"Gates" follows a compelling natural line on the West Face of the Ribbon Falls Amphitheater. The left wall of the Gates dihedral, when illuminated by the sun, juts out like a glowing blade begging to be climbed. It is amazing that this obvious line waited so many years before an ascent.

The first ten pitches follow continuous cracks and corners on very high quality granite. All the belay stations are fixed chains, making this part of the climb feel less committing than many similar size Valley routes. Most of the belays are at great stances or full sit down and recline ledges. The setting and positions, climbing in the amphitheater are super cool.

The upper 9 pitches are mostly 5.7, and allow you to top out the formation in approximately 2000 ft. of climbing.

Only the first 10 pitches are described here as this will likely be the way that most parties will climb it.

This is an excellent route that should be getting way more traffic. The hard climbing is well protected and short lived, the bulk of the climbing is endless 5.10 hands and fingers corner cracks. Even the mandatory Valley OW pitch is kinda soft and cuddly (kinda). Overall, Gates feels less burly than Astroman and less head spinning than the Crucifix. The 5.10 C1 crowd would find aiding the short cruxes straight forward and would be well rewarded with tons of great 5.10 free climbing.

The only real cons of this route is some grassy cracks and pokey shrubs, this route will only get cleaner and better with more traffic. The route is an absolute sun trap, this was great for our mid November ascent, but it is likely scorching much of the year.

Pitch by pitch.

Lengths are approximate.

Pitch 1. 5.12a, 30m.

Start up lower angled cracks to the base of left facing corner. Technical stemming with small foot chips on the left and helpful concavities on the right, protected with two bolts. Finishes up a 5.11 finger crack.

This pitch has been described as "houdini-funk" and rated .12c. We found the crux to be fairly easy to decipher and quite short lived, the kind of .12a that isn't even that bad to warm up on.

Pitch 2.

5.11c, 25m.

Starts with a difficult traverse past a bolt, my partner went high, I went low. Continue romping up fun 5.10- fingers and laybacking.

Pitch 3.

5.10c, 35m.

Hands gradually widen to off fists, just when things are getting thuggish a miracle crimp rail and single, generous foothold lead around the arete (bolt) to twin hand cracks, do i use the perfect crack on the left or the perfect crack on the right? I'm so confused...

Pitch 4.

5.10a, 30m.

Hands and fingers and jugs, so fun!

Pitch 5.

5.10b, 30m.

The jungle pitch. More steep cracks of agreeable widths. The trees initially look like they will be a pain in the ass but are easily passed by a chimney in behind. The haul rope had to be passed around the outside of the trees, this minor inconvenience makes a case for not bringing a tag.

Pitch 6.

5.9, 20m.

Layback four inch crack up lower angle ramp. This crack is visible from the valley.

Pitch 7.

5.10d, 30m.

Climb straight up beautiful corner directly above the belay move right into wide crack that is easier than it looks.

Pitch 8.

5.10d, 30m.

Climb past annoying shrub to a ledge. Crank up steep fingers in a corner, fingers morph into the offwidth, the offwidth is negotiated left side in, although overhanging, the subtle flair allows for some chimney style rests and a great two handed crimp gives welcome relief half way. Almost fun!

As previously reported, loose block at the top of this pitch is now gone.

Pitch 9.

5.11a, 40m.

Long corner, mostly fingers. Several bulges provide stimulating cruxes, at the last roof step left to the only hanging belay on the route.

Pitch 10.

5.11d, 35m.

Wild and steep, this pitch projects you out over the route below. This steep pitch is capped by a bombay chimney and another 5.11 crux of flared fingers and stemming.

We ran out of daylight and didn't get to do pitch 10, the description of this pitch is adapted from Sean Jones AAJ report.

We linked pitches 2-3 and 4-5 with no problems.

This first pitch remains shady much longer than the rest of the route.

Gates of Delirium

Resist!

Gold Wall

Spaghetti Western

Laughing at the Void

The Silent Line

Golden Bough

Direct Action

Gold Rush

In summer of 2015 Steve Bosque, Josh Mucci and decided to head up to Ribbon Falls to start a new line in the back left corner of the amphitheater (approx 100 feet to the left of the back wall). As the falls raged and I was unable to look up at the route without the falling rain making it impossible to see through my glasses, we prepped our gear and put our faith in the weather report that promised us a break in the rain the next morning. While we waited, we took in the scene: nature at its most majestic with the power of the falls in stark contrast to the wild flowers and delicate bright green frogs that were unfazed by the rain, but frightened by our footsteps in a place that seemed both part of Yosemite and yet so far from the bustle of the valley floor that it seemed as though we were in an alpine setting with none of the normal sounds of civilization breaking through the wilderness experience Steve had promised.

