The Face that Launched 1000 Clips

Some Restrictions Apply

The Sun Also Rises (Sunset Buttress)

50 lbs of Crack

Under the Knife

Under the Gun

Eleven

Raptors of the Steep

Escape Route

Four Play

The Drive-In

Some Assembly Required

The Way of the Dragon

Millenium Falcon

The Forebay

La Cara Perfecta (Ten)

The Money Shot

Starts on top of buttress left of Ten.

Up dark face to Halfway Ledge, then up 2 pitches of ow and chimney climbing, finishing with a smooth lieback.

From Tree Ledge, follow bolts left, then back right on easier climbing.

Up some 5.9 flakes to reach the final low angle slab.

The original route on the bluff and a striking one. Leversee put this up in 1986 (with Paul Martzen) and came back 8 years later after recruiting none other than Scott Cosgrove to help him free it. The route snakes its way up the obvious buttress on the left side of the main wall. It features an even mix of crack and face climbing, though most of the crack climbing consists of liebacking and stemming up incredible water grooves and thin seams. An extremely excellent and sustained line. Although obviously a different style, I consider this thing on par with Romantic Warrior in terms of difficulty and quality. Well protected throughout.

I included the original topo which is mostly useful and accurate. However, there are more bolts than indicated and the grades seem pretty off. I put my best guesses here

Rappel to the base, hanging draws on the first pitch is a good idea.

P1 - 11b 80ft. - From the nice stance and only gear anchor on the route, climb the corner with a couple finger sized pieces, gain a stance on the arete, and work your way over to the belay ledge.

P2 - 12c 115ft. - Some cosgrove shit, by far the crux of the route, imho. Grade is complete guess. Climb up the shallow corner getting a small piece before the first bolt if you want. 6 more closely spaced bolts take you up and then left through thin crux face climbing transitioning into a crack system. Easier climbing up finger cracks lead to the belay.

P3 - 11c 80ft. - The aid route goes straight up, but downclimb the flake off the belay and then traverse right to the arete. Climb up on jugs to clip the first bolt, slightly scary. Keep traversing right to a final crux move to a jug, you may dyno here. Up a bit to a hanging belay. All bolts.

P4 - 11d+ 90 ft. - Traverse back left on good holds then more straight up. Really hard moves lead into and then up a series of seams. All bolt protected IIRC, but maybe take a finger size piece or two.

P5 - 12a 100 ft. - Up to a stance and the first bolt. Hard moves lead right and up into the groove/crack system. A few more bolts gains a rest. Then head up into the cruxy tips crack and keep going until it gets dirty and you can transition to the nice finger crack on the left. Mostly bolts but take a couple pieces from small to hand size. Nice belay ledge.

P6 - 12a 100 ft. - Easy terrain past a couple bolts lead into the groove with a tips crack in the back. Magic your way up this eventually gaining a nice rest below parallel grooves. Lieback and stem your way up to the belay. Awesome and unique pitch. Lots of bolts and gear.

P7 - 11c 130 ft. - Gain the incredible dike and traverse it up and left to its end. Then head straight up to a great ledge. A piece or two for off the belay then all bolts. A ton of draws needed

P8 - 11a 140 ft. - Up the awkward corner, pass some loose flakes, and then pull into the fist crack groove. Up this until a bolt leads you onto the face out left. Up to another nice ledge. Many bolts and gear

P9 - 10d 150 ft. - Sting in the tail for sure. Up and left on cruxy slab (bolts) to get established below a corner. Work your way into it and up it passing a few bolts and lots of gear options.

P10 - 5.8/4th 200 ft. - Step left and then head up the slab. There is an anchor on the right wall to bring up your second. Then it's easy to solo up and left then back right to the glorious topout.

Corner past big roof.

Note:  the traverse above the roof on p9 needs 2 bolts added.

They were shown on the original topo but are not on the pitch at present time!

So it's very likely that Richard Leversee planned to add them after, but forgot.

Mostly bolted.

Two 5.12 pitches.

Ends at Knife Flake.

See overlay photo for general path.

No topo at present - climb it and add one!

Climbs face and cracks right of huge "Eyebrow Roof".

Has two short A0 bolt ladders.

See overlay photo and topo.

Face right of Ten.

Joins Ten at about 2/3 height.

See overlay photo.

The big right facing corner on the right edge of Sunset Buttress.

Mostly an aid route.

An option to return to the top if you can't make it up Sunset Buttress or The Way of the Dragon.

3 or 4 pitches.

Rating unknown (5.9 is a guess to suggest it's not 3rd class).

