Twisted

Twisted is one of the lesser known routes up the North Chasm View Wall. It is also not very well-described in the

Black Canyon Rock Climbs

guidebook. Pike Howard and I did this in 2003 and spent a fair bit of time figuring out where to go. We hope this helps.

P1. Ascend the first pitch of

Journey Home

(5.9), adequately described on this site and in the guidebook.

P2. (150 feet). Walk left a bit along the large belay ledge. Looking up, you will see the bottom part of a huge flake (it doesn't look that huge until you actually get into it). Face climb up and left until you can get your fingers in the crack, and then undercling and lieback left around the bottom of the flake (5.10, scary). Continue up the left side of the flake (5.9+, wide) to its end and then face climb up and left past two bolts (5.11b/c) to a stance next to a (somewhat loose) block on a ledge.

P3. Face climb straight right (5.10), and then ascend a crack to a ledge.

P4. Ascend the straight-in thin crack (5.12a or 5.11 A2) for about 50 feet then exit up and right on face moves (5.10+) to a ramp. Follow the ramp up and right to a ledge below a right-facing dihedral. I describe this as 5.12a, as that's what Pike suggested after working hard to free it on the lead.

P5. Stem the somewhat dirty, right-facing corner (5.11a) to a ledge.

P6. Face climb up and then left (5.10+, scary - particularly for the follower), well beneath the roofs that loom above you, to a ledge, and then work back up and right on face moves to gain access to easier ground above the roofs. Belay at a ledge. Note that the guidebook indicates some aid on this pitch and shows that the pitch ends at the top of a huge terrace. Somehow, a pitch was lost or something, because this pitch goes free at a relatively moderate grade and, at the end of it, you are still a pitch away from the terrace.

P7. At this point, you are at the bottom of a corner system. It was getting late for us, and we elected to traverse quite a ways right and eventually join up with

Journey Home

. I can't remember what the corner looked like, exactly, but my recollection is that this pitch would be at least 5.11.

P8. Continue up the last real pitch of

Journey Home

to gain the huge terrace. Walk tens of yards left along the terrace, and find an easy crack to exit to the top.

Standard rack - bring RPs for the 4th pitch, and 2 #4 Camalots for the 2nd.