Over the course of the next few weekends, we made quick work of the first three pitches, nailing a contrived A1 beak line between easier freeclimbing. After we had reached the top of the third pitch Josh Mucci was able to join us having quickly overcome an ankle injury that prevented him from joining us for the initial pitches. Stepping off the hanging belay at the start of the fourth pitch, the “perfect easy crack on vertical rock” that we had promised him turned out to be closed and marked the beginning of the more difficult climbing on this route. Armed with beak tips and copperheads we slowly worked our way up the “Fistful of Copper” pitch after which the route continued to push back with more pitches of difficult and circuitous aiding up more than vertical and closed cracks until we reached Karmac Ledge where we were able to setup a bivy to continue our push towards the top of the buttress we were following. This ledge became the site of what we believe to be the first ever magic show performed on a bigwall first ascent with Steve Bosque performing magic acts that honored the work of Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin.

After a bit of mungey free climbing off of our bivy ledge, another pitch of vertical aiding past an array of horizontal lightning strike dikes brought us to the start of the obvious beige corner clearly visible from the floor of the amphitheater. Happily, this feature, which looked like a roof from the ground turned out to be a less-then-vertical corner that offered spectacular climbing back out onto the edge of the buttress. Upon our first trip up to the Amphitheater, we had found a  memorial with a bell for a man named Terry Cassidy attached to one of the more prominent trees that lurked at the edge of the hiker’s trail. Ringing that bell and saying Cassidy’s name marked the beginning of every weekend that we pushed our route closer to its inevitable end. In order to keep his spirit alive, we named this feature “Cassidy’s Corner” to add another memorial to this person we’d never met but who watched over us as we basked in the wilderness experience that found us happily hiking back weekend after weekend.

A final pitch of easy mixed aiding and climbing with a final sketchy aid traverse and rivets interspersed with beak tips and hooks to the summit just as the sun was setting gave us our final pitch name of “Sundance.” We stood at the top of the buttress and the end of our aid climbing adventure as weather reports indicated that El Nino had plans for a white christmas and an end to climbing access to our corner of Ribbon Falls Amphitheater.

Another pitch of circuitous free climbing in the 5.8 range for about 200’ will bring a climber to the top of the formation and an obvious tree that can be used to return to the ledge at the top of the route. The route is equipped to rap back to the ground without the need to leave any ropes fixed.

Pitch-by-pitch breakdown

Pitch 1: (80’ A1 5.6) Mixed free and contrived (but fun) aid to a sloping ledge. (Probable free variation approaches from the left)

Pitch 2: (70’ C2/A1)

“Hang’em High”

Head up and right around a bulge into a corner with broken cracks.

Pitch 3: (70’ C2/A1) Continue up corner past a roof until reaching belay to the right of the crack system. (May be possible to follow crack systems left a this point to free climb at 5.moderate to connect to “Karmac Ledge” – I’d bring a bolt kit if you’re planning on trying this as we did not go this way)

Pitch 4: (110’ A3)

“Fistful of Copper”

Step right from belay into right-facing closer seam that takes beak tips and copperheads. Sustained.

Pitch 5: (150’ A2) Rivets up and right from belay then penji to obvious crack system. Follow this up and then right around the arête through good cracks before heading back left to meet obvious left-facing corner (awkward) before moving left past a bolt to reach flaring crack to belay.

Pitch 6: (150’ C2 5.6) Easy mixed free and aid as angle lessens. Free climbing past blocks and ledges to reach

"Karmac Ledge"

. Camhooks very useful.

Pitch 7: (160’ A1+ 5.6) Free climbing up and right from belay before traversing around arête and to obvious flat ledge. Head left on broken beak cracks past wild white dikes until veering back right towards belay at base of large corner. Fun pitch!

Pitch 8: (120’ A3)

“Cassidy’s Corner”

Heads and beaks up obvious left-facing corner until rivets around very hollow block. Follow rivets to right angling roof/corner the takes cams, arrows, and blades to belay. Stellar pitch.

Pitch 9: (120’A3)

“Sundance”

Easy aid until leftward traverse along thin flakes and discontinuous corners until hooks, beaks, and rivets lead up to belay ledge.

