Block Party

When Matt and I hiked up there, the first pitch had 3 fixed pins, which we probably shared with another party from along time ago. For the second pitch, we climbed in a different direction from the fixed pin, and there was no indication anyone had been up here before. In all my inquiring, nobody knew anyone who had climbed the route - so if you have any beta on this, please reach out!

Pitch 1 (5.9 PG13)

Clip a nice pin, and make a tricky move off the ground. Trend right to another pin, then climb fun, left-facing corner systems until you see another pin above. Some balancy face climbing yields to a ledge covered in loose blocks. Navigate some choss up into a fingers to thin hands corner. Belay at a good stance in the corner (1-2” gear) with a fixed pin 10-15’ to your right.

Pitch 2 (5.8 R)

While traversing right to the pin may be tempting, here we avoided a loose and lichen covered traverse out onto the face by climbing left from the belay and around the arete. Follow dirty but more solid rock through a short, hand crack bulge and onto a ledge. Traverse 5’ right, and take the left option as a lieback crack up to a belay stance (1-3” gear) on bomber rock below a finger crack.

Pitch 3 (5.10-)

This is the money pitch! Take the short, bouldery finger crack straight up for ~15’, and then head left on a hand traverse to the arete and easier ground. Romp up the easy and airy arete feature to lower angle climbing. Belay when unroping is comfortable.

Descent:

Follow the exposed 2/3rd Class ridge to the summit ridge, then trend down and right (southwest) toward two large split boulders. From the massive boulders, head across the gully to grassy ledges. Meander down and back to the colossal boulder.

Walk to the colossal boulder vía the Upper Chaos Canyon approach (from Bear Lake parking, hike toward Lake Haiyaha, and just before arriving at the lake, take a climber's trail that skirts the left (southeast side) of the lake and heads up talus on a faint trail. Ascend a large, right-leaning snowpatch, and start traversing right to a massive boulder which is the colossal boulder). You will be almost level in elevation with the base of the climb. Leave your packs here! From this boulder, head straight north and up a series of 3rd Class grassy ledges. Skirt a talus field, and do another 3rd Class section to gain the base of the white and orange rock on the southeast face of the buttress. Begin at a nice ledge at the arete. Look for a fixed pin!

Nuts, single cams to a #3, and optional doubles of #1-#3 for the belays.