Sliding Board

A truly classic slab climb, loved, respected and feared.A great place to hone your slab climbing skills.Sees many ascents and some epics on a nice weekend so try to avoid the crowds and make sure you are ready for the adventure.Start from the launch pad.Pitch one (5.2): Moves up toward the arch of standard route breaking left to a two ringbolt anchor, even with the bottom of the arch.Pitch two (5.7): Move right and up past two bolts along a steep ramp. Belay on small gear in a crack with an old pin [? still there??], or traverse left to a two bolt anchor on Interloper.Pitch three (5.5): The mental crux for most.Straight up and a little right climbing past 1 old bolt on this 100ft pitch to a 2 bolt anchor at some large solution pockets. The climbing is moderate but feels harder due to the smooth rock and long runout.P 2 and P3 can be combined with a 70m rope.Pitch 4 (5.5): move right to a pretty left facing corner with a nice crack, up this to gain a dike [#3 protects nicely] and shortly after, a comfortable stance at a slanting corner. Belay from here with gear, lower is better. (see photo "P4 Belay", look for and old, but solid, piton on the left easily backed up with medium cams #0.75 / 1.0 )Pitch 5 (5.6): A couple ways to do this one. You can move up and right across smooth slab over a tiny overlap (small wires) to a slippery dike; or stay left of the dike in a good grove then traversing right to the last few feet of the dike. Either way you do it you are heading for a slightly flaring corner (once was a small tree, now #2 cam) then to the right over a slab to a two bolt anchor below the dike that splits the steep headwall. The direct dike is a bit spooky but more fun in my opinion where as the left option is better protected, easier, but harder to see the line.Pitch 6 (5.5): Steep but moderate climbing gets you up the 20ft headwall and on to the truly moderate climbing.. Up the easy dike to a good stance. belay from gear.Pitch 7 (5.3): Up dikes and left over a slab to a tree belay.Pitches 8 and 9 (5.1 ish): I normally simulclimb them clipping the one bolt between the tree and the summit.Follow the dike or choose your own adventure.Belay from trees above, or stop to belay from 1 bolt at the halfway mark.

Follow directions to the launch pad from Whitehorse directions.... From the top turn right (north) and follow a trail down... Many parties rap down with 2 ropes after doing the harder pitches to avoid the hike....

Standard rack, tricams helpful in solution pockets....[NOTE: a #3 Camalot-sized piece protects the move onto the dike off the top of the crack on P4 (P3, if P1 & P2 are combined; R Hall]

Some pitches are run out giving it the R rating.... The physical crux is well protected but there is some spooky climbing on most pitches for those not comfortable running it out on 5.5 and under....