Pitch 10: (~200’) Wandering free climbing to rim. Best route heads climber right from the belay, then veering leftwards towards obvious tree at rim.

Lots and lots of beaking on thin cracks leading to a system of fingers to hands to fists to OW to chimney that ends in an awesome cave before the final pitch to the summit.

Rack:

Beaks: 8 large, 8 medium, 6 small

Arrows: a few small

Blades: a few thin

Angles: 1 each #1-2

Heads: 1-2 each #2 and #3

Rivet Hanger

Camhooks

Hooks 2 each Grappling and Cliffhanger

Nuts: 1 set

Cams:

3 each 0.3"-4.5"

2 each 6",

1

optional

8"

Pitch 1: A2: 80’

of thin nailing to two bolt anchor below a small roof. Anchor visible from the base of the route.

Pitch 2: A2+: 120’

of thin nailing continuing up the continuously thin feature

Pitch 3: A2+: 200’

move right and down from the belay to move around a corner on easy free moves to a full rope length of thin to wide climbing finishing with an intricate and discontinuous beak system to reach the belay in the center of the wall.

Pitch 4: A2: 120’

Move right from the belay to reach a rivet via beaks in a bottoming and loose crack, tension around a corner to establish yourself on hooks to make a traverse (protectable with hidden arrow placements) to a laser-cut arrow corner that allows you to reach over to a perfect hand crack on the opposite wall. Follow this to a slanting ledge before moving through a gently overhanging and loose groove to anchor.

Pitch 5: A1: 200’

Continue up dirty climbing through a few ledges, carefully avoiding a precarious stack of loose blocks towards the top of the pitch.

Pitch 6: A2+: 120’

Move left to establish yourself in a left-facing corner system taking cams, thin pitons, and heads to a hooking traverse along a flake system to the anchors.

Pitch 7: 5.7 C1: 130’

of steep hands to fist before establishing yourself in a chimney system requiring mandatory free climbing to reach the belay cave at the end of the pitch.

Pitch 8: C1: 110’

Move to back of the cave and climb out the back up easy aid to blocky climbing to the anchors.

Write Up of Climb:

failfalling.com/ClimbingBlo…

!

The Classic Layton Kor route, that splits the wall right up the middle.  Thuggish climbing down low, leads to interesting aid as the original route moves up and right to TRON ledge.  A very sporty pitch off of the ledge leads to the Belly crawl feature (one of a kind!)

The route continues up stout hand cracks and can be rappelled up to P 9 as of 2012

This is the route that starts 30 feet to the right of Gold Wall.  It follows the obvious thin splitter up to a few bolts then a right facing corner.  One more pitch gets you to the bolt ladder to heaven.

200 feet of 3/8ths bolts, and 2 bat hooks get you to the all time A1 splitter crack this route is known for.  185 feet of nailing bliss.  A few more awk, and strenuous pitches bring you to the rainbow ledge bivy.  Pretty good for 2, and a great view of the falls.

The Silent Line is the free version of the Gold Wall. It has been freed in its entirety by Dean Potter at 5.13a, but since 99% of folks (myself included) will aid the crux, I've posted it here as 5.10 C1.

Once you've arrived at the base of the wall (see area description), look for a flake system with a slung horn about 25' up. Up and left of the slung horn, you'll see a line of bolts leading to a splitter crack system. This is the route. There is another partially bolted route in the vicinity, about 100' right of Gold Wall/Silent Line. This follows a splitter crack to a bolted arete to bolted anchor. I haven't done this pitch, but include it here as a reference point.

P1: Climb up flakes, past the slung horn/hole, and then traverse left to the bolt line. Climb the bolt ladder directly (A0), and then make some thin aid or free moves (5.11 or C1). I believe the free line clips the first bolt and then traverses right on some cool looking knobs. Looks difficult and bold. Either way, end at a 2 bolt anchor, 90'.

P2: A burly pitch, definitely the crux of the route if you're climbing at 5.10 C1. Difficult moves up a flaring crack with pins scars greet you just off the belay (5.11 or C1), and then an unrelenting flared groove provides insecure free climbing or awkward aid. Big cams (#4 camalots) might be nice if aiding. Ends at 2 bolts, 120'.

P1 and 2 Link with a 70m rope, and it's probably a good idea if you want to free the 5.11 at the start of the pitch, other wise you'd be whipping onto you're belayer.

