Ascents in West Kootenays having Beta

Wow! What a beautiful, aesthetic route and pleasurable climb. It starts off with a wonderfully curving crack and then every pitch after is really enjoyable. Some thoughtful gear on pitch 3 but otherwise plentiful opportunities. Great rock throughout. The roof pitch higher up is enjoyable and really cool with the exposure. This was Bec's first big alpine rock climb and she definitely stepped up to the plate. She got through 90% of the first pitch before having to sit on the rope and didn't quite stick the roof sequence, but otherwise sent everything else. Super proud of her efforts and stoke on the day. Deservingly classic and keen to come back to explore some of the other routes on this beautiful piece of rock.

Reminiscent of materialistic prostitution at Frog Buttress Same grade too haha

2nd burn. Really cool sequences. Just wish it was twice as long.

Stout little warm up, feels more like 10c in my opinion.

Lots of bad feet, slopers and mantles

Good warm-up!

Second go - got very pumped!

Lives up to the hype.

Tricky clip at crux

Amnesia flash

Tricky

Amnesia flash

Tricky crux at the end. Second go.

Slipped but caught myself

2nd last climb of the day and experimented with a few different ways of doing the top section... they didn't work very well.

Did this one at the end of the day and was too tired to get it in one go.

Fell at penultimate bolt

Take after corner move

Awesome sequence climbing in the dihedral.

Similar to Pi besides it. Top few bolts are a bit runout and can't reach the anchor from the final ledge. Small toe pocket and big sloper to hang onto to reach the chains while about 2m above final bolt. Had to hold chains until tethered.

Good incut holds that are not visible from the ground. Crux is getting passed the second bolt. Easier afterwards and good ledge at anchor

Fun route. Kinda hard pull on the roof and fun slab afterwards.

Started left at beginning. Hung on first draw. Took a bunch of up and downs trying to climb past 2nd bolt before getting it. Went left to get past it.

Seems like a tough start for a 5.8. Neither of us could actually manage to start at all without pulling on a QuickDraw from the first bolt, which is only 6 feet off the ground so maybe that's what it's for.

Very nice climb up to after the crux pitch. The Rock gets chossy and route finding is hard on the last 3 pitches (follow the flakes). There's a spooky runout on pitch 4. Exposure the whole way up!

A short 10a sequence getting off the ledge at bolt 3, the rest is pretty mellow.

Took about 5 tries to get off the ground, after that was more work than expected, but clean.

The WKRG update describes this as a "gear-eating crack" -- but it isn't my idea of a such. To me, that means, anywhere you stop, you've got at least a couple good placements within easy reach. Not so on this. The gear isn't bad... but it isn't "gear-eating crack" quality of good.

Nice climbing up exfoliating flakes and slabs above the ledge.

Good gear and good climbing throughout.

Short, different, but kind of fun.

Like several other trad routes I've climbed in the area, felt like climbing stacked blocks in places. Gear looked generally pretty good, if you avoided the looser bits. But seemed really hard for a 5.7, even climbing it on TR.

A couple loose bits. Another one that felt really hard for 5.7.

I stick-clipped bolt 2 (of 3) so was on effective TR for the crux of the climb, so I don't really feel right calling it a lead onsight.

Far easier than "Reluctant Gardner". I' not sure it is harder than 5.5 -- but I might call it 5.6 for one move.

This is NOT the same 5.7 trad climbing as "Son of a Birch".

Generally soft, except for the last two moves to the anchor (one could skip, if you clipped the anchor from low, and called it done) -- but pulling the "real" finish felt about 5.9.

One short 5.10a sequence coming off the ledge at bolt 3, otherwise pretty mellow -- maybe a soft 10a bit near the top, too.

Getting off the ledge and established in the corner crack was an interesting challenge. Takes good gear once at the crack.

Tried to pull the roof direct ("10b" variation -- seems much harder than 10b, neither I nor Ellie who TRs low-11s could pull it). Otherwise, would have been clean.

Early gear is a bit iffy, but otherwise pretty good.