R&D

Overview

This route is a nice moderate climb featuring solid rock, climbing, with some great variations.

The route as described below includes the Cocaine Connection start which adds more length and variety to the climb. Also, I have described the right handcrack variation on the final pitch which is nicer than the standard 5.6 fingercrack.

Approach

Drive 6.5 miles down Icicle Creek Road to the base of a large buttress on the west side of the street. Park on the street and hike up the trail along the south side of the buttress. Move up until near the base of some easy looking cracks or a bolted slab.

Route Description

Pitch #1- 5.7 - Start on the low angled but smooth clean slab carefully working your way up clipping 2 bolts until exiting left into a low 5th class crack system. Follow this up the buttress and belay where feasible. Make it as long as possible (190 foot is good).

Pitch #2 - 5.5 - Keep moving up the buttress aiming for the obvious chimney above. The climbing is a mix of 4th to mid fifth class cracks and slabs. Keep moving up until a good sized ledge appears about 20 feet below the entrance to the chimney. Belay here. (125 feet)

Pitch #3 - 5.5 - Work your way up the chimney using protection deep in the base. Climbing is interesting and fun with some good stems and jambs. Exit out of the chimney and belay at the ledge below the obvious steeper triple cracks. (90 feet)

Pitch #4 - 5.7 - Now for the good stuff. Move up to the ledge to the base of the right crack. Jamb the nice handcrack until at the base of the lieback flake. Jamb and lieback this flake using the crack on the right for feet for 40 feet until below a bulge. Pull up over the bulge (mid 5th no pro) and belay from the tree on top. (190 feet).

Down - Walk off the backside of the formation towards a tree on the south side. Just past the tree you will notice 2 cairns. This is the start of the class 2 / 3 trail back to the car.

Cocaine Crack

For a much more enriching experience on the 3rd pitch, I highly recommend climbing this fabulous fingercrack for your third pitch. On pitch #2, start traversing south (left immediately off the belay) until at the base of the obvious fingercrack and belay here instead.

Climb the superb fingercrack straight up then pick up the second crack angling up and to the right on the steeper section. Place your gear, then crank hard through 20 feet of sustained fingerjambing to a good rest below the bulge. Traverse either left or right and establish a belay at the same spot as you would for the top pitch of R&D.

BETA: The steep right angling crack is obviously the crux. The best way to climb it is with your left foot twisted sideways jambed into the crack and your right foot smeared on the face. If you try to put both feet in the crack you will probably loose your balance and fall. It is much harder like that.

Essential Gear

60 or 70 meter rope
Cams .4 to 3.5 inches
Set of Nuts
Slings
2 Quickdraws
(2 sets of finger size cams are recommended if tackling Cocaine Crack)

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Images

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