Page Type:
|
Route |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
|
45.54096°N / 122.37971°W |
Route Type:
|
Trad Climbing |
Season:
|
Spring, Summer, Fall |
|
Time Required:
|
Less than two hours |
|
Difficulty:
|
5.9+ |
|
Rock Difficulty:
|
5.9 (YDS) |
|
Number of Pitches:
|
3 |
|
Grade:
|
I |
|
Overview
Gandalf’s Grip is the classic "moderate line" of Broughton Bluff. First climbed in 1968 and freed a year later by (FA party to be looked up), it features three short pitches with some "good old school ratings". The rock is solid if slick and protection is good. The route climbs more or less up the center of the North Wall at Broughton - portion of the cliff that is visible from Interstate 84 below.Getting There
P2 BelaySee directions under Getting There on the main page. Follow directions to North Wall at Broughton. Look for a bolt 10 feet up just above a mud/rock composite and below a slight bulge/overhang where good basalt begins. Route starts here and follows crack directly above (don't confuse with crack to the right which is 5.11).
Route Description
P1
P1Pitch 1: 5.9+, 50 feet. Move up the chossy rock 10 feet and clip a bolt. Pull over the bulge and climb the finger crack with face features. Step left above, clip a bolt and enter the first crux section moving up and left on insecure smears and small incuts. Move up, clip the third and final bolt and pull up/left (hard) onto a sloping ledge with belay bolts.
Pitch 2: 5.8, 50 feet. Move left and enter a right trending dihedral. Overcome a couple bulges and reach another bolted belay at the base of a short wide crack in left-facing corner.
Pitch 3: 5.7, 20 feet. Climb the crack which becomes wide at the very top. Belay from a bolted anchor just below the topout.
Descent:
Rap the line. Single 70 meter line would probably make it in one shot from the top (untested).
Essential Gear
P3
P3Double cams from smallest Alien/TCU to #1 Camalot. Single #2 to #3.5 Camalots (though I think a #3 would be sufficient to protect the short wideness up top). Light set of nuts from small to medium.