Rap the route to approach, leaving an extra 60m rope fixed at the rim anchor, plus ascenders, to avoid a dirty topout.

Do not rappel the final 150' to the ground at base of wall - it's blank.

3 pitches of 5.10 and 1 of 5.8.

Crux on p3 is 5.10+ wild overhanging stems and chimney moves, protected by small gear.

A great option for a quick lap at Patterson. A well-protected sport route with 3 out of 4 pitches each having a distinct crux. A little dinkey with short pitches, but some fun climbing. The real treat, the start of the rappel approach/top-out is 30 seconds from the car!

Brandon always wanted a route right below the cars for the novelty of it, but, although it doesn't look like much, it actually made for a quality and tougher-than-expected route.

P1 - 10+ 25m - Some sharp crimps lead up great rock. Sustained for 5 bolts or so, then easier to anchor.

P2 - 11- 30m - After a cool mantle off the belay, head quickly right then up and left through the crux. Then easier rock leads to the belay.

P3 - 5.8 35m - The easy/curddy pitch. Go up and right and climb some dirty rock 'til you can traverse a big, grassy ledge way back left.

P4 - 11+ 35m - Move the belay to the left (no anchor but on a secure ledge, and you can wedge yourself behind a flake). A tough, balancey boulder problem leads up and right to a higher ledge. From there, crank up a slightly overhanging wall on a rad dike. Follow bolts to the top.

On the big face right of Sunset Buttress.

See beta photo and topo.

The aid is a short bolt ladder on p7 and 2 bolts on p8.

AAJ 2002, p. 207.

Face further right of Eleven.

Joins Ten and Eleven at about 2/3 height.

See overlay photo.

Climb it and add a topo!

P1 - 5.10 - 65m - 9 bolts + int. rap anchor and #0.4-1 - Layback flake to steep face climbing to int. rap anchor. Climbing gets easy and slightly run out to the top.

P2 - 5.9 - 35m - 4 bolts and #0.4-0.75 - Move belay to higher ledge. Clean layback to face. Great ledge.

P3 - 5.10+ - 55m - 18 bolts - Thin seam leads to ledges to corner. Bust out of corner and enjoy nice face climbing to stance.

P4 - 5.10- - 35m - 12 bolts + int. rap anchor - Leftward dike traverse to great ledge.

P5 - 5.10 - 45m from right anchor - 6 bolts and gear - Wander up and left on face guided by bolts to glory corner. Eventually, bust left around the arete and mantle to anchor.

P6 - 5.11 - 20m - 7 bolts - Thin crimps to nice flake.

P7 - 5.11+ - 35m - 14 bolts - Desperate slab to awesome roof to awesome ledge.

P8 - 5.11+ - 25m - 9 bolts + int. rap anchor - Hard moves into flake and then easier face to anchor.

P9 - 5.12 - 20m - 12 bolts - Burly layback off belay to get established on face out left. Tricky and then pumpy climbing over steep bulge with big exposure. Great ledge. Sweet

P10 - 5.9 - 35m - 8 bolts - Straight up off the belay on knobs and then wander up and right to beginning of huge dike.

P11 - 5.5 - 70m - 6 bolts - Hike up the dike to a bolted anchor right below the vegetated rim.

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.

Steep splitter cracks mixed with steep face climbing cruxes. Unique, exposed, and improbable. Brandon started this 20 years ago with Scott Thelen. After 2 pitches they jugged out on their "umbilical cord" (fixed lines), stopping to climb the 5th pitch splitter on the way. We came back in 2018 to connect it all and then in 2020 to free it.

*A good route for warmer weather as it remains shaded until late afternoon.* All anchors bolted

P1 - 10+ 70m - Low angle corner leads to slick face climbing past bolts. Easy to simul with 60m.

P2 - 11 30m - Cool face climbing leads to layback crux to overhanging hands to good ledge.

P3 - 12 25m - Rising traverse to the right. Start with a steep boulder problem on sick crimps. This leads to sit down rest. Rinse and repeat. Then final crux pulling roof with finger and hand crack (look for bolt). Heinous hanging belay. All bolts but a couple finger to thin-hands size can help protect follower and/or c1 it.

P4 - 10+ 30m - Hands to OW to chimney to wild exit moves to another hanging belay.

P5 - 10 30m - Glory hands to crack switch to more glory. Perfect.

P6 - 11+ 30m - Follow bolts up then out of chimney to cool face moves. Then slick as hell slab traverse at the end. Joins SAR at bivy ledge. All bolts

11a, 10d, 5.8 to top.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Patterson Left