not see any signs!

The Upper Etive Slabs offer some great run-out slab climbing, and a couple of cracks.  Don't expect the 5.7's here to be cake walks!  JAFC (Just Another Face Climb) is located about half way in the middle of the crag.  Locate a bolt anchor with blue webbing material about 120-130 feet up in the middle of a broad slab.  About 4 different climbs head towards these anchors, or could head towrds them.  JAFC is located with a single bolt in a scoop about 15-20 feet up.  The crux is a bouldery start on crimps, and heads up the run out slab above passing a piton that cant be seen from the ground.  Excellent moves, on great little granite edges and smears.  My suggestion would be to just head up to the crag, and pick a line that you wont fall off of.  Great secluded area with nice stone!  Have fun!

This is on Upper Etive Slabs (see JAFC-Just Another Face Climb for approach info).

Take a steep line up crimps past 2 bolts just right of JAFC (crux).  Located just behind a dead tree.  After the 2 bolts, it slabs out for about 100 feet to a tree in a scoop, belay at the tree.

P2 - From here you see a right angling (almost horizontal) 5.9 crack.  Climb above this, and slightly left to a bolt, and clear the roof on some really lousy loose crimpers.  Then angles to the right above the roof on the slab (neither the leader, or 2nd would probably want to fall over the roof).  I followed this, and I gave it an s rating since I feel it deserves it (runout), dont remember if the book has it that way?  This 2nd pitch might also be intended as a completely different route, but was the logical finish to pitch one.      Decent... you could walk off, or, downclimb to the climbers left (5.1 or 2??), and pick up a double rope rap from a bolted anchor about 100 feet down from the top.  Nice climb, but, needs some cleaning, or more mileage...

Description

Protection

Routes in Etive Slabs