20 Little Black Dogs

I once overheard a young boy claim that the start of this route looked like "twenty lil black dags." I don't really see it but that's show business.

This climb is probably enjoyable for some of you. It's not very long, not very consistent, not very easy to get to, but it makes up for it with some mildly interesting features. You could pitch it out into three shorter sections, but it seems to make sense to do it in two nice longer pitches, as described here. Not a full day, but a good addition to other stuff in the area and a moderate way to tag the Bastion summit (explore while you're up there, it's rad!)

P1 (5.9+, ~170'). Start up the obvious, right slanting wide crack. Easy body size groveling eventually pinches down to wide-hand/fist size, where you can slam a piece and make a few awkward Cochise moves. Decent feet and good (sharp!) jams take you up to massive heads to the right. Frome this point, cruise up and slightly left on a sea of hero heads, eventually stopping 20-30' below a rounded roof. There's probably tat here, but advise building your own anchor. Singles 1-4" protect the lower section, and slings for heads on 5.5 terrain if you want em.

P2 (5.9, ~170'). This is the money pitch. The climbing is varied and the pitch is long, which calls for thoughtful gear conservation and drag management. Continue up towards the rounded roof, but move right after a few moves across an easy but airy traverse to double cracks. Gain the first crack, trend upwards towards shrub, then transition to the next crack over right. Another move or two here, and again transition right into the major chimney. One of those fun moves that you can fall into. Chimney to escape rap on right, follow to blunt arete that caps the crack system from 1000 Clowns below. DON'T go up here, but instead make easy traverse right to a handcrack that delivers you to the summit dish. We belayed here off a marginal two piece anchor (purple camalot and green c3) backed up by body-belay in the dish. You could also continue over the dome and belay on the other side, but you'd probably need bigger cams (#5ish). WHEW, it's a long pitch, nice work. No single move, but much more thoughtful than the first pitch.

Bonus Pitch! (5.8, ~40'). To descend, you need to traverse climber's left to the first rap anchor. You're aiming NW, kinda towards Rockfellow dome. Look for a single old bolt which looks hard to reach, but isn't. Clip it (or don't, whatever), then make the exposed move into a crack. Bomber #3 protects a few more moves left to a big block, probably with slings in place. Rap here.

Descent: Rap ~130' back down to the heads you previously belayed on. We had double 60 meters, but a single 70m should do it. Manage the rope well on this rap, lot of heads to snag, and the rope's fall line is straight into a chimney with lots of chocked stones to pinch it. Make a short rap down to a tree right above the start of the route, and then rap off the tree to ground. Three raps total.

This route is on the SW side of Bastion, opposite Forest Lawn and more popular routes of the NE side. Approach RF group, and turn right where you finally reach the group (at Be All End All). Go past Endgame, Days, etc. and begin scrambling, staying relatively close to the formation. You'll pass Chey, and continue just pass the chasm that makes up the Labyrinth. It's a very different view of Rockfellow group and it's easy to get disoriented. Part of the Cochise beauty I guess. You're looking for a tall series of continuous left leaning cracks that make up the 1000 Clowns corner, separated by a big arete that forms a chimney with the left face where 20 Dogs starts. Look for the large, right leaning crack that starts the route. Good luck!

Singles #1-4 adequate, optionally double up med size if you're not confident at grade. Bunch of slings. Single 70m fine, just watch ends on first rap.