Baby Don't Herd Me

What is love?

Baby Don't Herd Me climbs a continuous 400-foot crack system on the left (west) side of Bighorn Bluff. The first pitch is challenging at the grade, while the third pitch is plain ol' fun. Pack a lunch and have fun on this oddball adventure! Chances are high that the only beings you'll encounter are bighorns.

Pitch 1 (5.10a, 100 feet): Climb the straight-shot varnished crack through some tricky moves. It's a lot more funky than it looks, so be prepared. Belay on a good ledge after overcoming the final steep part.

Pitch 2 (5.0, 100 feet): Paddle up the gorgeous water-polished gully and squeeze past bushes into the alcove. Prime spot for a lunch break.

Pitch 3 (5.8, 130 feet): This is a very fun moderate pitch through the red band; it will need a few ascents to clean up. Climb the featured crack as it progresses from chimney to offwidth to tight hands. Belay where the angle kicks back and the rock turns completely gold/white.

Solo or simul 70 feet of 4th-class terrain to the top.

Descent: Walk left (west) along the sloping ledge back into the main First Creek drainage. The final step is a 50-foot rappel from a slung boulder.

Approach: Hike about two hours up First Creek Canyon until reaching the base of Slippery Peak Apron (where red slabs on the left side reach all the way down into the main wash). At this point, bushwhack directly up the north side of the canyon, past a couple marker trees, to the base of the wall on the north side of the canyon. At the base of the wall is a massive shelf that extends several hundred yards east across the bluff. Baby Don't Herd Me

starts almost directly above the far left (west) side of the shelf. To reach the start of the route, traverse ~40 feet in from the left along a sloping black ledge (most will want a belay for this) and set a belay in the obvious straight-shot varnished crack.

Double set of cams to 2", one each 3-4" cams, single set of nuts One rope