Prowess

This route is a fairly independent version of the East Prow, covering 2/3 pitches as new territory, and with different character and cruxes. It was clean, fun, solid, and... protected enough to be reasonable but not with a lot of gear.

P1. 5.7, 110'. Start up from the ground as for

East Prow

, and do the right-leaning, undercling flake, turning it at the point and heading back left up onto a slanting ledge. A belay can be made here, or with a 70-80m rope, one can continue into P2 as we did. An alternate P1 can probably be devised to make this climb a completely different/independent/new line, but this pitch is pretty cool.

P2. 5.9+, 120+'. From the slanting ledge above P1, continue up in a right-facing corner past a large flake jutting out right. Stay left over this, heading for the left of these two corners, which goes more directly upward, instead of leaning right as for

East Prow

. Strike out up and left, (somewhat sharply left) from this left corner across a grey and gold granite plate. Place good protection prior to getting onto it, as protection will be hard to come by (only occasional) from here on. You will be linking small sections of cracks and flakes through face-climbing sections. Pull on small knobs and slopers pacing upward toward the left end of a roof where a right-facing corner intersects it. The left-facing corner that holds the second belay of the

East Prow

should be visible maybe 15+ meters to your right as you place more gear and pull the roof. Continue climbing up and left into a left-facing flake system that leans left. This is visible in Rossiter's photo in the Fixed Pin guide on p. 200 but is not shown as a flake in the topo on p. 201. Belay wherever you can get some gear, which may be after some simul-climbing unless you have at least a 70m rope. Due to lack of much gear, drag remains at a minimum. The climbing gets easier as you continue onto lower angle rock.

P3. 5.6, ???' (depends on where you belay). Finish out up and left on the left facing flake and shallow corner on lower angle rock. When you can see a huge horn on the right side skyline, on a reasonable-sized ledge, break right and head to that ledge to the right for a belay. This is the 3rd belay as for

Age Axe

or

East Prow

.

P4-P6. 5.9+ or harder. Finish as for Awesome or

Age Axe

, just like you would on the

East Prow

. The P4 3" crack above the horn is fun and takes whatever gear you brought in one place or another, and the P5/P6 of

Age Axe

(run them together) are a great right-facing corner 10b finish opportunity, though a little less clean than the rest of the climb.

This route starts on P1 as for

East Prow

but then heads up and left into different systems, rejoining on the ledge and merging with

Age Axe

at the 3" crack/corner after P3.

A standard alpine rack of stoppers and cams. Bring lots of slings if linking pitches! A 70m rope is suggested.