This route is an easier and smaller scale of the arch of Standard Route on Whitehorse Ledge.    P1: Start at the base of the arch just left of the toe of the main slab. Follow the right arching corner crack until it ends at a gear belay.  115’   P2: Finish up P2 of Iron Maiden.

Iron Arch

Iron Man

Iron Maiden

Iron Ore

Soft Iron

Two Iron

Ironing Board

Cast Iron

This route is in need of its own independent start. Start by climbing P1 and P2 of Iron Maiden to get to the halfway tree ledge. Belay from the left side of the ledge. 

  P3: Angle left across a low angle slab to a left angling finger crack in the steeper slab. Follow the crack left and then go straight up getting gear in horizontals. Finish at a ring anchor by a wide crack in the headwall. 120’ 5.8 

  P4: This pitch has a lot of loose blocks and is not recommended. Climb the wide crack and gain a blocky ledge. Continue straight up with occasional gear to a big ledge. Find a place to pull the final bulge to get to the tree anchor on top. 100’ 5.9

Locate the light brown low angle slab about 30’ right of Iron Maiden at the base of the main toe of slab.  

  P1: Climb straight up the light brown low angle slab past three bolts to a ring anchor. 110’ 5.3 

  P2: Move up to a bolt in the headwall and pull the overlap at a crack/flake. Continue past another bolt and finish at the trees above. 110’ 5.6 

  P3: Continue up the light brown slab past a bolt to a large horizontal in the headwall. Traverse right to a tree belay at the base of a crack. 100’ 5.4 

  P4: Follow the crack system trending left to a ledge at a spruce tree. Climb out the right side of the headwall and pull an overlap to gain a right facing corner with gear to belay. 80’ 5.9 

  P5: Follow the corner until it ends and pull through a steep bulge on great holds. Finish up the low angle slab to the trees on the summit. 60’ 5.5 

  FA: Brad White & Matt Peer climbed pitches 1 and 2. Jonathan Baldassare, Jonathan Garlough & Jason Denver added pitches 3, 4, and 5.

This climb starts in the center of the toe of the main slab.  

  P1: Climb up the black streak past a bolt to easier terrain. Follow the left arching flake until it ends and trend left across the slab to the gear belay at the right end of Iron Arch. 115’ 5.4  

  P2: Climb straight up the slab to a bolt. Move up and left to gain the big right facing corner and follow it until it ends. Continue up the slab to a pine tree anchor above. 105’ 5.5 

  P3: Walk up and left on the very low angled slab to a bulge with gear. Pull onto the bulge with a big horizontal crack and follow the white streak up the slab past three bolts to a ring anchor on a foot ledge at the base of the headwall. 110’ 5.6 

  P4: Climb up into the big alcove in the center of the headwall. Follow cracks up until under the roof and then move out the short roof crack gaining a large ledge. Continue up the short right facing corner with a crack and finish at a tree anchor. 100’ 5.10d 

  FA: Jonathan Garlough & Brad White climbed pitches 1 & 2. Jonathan Garlough, Andrew Pelton & Jonathan Baldassare completed the route adding pitches 3 & 4.

A single pitch route that starts 15’ right of Ironing Board.  

  Climb up to a poor pin in a flake 10’. Continue on good features past a bolt to another pin in a right facing flake. Follow the white streak in the slab past two bolts and gain large cracks and flakes. Pull the final bulge at a bolt and finish at a pine tree anchor. 150’ 5.6

Located on the left edge of the South Cliffs. Walk left from the main slab through some trees to another section of low angle slab with trees. 

  P1: Climb up the low angle slab with corners and bulges and belay at a tree. 100’ 5.3 

  P2: Climb up the open featured slab with occasional gear options. Pick your way through some choss and trees to gain the top. 200’ 5.5

A fun three pitch route to the summit that consists of mostly bolt protection, but cams from .5-3” can be used to supplement the bolts.  

  Scramble uphill on the right side of the main toe of the slab for about 100’ to a ledge at the slab.  

  P1: From a small tree move up to a bolt at a large stance. Continue up the rounded slab feature past four more bolts on excellent rock to a horizontal. Move left to a large pine tree anchor. 150’ 5.7 

  P2: Climb up the slab to a bolt and gain a foot ledge. Traverse right and move through the tree ledge. Pull the overlap and continue up the featured slab past four bolts trending slightly right to another large pine tree anchor. 150’ 5.6 

  P3: Move up off the tree belay and step over the void onto the slab. Climb the smooth slab past three bolts and move right to a stance with gear in a rounded right facing corner. Continue up the small rounded arête to a bolt in the middle of the slab. Finish up to a flake with gear and easier terrain leads to a small pine tree anchor on the summit. 150’ 5.7 

  FA: Jonathan Garlough, Jonathan Baldassare & Bob Ahearn climbed pitch 1. Jonathan Garlough & Brad White added pitches 2 and 3.

A fun outing that tackles a striking crack in the center of the headwall. This route shares the start with P1 of Iron Maiden. 

  P1: Start at the main toe of the slab and climb the black streak past a bolt to easier terrain. Follow the left arching flake until it ends and traverse right to a tree anchor. 110’ 5.4 

  P2: Climb straight up off the anchor passing three spaced bolts in the slab to a horizontal with gear. Finish at a double oak tree anchor. 110’ 5.7 

  P3: Walk up and left to the bulge and gain a crack that angles to the right. Follow the crack right until it ends and continue up the black slab past two bolts to a bolt anchor below the headwall. 100’ 5.6 

  P4: Double ropes may be useful on this pitch. Clip a bolt on the headwall and make a ridiculous mantle onto the sloping ledge (crux). Work right across the ledge with gear to a crack. Follow the steep crack up and left to a ledge. Climb onto a large right facing corner/flake and make a committing mantle to a belay at a cluster of spruce trees. 70’ 5.11+ 

  P5: Finish up the right facing right angling corner to a large tree anchor at the summit. 60’ 5.5 

  FA: Jonathan Garlough & Brad White climbed pitches 1 and 2   Jonathan Baldassare, Jonathan Garlough & Bob Ahearn added pitches 3, 4, and 5.

The South Cliffs of Iron Mountain offer moderate slab climbing with great views. The top of the cliff is capped by a short vertical headwall with a few hard pitches. The slabs have been set up with rap anchors at the base of the headwall for those seeking to stay on moderate terrain. All of the climbs have been established in a ground up fashion with all protection bolts placed free on the lead. There is no documentation of climbing that I have found, but these cliffs have most likely been explored by generations of valley climbers. There is potential for more great moderate pitches.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in South Cliffs