Folie a Deux

297.3. This is a route that sort of drew the eye of a pair of wandering climbers after topping out on Observatory Dome. Sitting atop Observatory, thinking what next, this rock on the skyline beckoned, albeit quietly. Should have realized that so many trees on a rock face meant low-angle. Still the right side looked steeper. Rock, paper, scissors. Rock won.

P1. When you get to the nadir of the face here, you think, man my 4 year would like this first pitch. 5.0...maybe. Follow a crack on low-angle granite that barely justifies a rope. Pass trees, go all the way up to the base of the steep bit on its left side, ~250'.

P2. Now, you think, heck, there must be some reasonable way up this steeper bit if you just go right. Traverse right on a sloping slab. Certainly, you could fire up onto the steeper rock in places, but we headed far right to a chimney system. This felt a bit wild with crunchy granite under foot and whipping wind making it hard to hear your partner, ~100'. 5.6.

P3. Follow the chimney system up and surmount the left side of the chimney near the top. Slot a wire, traverse to the right side across the chimney, and find a slot to downclimb 15 feet to a broad slot behind this steep bit.

Walkoff to the right or continue up very-low angle rock to the left.

Joe, what do you think? Delusional?

Up the south face, from the nadir of the rock angling for the steeper rock on the right.

A set of wires, cams to #4 Camalot (old style), a sense of exploration.