East Face/Dinosaur Rock

This route starts on the left side of the large block leaning against the east face. This route has made it on Roach's Flatiron classic list. The rock is generally sound on this route, but there are some flaky sections in the dark red bands. There are good gear placements, but they only occur at 20-30 foot intervals.

P1: start in one of the left-facing ramp systems about 25 feet to the left of the large block. After about 120 feet, start to look for the best spot to angle up to the left across the red slab. With a 200 foot rope, you can reach a nice ledge below the crux slot. (5.3 190 feet.)

P2: climb the steep groove above, there is flared #2 [Camalot] placement at the crux. After exiting the slot, climb the slab to the right. A small blue Alien protects the final bulge before you head for the summit. This pitch felt harder than 5.4, but it was 40 degrees out when I climbed it. I will let you be the judge.

Descent: downclimb the west face route (5.0). You can do a single rope rap from a tree 30 feet down.

or

Per

William Thiry

:

P1. At the base of Dinosaur Rock is a large, triangular slab that leans against the main east face. You can climb up either the left side of this to the top (4th class if you avoid the polished red rock and stay on the featured rib) or climb up the right side of this triangle (which I have not done but is apparently pretty good 5.2). In either case, belay at the top of this triangle, which is a great belay ledge.

P2. Given the many descriptions of this route, it is confusing where to go for the second pitch. Guy describes going far left across red slabs to a ledge below a slot, belaying there, then ascending the slot. That is not the recommended route, however.

As described in Roach's book, go basically straight up from the belay, perhaps tending a tad right for the first 20 feet, aiming for a small roof about fifty feet above the belay. I was only able to find one good piece of gear in this section about 20 feet above the belay (0.75 cam). Another crack 10 feet below the roof may take a smaller cam or nut, but it didn't strike me as being a very reliable place for good pro.

Tiptoe up good 5.2 rock to the left side of the roof. Go up left of the roof, which forms a left-facing flake. There is a great spot for a 1" cam about half way up this flake. The 5.4 crux is getting through this section, but once you place the cam, you will feel much better about things. There are good holds on the flake and good friction on the slab to the left.

Soon after the cam placement, the climbing quickly becomes very easy as you scamble straight up to a great belay ledge.

After this pitch, the guidebooks would lead you believe that this climb is over, but for beginner climbers, the next section can be the most frightening.

From the belay spot, you must ascend a 10-foot friction slab (no holds!) to a knife-edge ridge, then downclimb the other side which is 20 feet of vertical 5.2. (This is the top of the West Face route, which is listed as 5.0 but will seem 5.2 downclimbing it.)

New climbers will be intimidated by this, especially if there is a strong wind at this summit. The stronger climber may have to belay their partner over this ridge and down the other side, and then tackle this challenge solo.

Once down this face you can apparently downclimb straight west then north toward the main Mallory Cave trail (this would be the lower part of the West Face route). We weren't familiar with this downclimb, so we simply rappelled off the huge pine tree straight west.

Gear to 2.5".