Wayward Son

This is a modern-era free route with many bolts protecting cruxes mainly consisting of techy face climbing on off-vertical immaculate granite. There are some beautiful cracks thrown in for good measure.  It is roughly 55% independent and 45% shared with Call of the Yeti.

I would like to dedicate this route to the memories of Dean Potter, Niels Tietze, and Richie Copeland.  Lost Brother is where Dean Potter perished, Niels Tietze's accident was shortly before I began work on this project and he was often on my mind, and Richie established Call of the Yeti just before his accident on Liberty Cap.

The climbing goes at 5.12c, 5.11 A0, or 5.10 C1.  All hardware is stainless 3/8 and bomber.  It makes an incredible free climb, but would also be a phenomenal mixed free and easy aid wall.  Great portaledge bivies exist atop pitches 4, 6, and 9.  There is also a great place to camp at the base of the route proper.  A spring with glorious water flows on the traverse to the route proper atop the approach pitch.  It has high flow in spring, moderate flow in most summers, and nothing can be guaranteed in the fall.

Also a good thing to note: this climb faces NW and is shaded roughly until 2 PM, with seasonal deviations. The FA was done the morning of a day that would be 94 degrees in the valley.

Approach pitch 5.9, 180': Dirty but reasonably fun climbing up crack systems and corners past some old bolts and an old pin.  A rope is often fixed on this pitch.  The rope simplifies access to the cliff in the spring when this pitch is sopping wet (but still climbable)

Traverse 300 feet to the left on a large ledge past a spring to the base of the route.  Call of the Yeti and Blood and Coin start immediately to the right of this route.

P1: 5.11c, 90' Follow bolts traversing over a roof on edges, pretty rock.  Crux sequence transferring into the lieback crack from the slab. Reach a good stance then fire up the crack and arete to an anchor on a stance. Great pitch, and it keeps getting better up higher.

P2: 5.10d, 90' Climb the flake/arete/block feature past a bolt to a good stance.  Chalk up, launch into the crack, and surmount the bulge. Climb up then traverse right into the corner. Hand crack to ledge and anchor.

(Tip: nice to link pitches 1 and 2, if you extend enough on the first pitch and are feeling like a boss)

P3: 5.10a, 80' Take the rail/hand crack that traverses right off the anchor, do not head straight up the corner.  Climb the arete face protected by bolts to some good cracks that lead to another great stance and an anchor.

(Tip: The BD #3 is not needed any more after this pitch, leave it here)

P4: 5.10b, 90' Climb the corner system utilizing mantles and stemming.  Ends at a good ledge system.

(Tip: nice to link pitches 3 and 4, again, extend)

P5: 5.11a, 100' Climb the bolted corner system to an easy ledge traverse.  Good featured rock in a right facing corner leads you to another anchor.  Keep an eye out for the jugs.

P6: 5.12b, 90' The boulder problem pitch.  Pull into the corner then transfer out and left using nubbin feet, cool holds, and positive thinking.  The jug is up there, I promise.  Continue up through increasingly moderate terrain to another great stance and anchor. Gear beta: 6 draws and singles small to BD .5, nice to be light for the initial climbing

P7: 5.12b, 50' The sport pitch. Climb to the rail above with some techy moves past a bolt. Traverse right to the bolt line, possible to sling a horn here. Ignore the aid ladder to the left. Pull crux moves onto the face and up a rail to a slabby step with a stance and belay anchor.

P8: 5.12c, 50' The techy pitch. My favorite pitch on the climb. Follow the bolts up the groove, look for edges, stemming opportunities, and trust those feet. Three crux sections on this pitch. Beautiful. Awesome.

Possible to link pitches 7 and 8 into one MEGA pitch without too much problem.

P9: 5.11b, 120' Follow the bolt line up through scoops, look for the jugs. After the second bolt, do not go left to the call of the yeti anchor, follow the bolts right then up. After the sporty fun, gain access to the pretty ramp to the left and climb up to the awesome belay ledge (or badass portaledge bivy).

P10: 5.11b, 90' High first bolt (stand on the anchor to reach it if you have to) protects tricky bouldery moves out left to gain access to the stance and ramp above. Climb the ramp to the tips to hands corner crack above. Perhaps the best real crack climbing on the route.

P11: 5.12a, 120' The stem corner pitch. First off, do not go up the corner to the right, choss. Another high bolt protects opening moves to the left, access the triple cracks that turn from fingers to hands. Then either lieback or get inside a brief wide flake. Bolts guide you up the face to a stem corner surmounted with standard Yosemite trickery. A couple more sporty sections bring you to a stance and anchor.

The big ledge system right of the top third of this pitch is the Yeti Mating Ledge on the route Call of the Yeti.

P12: 5.11d, 90' The arete pitch. Get ready for some fun exposure! Slab climbing and arete slapping with some fun finger crack sections thrown in. Avoid the dirty corner and follow the bolts on the face.  There is a heartbreaker slabby section in the last part of this pitch over beautiful granite with cool green lichen.

P13: 5.10c, 50' Traverse right off the anchor, clip the high bolt, then climb down and finesse into the corner. Climb over the rim and traverse left on a flake to an anchor.

OR! P13 var. Attempt the direct finish above the anchor. Tough mantle boulder problem. V4 or V5?

Cams: 1x small to BD #3, 1x nuts, dozen draws, several slings, 70m rope