Group Therapy

This route ascends the west face of the Upper Gemstone. The formation is easily visible from 96 by the Cathedral Spires parking as the narrow pinnacle atop the hillside on the south side of the road. There is a large, open-book dihedral on the northwest side of this tower.

Group Therapy starts as a thin seam around the corner to the right, not inside the open book as the Hubbel topo and photo depict. Up and right of this route is the highly visible handcrack "If 6 was 9". These routes are not visible from the standard approach, and both Gemstones are probably the furthest things to hike to in the area. It would be much quicker to hike here from the CS parking, but I very seriously doubt you could get there without crossing private property. If anyone has any further info. on this approach please post.

Pitch 1: The crux starts immediately off the ground with excellent finger jams into laybacking. Things begin to ease, but get good gear before the loose block in the crack 100' 5.11a. The next two pitches are short, but probably not linkable.

Pitches 2 and 3: 5.10 steep/short handcracks. There are no summit anchors, so belay on the step below if you are not comfortable with a bodyweight belay. Walk off to the south and then west.

Many TCUs for the first pitch, single set of cams to #3.