OverviewThis route is not overly difficult to access, being a class 4-easy 5th class scramble up-canyon. It is shaded during the day, making things a bit more pleasant. The route is short, as the ground above the top anchor deteriorates.
The crux of the route isn't so much any actual positon, as it is the runout climbing with bad groundfall potential. If one is creative with protection, the route can be safer. If one bolts it and removes the fun, it should take a big chunk out of the mental crux. ;-)
Taco before the crux |
Marc and I gave this route the name "Optical Illusion", due to the fact that it looks fun from afar, easy from the belay, and is hard whilst climbing.Getting ThereHike up the Icehouse Canyon Trail. After a mile, you will reach the intersection with Chapman Trail. Continue on Icehouse Trail for a while, until the trail veers hard right and touches the other side of the canyon. From here, you can see a scree ramp above. Take this up a little, then right, into the large and obvious Sheep Canyon.
Most of the waterfalls/dryfalls in the canyon can be freeclimbed. The base of the route is above the last one we could safely freeclimb, yet had to rapp down. This photo shows the approximate base of the route.
Marc near the gear cache. He must climb the waterfall I am standing on before reaching the large easy belay area for the route, which is on the right had side. |
Descent is best done by rapping a few of the bigger falls, and then easy scrambling down the rest.Route DescriptionRoute starts out on easy, smooth granite, with some good edges. Holding off to the right, rock quality isn't as high, but the rock is still held together strongly. Ascend up to the vertical block (lots of loose stuff), with a small cavity on the right, which can be used for iffy protection. Large hexes fit, but large tricams probably fit better.
Follow the purple rope... |
This is the crux of the route. Stem it, carefully advance up above this block, and move up on careful ground with deteriorating rock quality. Route ends soon afterwards, with our #2 blue tricam still up there (as of 20080629). Tricams here in the San Gabriels prove to be bomber as hell, where everything else is impossible, or really iffy.Essential Gear-Your choice of pro. If you go with passive pro, I highly reccomend Tricams, as they are lifesavers up here.
-Bring webbing, or long (48") sewn runners, some rap rings. I would say a half-dozen runners would be a safe minimum.
-Brush, for cleaning cracks of lichen, dead moss, dirt, etc.
-Helmet! Loose rock dislodged by lead climber is a concern.
-Water, as there is nothing above Icehouse Canyon, save for during winter. Images
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Ontario Peak
