A 15-pitch adventure up the grand NW face, starting up the giant dihedral between the starts of Spirit Walker and Snakes n Ladders, and topping out above the large upper tree island near the top of the wall. It is also possible to exit left after pitch 13, and gain the same upper helm feature as Spirit Walker (just from the right). Mix of gear and bolts. Double rack to 2" and something for 3", 12-16 draws. Bring some small wires for the occasional key placement. All stations have bolted rap rings. Pitches up to 60m.
Pitch 1 - 5.10- (or 5.5 bypass): From gear belay at base of waterfall, climb the face and thin cracks directly above to the base of the main dihedral. Alternately, or when main face is wet, bypass to the right on easy but runout friction.
Pitch 2 - 5.9: Climb the dihedral with glorious laybacking, stemming, jamming and more to anchors halfway up the corner system.
Pitch 3 - 5.10+: Continue up the corner for a few meters before breaking left around the arete on an obvious ramp. Continue face climbing near the arete past a bolt and to the right of a roof feature. Step left and reach around, bypassing the roof using hand cracks. A few more crack moves gains easy ledges and anchors.
Pitch 4 - 5.10+: Face climbing past a few bolts to a small seam, some small pro, and anchors.
Pitch 5 - 5.10-: Gain a left-leaning face crack to easier ledges; scramble up easy ground to the right to anchors.
Pitch 6 - 5.10-: Face climb to the right of a thin seam past a few bolts; rejoin the seam for a few moves and another bolt, then traverse right to the top of a large flake and anchors.
Pitch 7 - 5.10: Face climb left past bolts to a large half-moon feature; easy climbing within the moon feature to gain a belay on the left edge.
Pitch 8 - 5.10: Exit the half-moon left past a bolt; climb the mix of friction and flake past several more bolts to a belay immediately left of the large diagonal vegetated streak that clefts Snootli's NW face.
Pitch 9 - 5.10: Cross the diagonal fault and gain the right-hand wall with some difficulty. Face climb past several sets of bolts; some harder climbing punctuated by easy sections.
Pitch 10 - 5.10+: A gem of a pitch, up a steep flake right off the belay and then face climbing past bolts zigzagging through large dish features.
Pitch 11 - 5.10: Friction traverse left past a bolt, then face climb up to a slabby ledge; traverse left past 2 more bolts to an airy belay below the looming pillar and crack system.
Pitch 12 - 5.10+: Climb the widening crack up the headwall past a couple bolts and much gear. Turn the lip and friction climb to a beautiful belay stance.
Pitch 12.5 - 5.5: Climb 20m over very easy ground to anchors at the base of a steep rolling slab.
Pitch 13 - 5.10: Climb the shut seam, scrounging for small gear, to a pair of bolts trending right - a bit runout. Continue up to a relic 1/4" bolt with handmade hanger; clip it for good luck and then choose whether to exit left to the Spirit Walker anchors or continue right past another bolt to anchors below a water groove.
Pitch 14 - 5.6: Climb the runout but very easy and asthetic water groove, trending right.
Pitch 15 - 5.6: Drift right along several easy grooves, then up a short watercourse of sorts to a wide slabby alcove at the base of a wall to the left. Final anchors on the left edge of this wall.
Explore the upper slabs or exit directly right, into the trees and down the descent trail. Or rap the route.
Route was a collaboration of many over the years; pitches added or first climbed by Grant McCartney, Steve Hodgeson, Rob Nelson, Pat Moser, Peter Wainwright, Devon Girard. And as the 1/4" bolt indicates, someone had been up a similar line decades ago.
