West Face Central

I found this long ago topo written on the back inside cover of my copy of Kelsey's 1980 Sierra Club guide to the WRR. Having done this route 3 times, I'm fairly confident this is an accurate description of the route Gustavo and I took so long ago (May he rest in peace)

Approach: Locate start about 50' down from the notch between LTS and the S Ridge of Steeple. It begins as a ledge. Move out right 30' or so and belay at the start of a ramp.

P1: Up ramp to it's end 170' 5.4-5.5 - 170'

P2: From top of small block reach up to horizontal crack. Hand traverse right (5.8) 15' to small corner. Up this and the undercling left 15' to ledge (5.9) - 75'

P3: Face climb on chickenheads left 20' past one corner and climb 2nd on up and eventually slightly right  - 5.8 - 140'

P4: Surmount flakey mantle to ledge. Move right past one corner (chimney) and ascend 2nd left facing corner to ledge. - 5.9 - 130'

P5: Up a few feet then left into slightly flared left facing corner. Move up with caution past flake and belay at a small ledge. 5.9 - 80'

P6: Up right hand of two corners above to semi hanging belay. 5.10 - 80'

P7: Move right and ascend OW cracks and hand cracks to lefge below summit overhangs. 5.10 - 150'

P8: Surmount overhangs (A1) and finish at will.

Over the years, I've become more fond of approaching climbs above Deep Lake by way of Rapid Creek. But on this occasion I think Gus and I took the std 'Little Sandy Trail' and setup

camp in the upper basin.

Campsite - 1983

From there we walked across ledges above the south end of Deep Lake and on up to the base of the spire. We got down quite late and had a bit of an epic finding the tent.

Std alpine rack for the times. Wires, nuts and Friends.