South Face

Approach

Follow the approach as outlined on the main page and scramble around the back (west) side of the small tower to Pineapple Pass at the base of the south face.

Route Description

From Pineapple Pass, start the route about 20 feet up at the first vertical crack with good pro for a directional. Climb cracks and slabs with lots of big holds making your way directly up the center of the face. Use slings to reduce rope drag. If you keep going until about 170 feet up, there is a really nice ledge with a large tree to belay from. From here, the summit can be reached with a long 190 foot pitch on moderate terrain. The finish is via ledges on the west side of the south face. There are numerous places to belay on this face. Long pitches as described above, are not necessary.

The rappel down can be done with one or two ropes. 4 raps with one rope, 2 with twin ropes. From the bottom, rappel off the east side of Pineapple Pass, down to the talus fields with one 60 meter rap, or two 30 meter raps. All the anchors are established slings on either trees, or around large boulders. This route sometimes has so much tat that you should consider cutting out the old stuff and hauling it off the mountain. This route is VERY popular, expect company. I would suggest getting an early start from Alpental to get on the route first, or a late start to wait until everyone is finished.

More route beta thanks to mtnfreak:

"While you can climb this in just a bit more than two full 60m rope-lengths, the terrain and distance makes communication and rope drag a real problem. If you can change-over quickly at transitions, you can climb this route just as fast in four pitches instead, utilizing the rappel stations.

P1 - Mostly straight up. Don't stop at the first (tree) anchor - go to the 2nd anchor (cord around rocks) if possible. There is a spot where going straight up is 5.7 - 5.8,  however heading right is much easier once you find the holds. 35m. 

P2 - Diagonally up/left (flake, past a piton), then back diagonally right, past a sharp dead snag, to a small tree. 20-25m.

P3 - 4th class steps between several large ledges. Many teams choose to coil up the rope and simul-scramble through the easiest line. Another option is to hug the left side, providing for a 100' of nice 4th class climbing to the final headwall.

P4 - A 4th class finish is available on the right side, with a rappel station at the top. 50' of 2nd class takes you to the summit. Other options involve 3 obvious parallel cracks separated horizontally by about 2 meters each. All 3 have stuck cams. 
- Left: 5.8, 3 stuck cams within inches of each other 
- Middle: 5.7, 1 stuck new green .75 x4 
- Right: 5.6, 1 stuck old yellow cam 

An alternative - and more fun - finish is to go the Left side of the headwall and climb the Catwalk, traversing up and left to the Left edge of the headwall, then following the rip to the summit blocks. A great horn immediately below the summit is an awesome terrain belay feature. 5.4, 100'.

Descent - 4 x 25m rappels utilizing slung trees with rappel rings. The second rappel - P3 - could be down-scrambled instead, depending on your comfort level. The final rappel - P1 - is a full 30m.

I would recommend following the approach trail from here, especially in late season. It is possible to rappel from the notch at the start of the route into Pineapple Basin in two 100' raps. These rappels are also quite possibly the most rock-fall hazardous part of the climb...consider yourself warned. Scrambling/hiking back the way you come around the small tower is just as fast, and much less hazardous."

Essential Gear

50 or 60 meter rope, light rack of active and passive pro to 3", 24" slings

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Images

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