Varied and exciting, this new route weaves its way around several bushes in the center of Out West Crag's north face.

Start nicely  with a fingertip traverse past 3 solid knifeblades then go up a groove to a stance beneath a bolt. Climb past the bolt and a thimbleberry clump to finish with a strenuous offwidth move (#5 or 6 cam protect this). Alternately, avoid the bolt step left and handjam a pretty, slanting crack to the same finish.

Rap from 2 bolt anchor.

Bush Doctrine AKA Cowboy Diplomacy

Rawhide

Hanging Tree

Mission Creep

Rough & Ready

You have a choice:

P1. Climb a short finger crack or just to the right climb a cornercrack, both are good 5.9. Above either crack, move around into a wide groove and belay from a stainless steel wire sling, slung over a fin/flake.

P2. Worm through a low 5th class chimney and scramble 100 feet  westward to

Bush Doctrine's

anchors.

This is a good, hard pitch with most crack sizes represented. I found it to be a bona fide Kimball sandbag at 11a that felt more like mid to hard 5.11. The bottom section is hands, if I remember right, the middle section involves some tips jamming and thin face moves (this is where I whipped out of it),  and the upper part is fists to chimney. The transition out of the middle section was hard and a bit spooky as well.

Aim for the tree growing out of the cliff at the base of a left-leaning splitter. Traverse in from the left in a right-angling, intermittent, crack system. I vaguely remember the traversing start to be slightly dirty and a wee bit spicy, but the jamming in the upper crack is well worth the effort.

We disagree with MP.com poster Tony B.as to his characterization of this rock climb. He must be misguided. Indeed this is a strenuous  5.10 handcrack with a spicy traverse in from the right, a good climb. Sling a ridgetop flake for a belay and do a 2nd "low 5th chimney and ridge pitch northward to a bolted anchor. Rap to the north.

Description

Protection

Routes in Out West Crag