Just Another Pretty Face

Great slabby face climbing with a fun roof pull at the top for good measure. One of the best thin faces in the Northern Blue Ridge (in my opinion!). A pretty involved approach, but well worth the effort!

P1: Climb up an easy left-facing corner to a ledge. Angle up and right on the face towards the bolts. Crimp and highstep on excellent edges through the section of two or three bolts (crux) and continue up to a roof. Traverse a bit left under the roof and pull on awesome jugs. End at a fixed anchor. GEAR BETA (read no further if you want to preserve the "onsight"!) Look for a sideways #6 Stopper placement if 5.10b/c, 150'

P2: Head up easy terrain to a tree anchor. 5.7, 60’

NOTE

: Easily combined with a 70M rope.

The route is just left of Bonsai (described in Shull and Lambert's guidebook). I have never approached the route from below and have heard that it's kind of a 'shwack to get over there. I've always utilized an approach/rap in from above.

After doing the final steep climb on the Shortoff approach, the trail levels out a bit (you're now on the clifftop). Look for a small (chest-high) boulder on the left and a larger one on the right. At this small boulder, look for a faint trail leading to the left towards the cliff. Follow it down to a short gully which deposits you below an overhanging ampitheatre with a driplike waterfall. This is a good place to stash packs. From here, continue down and left over some 3rd class scrambling terrain, aiming for a grassy ledge with a tall tree. This is your first rap. There are no slings—I've always just thrown the rope around the tree. This short (50') rap takes you to a fixed hex/nut anchor. From here, you can

a) do a 60m double rope rappel or

b) do two single 60m raps. Be aware that on your second rap, you'll have to rap off of a single bolt (one of the protection bolts on the pitch—they're bomber).

Complicated, but like I said, well worth the effort.

IMPORTANT NOTE

: One can rap all the way to the ground with twin 70M ropes from the tree anchor. This is by far the most expedient and straightforward option.

Blue TCUs-#2 Camalot, with doubles in the small/medium range. Fixed anchor on top of P1, tree anchor on P2.