Conn's East

This long, continuously traversing climb is a good introduction to Seneca's East Face; it crosses and shares belays with many of the area classics. It begins on Upper Broadway about 40 to 50 feet left of the twin cracks of Castor and Pollux.

Pitch 1: Climb a right-trending ramp/flake and ledge/corner system with a couple of trees about halfway up (good optional belay in a crack behind the trees on a ledge). Pass the trees, move up a chimney and then the face a long ledge.  Traverse right on the ledge to a set of anchors at the far end.  There is a set of anchors when you first come up but skip these and keep going right on the ledge.

Pitch 2: Plug some good gear right off the ledge and climb the short imposing corner up and out to the right, aiming for an obvious pin. Pass the pin and use big jugs to move up to another ledge large ledge.  Traverse right on the ledge to either set of bolt anchors (the right set is more convenient for P3) This short pitch is the main crux of the route.

Pitch 3: Continue right along the ledge to an obvious wide crack/flake and corner system that widens to a chimney at the top and ends at a large block stuck in the top.  Work up this and sort out the top out moves to surmount the block.  Move a bit right and build a belay near the top of the route Gunsight to South Peak.

Pitch 4: A few final moves will get you to the summit.  Traverse carefully along the ledge to the south and make a belay at the south end near the summit register box.

Begin on Upper Broadway Ledge, a bit left of the middle area.  If you locate the twin cracks of Castor and Pollux (right when you come up the approach trail), the start is to left about 25 yds.  There is a jumble of boulders at the start and the ledge goes downhill a bit just beyond the start area.

Descend to the east via the Orangeaid or Alcoa Presents rappel stations from the summit area or the Old Ladies/West Pole rappels further down the summit ledge on the east face.  Descend to the west side via the Conn's West or Traffic Jam rap routes with a single rope or the summit rappel (Pleasant Overhangs) or the West Pole rap routes with 2 ropes.  The PO rap route is a mandatory 2 rappel rap route with 2 ropes.

Some untrustworthy gear along the route, good anchors at each station.