The Omen

This climb is a variation of the classic route, Satan's Slab. It is a good one at that, not better, no less good, though. It has 300+ feet of independent climbing and skips the crux of Satan's Slab, so perhaps it is a good and less committing variation, albeit still runout, if one is too intimidated to commit to S.S.

You can add some quality climbing if you start directly out of the Skunk Canyon by following the blunt East arete up for 200 or so feet and then stepping off to the right from a sloping shoulder of sorts, back to the ground, or you can simply hike up that far and begin climbing.

P1: 5.6, 150' Start up a clean slab, which becomes cleaner 40' up from the base, and continue perhaps 150' to a horizontal with an old webbing rap anchor in it. For a longer pitch continue further up and left past a bulge (5.7, crux) and belay at a shallow sloping ledge with a horizontal crack.

P2: 5.7, 170' Climb up and left, staying to the right of some bulges and a roof. The crux pitch of Satan's Slab goes left of these. Continue up and left to join Satan's Slab on a ledge after a long pitch.

P3 & P4 : (5.5, 350') Continue up the ridge as per Satan's Slab to the top...

On the East Face of Ridge 2 of Skunk Canyon... just up the hill from Satan's Slab.

Not much. Take some tricams for the belays, and it helps....