P3. Climb straight up, pass right around a chockstone with a tree at the top, and continue up a flaring fist crack. Keep an eye out left, because you're going to leave the main crack system here and traverse left on face holds to a small RF corner. The 2 bolt anchor for "Gold Wall" will be above you, and the 2 bolt anchor for Silent Line is visible to the left. Make the fun traverse left (5.10), and gain the flared crack, following it to the anchor. 90'

P4: The Money Pitch! More tricky groove climbing above the anchor gives way to a beautiful splitter, starting as fingers, passing a large tree (optional belay) and widening to fists. Its mostly glorious hands, though, so enjoy it! 200', 5.10.

P5: Another wild and enjoyable pitch! Go up a flared hand crack and enter the maw above, a huge triangular chimney leading into the massive roof. Enter the dark recesses of the chimney, and when all appears to be lost, an exit appears! Slither out a slot, and pull up into a hand crack. Revel in the exposure, be amazed at how somehow you're rope doesn't get stuck (backcleaning gear in the final handcrack is advised), and enjoys this totally unique pitch! 2 bolt anchor, 90', 5.9.

P6: Up flaring hands, fists, OW and chimneys. Very fun, although you might be getting tired of handcracks. 2 Bolts, 90', 5.10.

P7: More of the same, 5.9, 110', to a small ledge with a tree and a fixed stopper anchor. P6 and 7 link with a 70m cord.

P8: Traverse left off up a groove, past some big flakes, and into a huge flake/chimney system. At the top of the chimney, the angles lessens as you scramble up easier grooves. When you get to the ledge with trees, traverse right to a slung tree anchors, and enjoy the spectacular view of Ribbon Falls. Even though you could hear it the whole time, and occasionally felt some spray in the air, the falls have been hidden for the entire route until now!

This is where we stopped, and I think most people will as well, especially if they plan to rap the route. If you want to continue, it looks like dirty, low-angle climbing.

Descent: We rapped the route. Supertopo mentions that there is another descent option if you want to top out, involving walking west and rapping a gully. Sorry I don't have more info.

To rap the route, you'll need 2 ropes, or a 70m and some shenanigans for the top rap.

First the beta for 2 ropes:

Rap from the tree atop P8, straight down to the fixed stopper anchor atop P7, 140'. Continue down the route, entirely on nice new ASCA bolted anchors. Passing the huge roof, you'll use 2 stations on Gold Wall, since Silent Line is too far left.

Beta for a single 70m rope: From P7 down, you're fine with a 70m, although be careful on P2, we had a skinny, stretchy rope and barely made it. If you rapped from P7, you wouldn't be missing too much climbing-wise, just a 5.9 chimney, but you would be missing the awesome view of Ribbon Falls. It is possible to rap from P8 with a 70m if you traverse hard left, back into the chimneys you just climbed, and get to a slung chockstone. One rap from here gets you back to the fixed stopped anchor atop P7.

Golden Bough has most of the characteristics of a route that climbers typically try to avoid. Its got difficult offwidths and chimneys on almost every pitch, many of which are shallow and flared making them difficult to protect. The pitch 5 traverse is runout for both leader and follower. And its got dirt, lots and lots of dirt and vegetation. You will be scraping munge out of cracks to place gear, pawing up hummocks as they crumble away, fighting your way past bay trees as they tangle themselves in your rack, and of course pull yourself up the iconic Manzanita branch for which the route is named. Its got a couple of redeeming qualities though, most notably, the rock is high quality throughout. Its also quite steep and exposed for the grade and has a few really standout sections of climbing. If youre looking for a topo the Reid guide is pretty much spot on (aside from some serious sandbagging on the difficulty grades). Overall this is a route which will appeal to few people. But if its adventure you want, its adventure you will find up on Golden Bough.

Approach:  Park at the wood yard on the right side of North Side Drive, just past El Cap Meadow. Walk up the road and after the final switchback follow cairns into the woods on a climber trail. The trail follows the west bank of Ribbon Creek for a ways and then climbs the steep hillside to the base of Gold Wall and Silent Line. From here walk west along the base of the wall dropping down and around a large terrace. At the left end of the terrace scramble up 4th class ledges to near the top of the terrace. Good route-finding is needed to keep the scrambling 3rd and 4th class. Just below the high point of the terrace start working right until you reach the far right end of the terrace near a big drop-off. This is where pitch 1 begins. Expect around 1.5 hrs for the approach.

