The Magician

The Magician is a fun new route on the left side of Tarot Wall. Crack, face, arete, and overhang: great variety and superb position. There are several variations, and the route can be done as a 5.9 or a 5.10.

Start on the left side of Tarot Wall, left of Earth Angel and Ah Ya Punter. Look for some stone steps angling up left to the wall. There are two bolts on the face just right of the arete. This is the route. The two bolts mark the direct start, which is 5.10. The standard start (5.9) is around the corner to the left, in a dihedral with parallel fist and finger cracks.

Angle left up the stone steps to the base of the wall. Scramble up to a ledge at the base of a dihedral with parallel fist and finger cracks. Climb the cracks (5.9) and step right to the arete. Place pro in a horizontal crack (#0.75 Camalot) and step up (5.9) to a stance by a bolt. Move up to a great horn and crank past it to a ledge. Step left and climb a V-shaped rock to another ledge. Step left, clip a bolt, and continue left to the overhang by the arete. Work up on funky holds and clip another bolt. Turn the overhang by the bolt, or for more fun, go farther left and crank the overhang using an airy rail (5.9). Clip a final bolt on the slab and traverse right to the anchor. Lower back down. Belay your second up and have them clean the pitch.

Alternate starts:

1. 5.10: Scramble up to the ledge below the dihedral with two cracks. Traverse right and clip a bolt on the face. Work up and clip a second bolt, and make a crux move (5.10) up to a finger crack. The easiest line climbs a little right of the bolts. Continue up face and cracks to the horizontal crack of the standard variation.

2. 5.10: Scramble up to the ledge below the two bolts on the face. Place pro in a finger crack on the right then step up and clip the first bolt. Continue up as in variation 1.

On the arete at the left side of Tarot Wall, about 50' left of Earth Angel.

The easiest approach is around the left side of Avalon. Cross the creek and head up to the first tier by the route Mists of Avalon. Continue left up a path to the left side of Tarot Wall. The path reaches Tarot Wall just left of the route Earth Angel. Walk left about 50' and you're at the route.

For the 5.9 variation: pro up to a #3 Camalot plus 4 bolts. I placed a #3 Camalot, a red tricam, a #0.75 Camalot, and a pink tricam in addition to the 4 bolts. A #2 Camalot could be placed at the start below the #3 Camalot. To sew up the crack, bring a #4 Camalot and place it above the #3.

For the 5.10 variations: pro up to a #1 Camalot plus 6 bolts. Red Alien and/or #0.75 Camalot for the finger crack above the first two bolts.

Bring a few extendable runners since the pitch traverses in places.

2-bolt anchor. The anchor is a little tricky to clip since it's out on the face to the right. It was placed there to minimize rope drag for lowering and top-roping.