Dark Angels Have More Fun

AWESOME route on perfect rock. Pretty much every belay stance is perfect.

Pitch 1 - (60 M, 5.easy) - From the belay station, traverse left below the big overhang finding the best way and adequate pro. Belay in a good stance with good gear below where the overhang seems more manageable.

Pitch 2 - (90 M, 5.6-5.7) - put some protection off the belay in the roof and climb a little to the left where you could pull over and get on the slab. Pick the path of least resistance connecting features that allow sparse but adequate protection. Aim up towards the crack above. This crack cuts up towards a big overhang. This pitch could be split in two, but we simul climbed. I belayed in the crack. Probably the only belay stance on the route that is not perfect.

Pitch 3 - (5.7, 60 M) - climb the crack up for about 60 meters. Can't get lost here!

Pitch 4 - (5.7, 60 M) - From belay go left around the corner and pull the overhang. Climb up and trend left. At some point you will pass another system where you can place gear and aim up runout face climbing (dark red featured granite) to the belay station with good gear.

Pitch 5 - (5.8, 55 M) - Pull over the overhang on big chicken heads and trend right to a right leaning flaring crack system. Offset cams are nice to have if you want solid placements. Traverse a bit right to a good belay stance in a right facing corner.

Pitch 6 - (5.7 R, 60 M) - Climb up the corner, place some good gear in the roof, pull over on the left side and climb up a ways to another flaring crack. You may find some pro here, or maybe not. Pick a way of least resistance to a great belay ledge with a right facing corner. This last section is runout with a bit of 5.6-7 climbing to the belay ledge.

Pitch 7 - (5.8, 40 M) - Climb up and right, put your bigger cams in the roof and pull over. Great holds allow a fairly moderate passage. Trend up and right to where you could make a good belay station, at a good stance with blank slab to your left.

Pitch 8 - (5.7, 50 M) - Traverse left on the blank slab that is to your left. Once you pull over it you will find some pro. There is a cool horizontal finger crack that takes good gear. After that, continue up and towards the right side of the summit ridge. You can also bail right to the summit ridge and scramble 3rd-4th class to the summit.

Pitch 9 - (5.7-8, 50 M) - Continue climbing up towards the right side of the summit ridge. Belay in cracks below where the terrain steepens a lot.

Pitch 10 - (5.9+ 45M) - continue up steep corners and cracks past a few overhangs. At one you will step right to a splitter that cuts through a big roof. It is short, but a great hand crack (crux). Pull the bulge and enjoy very featured face climbing towards the final gendarme that has a horizontal crack that takes you to the top of the ridge. Belay where you think is appropriate.

From there traverse on the north side of the summit ridge to the top. It could be 3rd to 4th class depending on route finding.

Approach: The route starts below the prominent overhang on the right side of the South Face. From the right side of the face (where the stream usually runs) traverse left below the prominent overhang that cuts across horizontally. We belayed under the overhang on a nice ledge. Right before one would want to rope up.

Descent from the summit: Scramble down on the north side of the summit ridge and continue east down the boulder field to the slab. For something less exposed and easier, you can continue down to the dirt couloir on the east side of the slabs. Take this down to the base. Very easy to descent from this formation. There is usually water stream along the descent as well.

Single set of cams to #3 camalot with a set of offset cams to medium being very helpful at times.