Pitch 1 (5.10a) Climb up a dirty thin crack to start, then a dirty wide crack/chimney up and over a small roof. Pass a tree with rap slings on it then climb more cracks and corners heading up. The upper half of the pitch is much cleaner and has some of the best climbing on the route. Pass another tricky roof above a chimney and then follow a nice corner. A splitter finger crack will head off to the right from the corner. Take it and belay to the right of the corner at a big flake with a small stance. Save 2-3 pro for the belay.

Pitch 2 (5.9+) Climb up the flakes, carefully passing a detached block then a pumpy finger crack up the right side of a leaning flake. From the top of this traverse left into a dirty, steep corner. The corner is difficult and hard to protect due to loose rock. Wrestle your way through the bay tree at the top of the corner and make an airy traverse up and left across a juggy dike. Belay at a small stance below a large block with a bunch of bushes growing out of the left side.

Pitch 3 (5.10+?) I thought this pitch was the crux, and its the only pitch I wasnt able to free. The left side of the block is an offwidth crack filled with bushes and dirt which makes it nearly impossible to climb. If you have a #6 Camalot you might be able to stick it in there amongst the bushes and then pull through on that, or maybe an ice axe would work... If youve somehow managed to stay clean thus far, you and your belayer are now in for a real dirt shower. The right side of the block is cleaner but has a tricky thin hand/finger crack with difficult to place pro and probably goes at 5.10+ or maybe 11-. I stood in slings to get up the right side of the block.

Above the block climb up the crack past more trees, offwidths, and the occasional section of enjoyable hand jams. Higher on the pitch the difficulty increases again to 5.10 and the crack becomes more of a flared groove with lots of lichen and dirt. Traverse left to another crack/groove about 40ft from the top and follow this difficult and dirty crack to a ledge. It is also possible to climb higher up in the original crack system and then pendulum left near the end, which is what I did.

Pitch 4 (5.8) From the belay ledge go straight up (not right along the top of the giant flakes). Climb featured, Middle Cathedral-style, rock heading up and trending to the right below an overhanging corner. The corner ends at a 4 roof. Climb over this and then climb up a dirty corner. The corner is choked with bay trees at the top of it so traverse left on good footholds and belay at a big dead tree on a blocky ledge.

Pitch 5 (5.9+) Climb a short way up the flakes and then traverse right to the left-facing corner. Climb up a couple moves then traverse right again around the arête of the corner. Climb up and set a directional for your follower and then keep traversing along the dike past another corner to the base of another chimney/offwidth. Take advantage of a hidden sidepull on the inside of the crack and then make some difficult handjaming moves past a constriction. Above is the Golden Bough which is a Manzanita branch which has thoughfuly grown down from the belay ledge to give climbers an unlikely passage over a blank section of rock. If this branch ever rips out (which it very well may!) this section will likely require 5.11 face climbing to pass. Hand-over-hand (as gently as possible) up the bough to a nicely exposed belay ledge.

Pitch 6 (5.9+) A straightforward, but not easy, pitch straight up the crack system. Lots more offwidth and a scary pull on a small bush to pass one section. Above is a flared groove leading up to double cracks over a bulge. Climb up and over onto a large, forested ledge.

Pitch 7 (5.9) From the left side of the ledge climb up a short offwidth and then go right onto a ramp. At the top of the ramp is a heinous looking bulge, which is avoided by traversing around the corner to the right and going up a slab. Work back left and then up to a handcrack above a corner. More wandering climbing leads past a short but burly flake and then a traverse left to another ledge.

Pitch 8 (5.6) Climb up another ramp angling right and then step over onto another ledge. Climb up the low-angle gully to the top of the cliff where you can un-rope.

Descent: There are two descent options. We topped out rather late in the day and didnt want to risk getting benighted on an unfamiliar descent, so we opted to start rapping straight down off of trees and meet up with the top of Silent Line which I had previously climbed and rapped. It took us two raps plus a 30 foot pitch to gain the top of Silent Line. From there we had to make/leave 3 extra rap stations along the route because we only had one 70m rope.

The other descent option is to work left (west) from the top of the route along brush covered ledges and then make several rappels from trees at some point. I do not know if you need two ropes or one for the rappels. I have never done this descent and have heard ugly things about it from the people who have. I would wager it is quite involved and would be difficult to do by headlamp. There might also be 3rd class ledges to scramble down at the end after you have made the rappels.

