Eastern Softboy

If you prefer, download a PDF of this beta here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tTPdLxQebbBa-xSkkDiISRP-Ym4QlurA/view?usp=sharing

P1: 5.9

Head up the slab trending rightward past a bushy crack to a bolt. Move right of bolt and then back left onto a ledge. Step left up into the base of a wide chimney. Stem and knee jam into the wide slot and continue up steep twin cracks above, moving right around the corner to a 2 bolt belay.

P2: low 5th

Scramble short broken terrain to a large 3rd class scree and cobble covered ledge to 2 bolt anchor. Can link with P1 with a 70m and perhaps a bit of simul climbing. Move the belay up and right via 3rd class ramp to a flat dirt patch below bolted slab.

P3: 5.8

Climb past 4 bolts up a slab and move right around a large section of loose rock. At small bushes, move back left above the loose rock to an alcove and climb past a few placements to a 2 bolt anchor on a ledge.

P4: 5.10-

Head up the right facing corner and step right around a small roof created by a large block to gain a ledge. A directional bolt just above the step around protects the second (don't booty the carabiner as it's used for rappelling). Optional belay at the left end of this ledge if rope drag is a concern (uses 0.5, 0.75, or #2 camalots; very short pitch) or continue up the next right facing corner. Pass a large bush hummock in the corner on its left side via face climbing and stemming, clipping a bolt along the way. Step right onto the next ledge to belay at 2 bolts.

P5: 5.9

Climb the wide crack left of the belay ledge to a stance, then move right into the adjacent dirty wide crack. Climb to a bolt and continue following the crack up the corner to a stance at 2 bolts.

P6: 5.4

Continue up the wide crack in the corner to its apex. Traverse left about 25 feet across a ledge and belay at 2 bolts.

P7: 5.10-

Leave anchor to the left, clipping directional bolt on the right. Climb up onto ledges below a stance at a thin right facing corner. Clip a bolt and climb the corner to a ledge below a roof. Move up and left into a wide chimney (optional belay here on hand sized cams). Ascend chimney to near its apex and then step rightward out of chimney onto ledge, clipping a bolt on the way past. Move farther right and belay in a corner at a single bolt plus finger or hand/fist cams (or use this bolt as a directional to walk across ledge). A short pitch walking rightward across the ledge moves the belay to a two bolt anchor (rappel line descends from here to top of P5).

P8: 5.9

Climb huge edges off the left side of the belay and clip a bolt, then scamper up to a stance. Climb the offwidth above clipping a bolt on the way. Exit the slot to a ledge on the right and clip a directional bolt. Step right around the corner, then follow a series of short faces and ledges into a gray rock band. Step left to a two bolt belay.

P9: 5.8

Traverse back right a few moves across the slab, then up a left angling ramp to a bolt. Continue up the ramp to another bolt, then surmount the ledge. Clip another bolt to enter a short corner with a finger crack. Find the bolt atop this corner, then step left into the wide corner. Just before the ledge, escape right on an easy but exposed traverse to attain the ledge. Clip a directional bolt then head right to 2 bolt belay. Take particular care with loose rock as the belayer will unfortunately likely be in the line of fire.

P10: 5.10

The pitch you came for, particularly if linked into pitch 11. Face climb left of the belay, taking advantage of a nice horizontal to keep you off the ledge. Head to the cracks above and move up a blocky left trending ramp passing 2 bolts. Move toward the chimney and face climb, stem, and chimney past 4 more bolts and other protection as desired, stepping left to belay at two bolts atop a pedestal.

P11: 5.10-

Head left onto a smaller pedestal and clip a bolt, then stem and face climb past three more bolts onto the face just below and right of a bomb bay offwidth. A bit more face climbing and stemming takes you to the ledge. Head straight back from the ledge up the hill to find 2 bolts and belay. If descending via rappel, head down from here.

P12: low 5th

Many options from 4th class to low 5th take you up the final 200 feet to the rim and a cairn.

Descent

Either walk off to the upcanyon fixed lines and via ferrata or scramble back down from top of P12 to top of P11 and rappel. At top of P7, rappel straight down past a ledge to the next ledge, where there is a rappel anchor. From here rappel to the top of P5. On the P4 rappel, rap to the intermediate ledge, walk across, clip the directional bolt, and continue down. On the final (P1) rappel, watch the rope ends! A 35m rappel ends about 6 feet off the deck.

A note on style

First ascent was climbed ground up, onsight, and free, save one point of aid on each of pitches 10 and 11 while drilling (all other bolts placed from stances). A few additional bolts were added on rappel as directionals, to reduce runouts, or otherwise make the route a bit better for subsequent parties. Like much of the climbing at Notch Peak, the line can be adventurous, loose, and runout in places. Some preventive trundling was done, but the route should clean up more over time with subsequent ascents.

Hike up the wash past “Western Hardman” and “Appetite for Destruction,” aiming for the next buttress upcanyon (east). Pass a wall on the right side of the wash composed of dirt and cobbles and continue up beyond the base of the route. As the wash steepens, turn up a gully at a cairn. At the top of the gully, switchback to the right and contour back toward the base of the route. Scramble 30ft up a gully below a large dead snag. The first pitch ascends a slab past a bolt (indicated with tat) and then into a stem box capped with twin cracks. Approx 60-70 minutes.

Approx. 12 slings/draws

Singles micro-cams to #4 Camalot

Doubles fingers to hands

Optional #5 depending on comfort with dirty wide

No stoppers required (maybe a nut tool to clean out placements)

70m rope