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If you found this page, I hope you like CHOSS!!!

A few quick things about the crag (skip ahead for topo and route descriptions)

I’ve decided to try a different rating system where climbs are simply broken down into easy, medium, and hard.  I’ll still include safety ratings. The routes will roughly follow this format – Easy (5.8 and below), Medium (5.9 to 5.11), and Hard (5.12 and up).

If you happen to climb one and have an opinion of the grade, please send me a message or comment on the bottom of this page!  I’ll take a consensus, as it’s been difficult to grade them.

Also, please note that some routes require a 70 meter rope to descend.  Many routes require a single rack as well.  Use a lot of slings!

Another note about safety.  We’ve been trying to clean these routes the best that we can, but this area is completely fresh and still requires thoughtful climbing.  By cleaning, I mean removing death blocks and loose holds.  I do tend to climb around moss and try to leave it be as much as I can.  If you hate ‘dirty’ routes, these aren’t for you.  Climb somewhere else.

In my opinion, this is the sustainable way.  Climbs will clean up as people do them, but aggressive cleaning is weak sauce.  I even take the time to flip over every rock that we trundle so that it’s facing lichen side up.  These areas and resources are becoming increasingly scarce and it’s our job to use them as sustainably as we can.

Obviously, I’m all about bolting routes and climbing them, but I stress being a responsible user.  Me and my friends are investing a lot of time, energy, money, and passion, into cleaning this place up.  We want to make it a fun and peaceful area for anyone who discovers it.  This page is hopefully the only place it will ever be published.

For what it’s worth, the vast majority of bolts here have been installed on lead, from the ground up.

Although some of these pitches are bolted moderates, I’d argue that they’re still relatively advanced climbs.  Good rope management and general awareness are critical.

There are also active bears in the area, as well as many other untold secrets.

Please enjoy the new routes and tread lightly.  Part of the magic of this place is it’s wild nature, so be a good steward.

Thank you.

Todd

Routes described left to right:

1)  Most Extreme Elimination Challenge – Red Tag / Project

2)  Bong Voyage – (Hard)  Climb the wild second pitch of M.X.C. or A.S.S. with a short and stiff crux pulling into some steeper terrain and better holds.  A little runout up high, but the bolts can be supplemented with some gear.

3) A.S.S. AKA Cult of the Bolt – (Hard)  Climb the awesome overhang, performing several large and tenuous moves on interesting grips.  It’s steep!  I highly recommend stick clipping the second and third bolt.  Skip the first.

4) House of Cards – (Medium)  Climb the left line of bolts, more or less straight up to the anchor.

5) Treasure Island – (Medium)  Climb the middle line of bolts on this panel, culminating in an easy and airy traverse right.  Quality.

6) Trundle Bundle – (Medium)  Climb the right line of bolts on this panel.  Two separate variations exist, branching right and left a few bolts up.

7) Tom Wright Memorial Face – (Easy)  Start just right of the prominent chimney.  Pitch one – bolts to a ledge.  Pitch two – bolts and gear to the right.  You can also top rope a decent, easy pitch from the P1 anchor.  RIP Tom.

8) Old Warrior’s Route – (Easy +, R)  Climb pitch one of TWMF or Andrew’s Tree.  From the anchor, move left over a bulge and clip a lone bolt.  Bang a hard right and head up towards a rusty knifeblade piton.  From here continue up to the anchor for pitch two of TWMF.

* This was the only evidence of climbing when we started putting routes in.

Variation:  You can also head straight up from the bolt for another variation at the same grade.  Belay at a tree.  It’s also possible to escape left and out of the top of the chimney.

9) Andrew’s Tree – (Easy, PG-13)  Start right of a major chossy and mossy gully.  This gully is right of TWMF (don’t climb the gully).  A #4 can be placed low, along with some other good gear to keep you off the ground.  This start is a bit cryptic.  RIP Andrew.

Alternatively, you can start on an angling ramp, just left of Let’s Do This!  This variation is very easy.  Follow cracks and jugs up and left, eventually meeting up with the anchor for pitch one of TWMF.

10) Bob Dergay Memorial Face AKA “Let’s Do This!” – (Classic!)  A glorious bucket haul.  This one is a gem.  At least it’s a personal favorite of mine.  I think Bob would like it too.  Follow awesome jugs the whole way up the face.  Two pitches.  RIP Bob.

11) Tomahawk – (Easy)  Clip the first three bolts of BDMF and then head right up the serrated arete feature.  Use slings for bolts three and four.  A tad runout.

* There are rumors of Native American burial grounds tucked away in forests near Como Chasm.  Whether it’s caused by howling coyotes, brooding bears, or ghosts of our past, this place can have a palpable energy at times.

12) Duke Skookum AKA Slungdercling– (Medium)  Just right of BDMF.  You can start by placing gear in an angling crack and heading left, clipping the slung undercling (slungdercling) feature before entering the vague stembox.  This start crosses Rainbow Party.

Alternatively, clip the first bolt on Rainbow Party and go directly up.

13) Rainbow Party – (Medium)  Fun!  A celebration of holds following several different colors of bolt hangers up the wall.  Pull a few moves and set up for the roof.  Big jugs and fun reaches characterize the first crux.  A second crux is found up high, with some fun face climbing and hidden holds in the textured rock.  Carefully ramble up to a ledge and the anchor.  It is also possible to escape right to the anchor on Jotun.

14) Amonita Muscaria – (Easy) This is technically the second pitch to Rainbow Party.  Bring a #3 for the roof move at the top.  Rappel from the top anchors.

15) Defiant Giant AKA Jotun – (Medium)  Follow a nice line of bolts straight up the wall just right of Rainbow Party.

16) Purina Hall of Fame – (Easy, R)  Above Jotun is a corner with a seemingly nice crack running it’s length.  Unfortunately, the rock quality leaves much to be desired.  This pitch is quite loose and not recommended.

17) WIld Kingdom – (Medium) A fun and juggy starts leads to a steep crux section.  Make pulls past a fixed nut up to the anchor.

18) Alpinismo AKA Joe’s Route – (Easy) This classy moderate starts on Wild Kingdom and heads right after the second bolt.  Traverse your way up and over to the P1 anchor of Butter Buddy.  A nice top rope can be had directly beneath this anchor as well.  RIP Joe.

19) Butter Buddy AKA Freak to Freak Highway – (Medium) Start on the right side of the little ledge (or for a few more moves you can start below the ledge).  Climb up a surprisingly tenuous opening and follow moderate runouts up through a steeper section (use slings).  This pitch is a bit funky, but pretty fun.  The second pitch of this route is short.  Follow bolts up to a scenic and airy belay.

*** Notable Mentions/More Routes! – On the approach, there is a very obvious boulder.  We have climbed about a half dozen or more problems on this block, up to about V6.  Some of them a pretty fun, certainly worthy of a visit.  Above this block, there is another granitic outcropping with a few anchors.  This has about a half dozen routes on it as well, mostly climbed by George Bracksieck as the first know ascensionist.