La Cara Perfecta (Ten)

Legendary for its 10 pitches of 5.10. Though you'll have to link some to do it in 10 pitches and have 5.10 on every pitch. This is a great route of mostly face climbing ("Cara") that can be climbed with nothing but draws. The bottom half is some truly incredible and unique rock ("Perfecta"). The top half is a little bushier and grainier, but great all the same. The bolt spacing is generally quite friendly. Though to be expected for a route like this and one put up by these guys, it's not exaaactly a sport route. Additionally, if you end up in a situation where you can't climb out, you'd be pretty screwed.

As this is a bluff, you'll walk to the top of the route, rap down and then star the climb. To begin, you rap a route to the left at first ("the face that launched a 1000 clips") and then start rappelling Ten at the top of the 4th pitch. If you manage to find the top and rappel down, route-finding is easy as you just follow the line of bolts. The rappel route is mostly straight down, angling right at times.

P1 - Up the easy corner until you can clip the first bolt out right. A couple bolts of hard slab (some of the hardest moves on the route imo) gains the amazing face covered in little crimps all the way tot he anchor.

P2 - Continue up the face to a belay below the short headwall. Can link with 3

P3 - Up the steep headwall until you can step right. Crux traverse right then go up and gain a ramp that takes you up and left to a belay. Shorter pitch.

P4 - Walk left on the ledge and then head up the glassy face passing a couple bolts. Gain the corner and step left, guided by bolts, when reasonable. Up to the anchor, climbing through amazing dikes.

P5 - Gain a grassy tips crack with bolts that goes over a roof or two and stop at an anchor on a ledge or keep going to a second anchor on a huge grassy ledge.

P6 - If you stopped at the lower anchor, head up a short but dirty corner that puts you on the huge grassy ledge. Walk way right clipping the other anchor on the way. Clip a bolt, mantel and gain a ledge by a tree and another anchor. (can be linked with 7 if you belayed at the higher anchor)

P7 - Continue straight up the face eventually passing a tree until an anchor on a rampy ledge.

P8 - Head up the steep knobby face. Traverse left a short ways then back right along a really cool dike. Anchor at a stance, can link with the next one with a 70 and long slings.

P9 - Head up past some frictiony moves until some easy ground is reached. Stop at the first anchor if you linked or the higher one 20 ft. above if not.

P10 - An interesting one. Head straight up to the roof and bushes. Clip a reachy bolt and then pull a tough mantel using the manzanita. Continue to a tree and anchor or link with the next one.

P11 - A bolted and steep fist crack. A #3 or 4 might be nice on this section depending on your comfort level. It's pretty secure. So it's up to you. Above, tricky arete moves lead to some bushy climbing and an anchor at a ledge.

P12 -14 - Can apparently be wet in the  early season. Traverse right then up some tricky lieback and mantel moves. 12 and 13 can be linked. 14 is easy up and left to the top.

P12 alternative - 5.11b, last pitch of Face...1000 clips - Move the belay up and left to a big ledge that you rappelled past on the approach. Super thin moves off the ground (bolt) gain some good holds. Head left, then up to a wheat thin style flake. At its top, traverse right then up on amazing knobs. P13 - easy to the top. Highly recommended.

10-15 minutes if you nail it, but don't expect to. The top of the route/start of the rappel approach is on the far right side of the cliff. From the parking area, head south until it seems like you're at a place where a gully marks the end of the cliff. Make your way to the edge of the cliff and look for the gigantic cairn that marks the start in a nice open area. You should be able to see the Balch Camp flake from the top. Gaining the top of the cliff and trying to traverse it is not very easy going. It's best to stay high above the top and then shoot straight down for Ten. See the rough map in main patterson left page.

GPS location for start of raps:

36.92492, -119.091292

15 or so draws, half extendable. 1x #3 and 1x #4 cams are useful on p11. You need two ropes for a couple of the raps. some raps can be linked or many can be done with 1 rope