Divine Guidance

Divine Guidance follows the obvious steep corner system right of Myopia and eventually connects to the great upper pitches of Astro Elephant via a couple unlikely and memorable face pitches. This is a great route that demands a solid lead head to navigate some spicy terrain.

Begin by scrambling up to a tiered ledge system with a couple large trees on the SE corner of the Perch.

P1 (5.7): Shared with Myopia, climb a long series of cracks, corners and blocks passing the belay for the first real pitch of Myopia and continuing a few feet up and right to a good ledge at the base of a long left-facing corner system that forks into two corners up higher (this Y-shaped corner system is an obvious landmark from below).

P2 (5.10): Climb the long corner system being cautious of some loose blocks and hollow stuff. About halfway up this corner you may see some obvious face holds leading to an old bail anchor out left - do not traverse here but continue up the corner to a second line of face holds that also lead out left. This is about 3/4 of the way up the corner. Traverse across the face and then up a thin flake to a stance belay on top of the flake. This is the only uncomfortable belay on the route.

P3 (5.11a PG13): The crux of the route is immediately off the belay. Step left and, using an undercling, make a big reach to the top of the thin flake. Traverse up and right across the top of this flake some distance before reliable pro can be had. At a stance, you can either traverse further right into a short corner system capped by a small roof (a bit of lichen and flakey rock, but good pro), or you can continue straight up the thin flake system (slightly harder?). Either way, the lines merge after about two body lengths at the left edge of the small roof and a welcomed rest at a huge pocket. Above this you'll be glad you brought a #4 Camalot to protect 30' of steep fist crack/liebacking. When the crack abruptly narrows, bust wildly out right on face holds and climb a series of sparsely-protected pillars to the "Towers Belay" that Ian mentions in the comments. This is a wild spot!

P4 (5.10+ R): Climb up into a bomb bay roof feature that is plugged by a wedged block, but instead of struggling over this, move around the arete to the right onto an exposed and highly featured face. Wander up this face plugging cams into small pockets for pro, clipping a vintage quarter-incher, and resisting the temptation to move right into a huge corner feature where more bail gear may be enticing you with the promise of an easy escape. Instead work up the face via a thin section to a huge flake above a small foot-ledge. This flake and ledge are located just 10' or so left of the left-most reaching section of the aforementioned huge corner feature. Sling this flake for a belay.

P5 (5.11a R): This is the money pitch. Move out left off the belay to gain an obvious thin seam. Climb this with decent but spaced pro until they (both the seam and the pro) thin to almost nothing. Arrange a nest of RP's and launch with commitment up and rightwards across a face to a small foot ledge beneath a second seam. Climb this second seam (now more or less back in line with the belay) up to a few tough moves to gain a huge pocket on the left. Protect this as well as possible and then step up with difficulty, clip another vintage bolt, and climb 15' of breath-taking face climbing to access a shallow, left-facing corner and more protection. I followed this to a prominent dike system and traversed right (being careful of a large loose block) before stepping up to a perfect belay ledge with a small tree, but it would also be possible to continue straight up the corner to this same ledge. Either way you have now joined Astro Elephant.

P6-9 (5.9): Climb the last four pitches of A-E to the very summit of the Perch. With a 70m rope it is possible to link these pitches into two leads.

SE Corner of the Perch.

Triples in Blue Alien/0.2 Camalot through Red Alien/0.5 Camalot. Flexy cams are helpful for some shallow horizontal pocket placements.

2 each 0.75 Camalots

1 each #1, #2, #3, and #4 Camalots

Full set of wired stoppers & RP's

14x Draws/Slings