- Edit (TBD)
Description
This route does go to the top of the cliff (unlike Access Scramble ). Gives access to these areas: Baldy , Albion , Shadow Castle , Devonshire, Puzzle Palace , and (above the top) Good Book Wall. But there’s also a much easier way to get access to each of those areas.
It’s real class 4, meaning that it requires real climbing experience and technique for some sections -- and if you blow a move in one of those sections you’re going to get seriously hurt or die.
Directions: Start by getting up the Sunny Shortcut . Next join the Tour des Picnics route ... scramble up on grass + rocks, at first up past the large fallen dead tree, later trend right on gentler ledge to base of a gully below twin cracks (the Mambo route). Up the gully, then onto the mini-arete which forms the right side of the gully. Look right and when see the gentle base platform of Baldy crag area, traverse right horizontally a couple of steps, then down-climb a couple of shield flakes to reach the gentle platform.
Walk east to the right edge of the Baldy base platform, then down to and across an airy gap (very exposed to a substantial fall). No handholds at first, requires very careful footwork and balance to reach good handhold on rock, then a big step onto the flat platform which is the base of the Albion crag area.
Walk right across this to a corner, then roughly horizontally right (east) past the bottom of the Shadow Castle and Devonshire areas to below a steep gully. Continue horizontally east past this and past a rock buttress to below the left side of Puzzle Palace wall area which rises diagonally from right up to left. Scramble up the gully along the left (west) side of Puzzle Palace to reach wide gentle ground at the top of the cliff.
warning: The rock on and around this route has not been climbed much yet, and much of the rock is still breakable and loose -- so the belayer and other people should stand far away from underneath the climber.
. . . (Lots of vegetation on this rock as of 2015. Be prepared when climbing to navigate around protruding trees and branches, and dealing with holds slippery with grass, lichen, moss, dirt).
Location
Same as for Sunny Shortcut ... Overhang about 45 feet right (East) from the Picnics Dihedral (which is the junction of the wider South-facing wall of the Sunny Picnics area with East-facing wall which forms the Right end of the Tower Wall).
About 10 feet right of the larger + lower perched block (the Mushroom) on top of the south-facing wall. As of 2015 there is a large fallen tree on the rock just right of this overhang.
Protection
Protection for trad leading is unknown.
Cannot be top-roped, because it has a long horizontal traverse.