Mostly thin nailing. Shares part of the final pitch, an anchor, and rap anchors with Resist! and allows for "mix and match" climbing from the P3 anchors should one wish. Standout pitches are P2, P4, and P6. I consider this the best route of the three we've put up on that side of the amphitheater.

Pitch 1: 180' - A2

Climb up broken ledges before moving left into a left facing system that takes thin nailing.

Pitch 2: 100' - A3

Continue up obvious seam splitting the face. Becomes thinner as you get higher.

Pitch 3: 95' - A2

Penji right from anchors and climb dual cracks up and over a bulge to the anchors. Nailing and small cams.

Pitch 4: 175' - A4

Primarily hooks, small heads, microcams, and small beaks for this pitch. Start from left side of belay, move up then traverse right through hooks, beaks, and heads to reach the rivets that bypass a loose flake (careful as this is right over the anchor) followed by hooking to a left facing system that takes a few microcams and beaks, followed by more hooking and beaks to reach the rivets and hooks to the anchors. This pitch felt very similar to the pitches on Roulette.

Pitch 5: 180' - A2

Rivets left to a large ledge, hook or mantel ledge, then follow obvious system passing another ledge up to anchors. Optional gear belay can be made at second ledge.

Pitch 6: 195' - A3

Beaks up to stance next to dead tree then rivets followed by penji around the arete, tenuous beaking on a fragile flake reaches a beak system the leads to a perfect C1 crack that leads to a mantel and a couple moves to reach the anchor.

Pitch 7: 90' - C1 and free

Step to the right and finish on the final pitch of Resist!.

Descent:

(All double rope raps) Rap from final pitch of Resist! to the next anchor for Resist! (skipping the previous belay for Direct Action), Rap to the next anchor for Resist!, Rap to the P4 anchors for Direct Action, Rap to P3 anchors for Direct Action, Rap to P1 anchors for Direct Action, Rap to ground.

This is an extension to Laughing at the Void, or it could also be used as an alternate finish to Thin Line or Fool's Gold. The climb begins off Rainbow Ledge, ~700ft up on the SE arête of the Gold Wall (the formation, not the route).

The first couple pitches are definitely worth doing. After that it becomes your typical Yosemite top-out thrash with a lot of trees, gullies, and ledges punctuated with boulder-problem cruxes. The aid on the first two pitches would maybe go clean with a couple really tricky C2+ hand placed beaks. A lot of it would also go free in the 5.11 or 5.12 range I think.

Pitch 1: From Rainbow Ledge, start off a boulder to the left of the trees and get on a fixed head. Aid up the crack until it gets wide, then move left to a flake. Get on a little ledge and then aid the awkward groove in the corner. Step right to a bolted anchor at the end. I only nailed once on this pitch.

Pitch 2: Aid the crack to the right of the giant detached flake (this flake looks horrifying, but it's so massive you can't really influence it, I tried trundling it and it wouldn't budge). Above this is some thinner aid that angles up and right to some bolts. Belay at a tree. You could probably link this pitch and the former with a 60m, but just barely.

Pitch 3: Scramble through trees, up a short gully, through more trees, then step left and mantel over a short wall. Scramble up and right to belay at a large broad ledge.

Pitch 4: Climb up a big gully, then escape left when possible. Scramble up to another ledge with trees to join the top of Silent Line and Gold Wall.

Pitch 5: Same as the last pitch of Silent Line. Climb a short handcrack flake with a bit of wide liebacking at the top to reach a ledge. Go over to the right to get in a bomb bay chimney (need a #5 to protect) and continue up the chimney/gully to the top.

This is only sort of the "top" however. If you want to go higher, stay roped up and do another pitch up to the right until you can scramble left. But even this isn't any sort of summit, since you still have several hundred feet of 3rd class ledges and bushwhacking leading up to yet more cliffs!

If you are planning on rapping Gold Wall/SL then you can begin your descent off the infamous "mini pine" at the top of pitch 4 (top of Silent Line pitch 8). If you need to get back to Rainbow Ledge, retrace the route. Some raps might not have any anchors, but you can throw your rope around a tree. You only need one 60m to get back to Rainbow Ledge, but pitch 2 will be a close one so watch the ends. From Rainbow, four double-rope raps (w/ two 60m's) will get you to the ground.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in 5. Ribbon Falls Amphitheater