This was originally a practice aid route and was initially freed in 1967 by Lloyd Price et al. There are conflicting accounts, but some claim this was the first 5.11 pitch freed in the Valley. Although current guides give it .11b, it was rated .11a in the 1982 guide, and rated .10d by Bridwell in his seminal article "Brave New World" published in Mountain #31 in 1973. Either way, it was an early example of freeing old aid lines and was at the outer edge of difficulty when it was freed. I've seen this route shut down more than one "5.12" sport climbers.

The business starts right away with a fingery crux on shallow boxy pins scars to a long reach to gain a small flake, then a jug out right. This initial section is bolt protected. Once through the crux, the easy pin-scarred, right trending crack continues to a bolt anchor/rap station at half height. Above this, the second pitch is fingers in pin scars with the occasional hand jam. A short .10a crux reaching between pin scars is encountered near the top. The climb can be done in a single pitch with a 60m (barely).

If you are not up to the boulder problem start, it's worth yarding through on bolts to climb the crack. Otherwise, careful footwork and finger strength will see you through. Having a long reach doesn't hurt either.

Aid Route

Penthouse Cracks

Bobcat Crack

Patio Cracks - Center

Oak Tree Flake

Bay Tree Crack

Swan Slab Chimney

Swan Slab Gully

Ugly Duckling

Funge on Munge

Hanging Flake

5.6 Chimney Above Grant's

Unnamed Thin Crack

Grant's Crack

Patio Cracks - Right

Seamilicious

Bobby's Lobby

West Slabs

V-Crack

Goat for it

Oak Tree Crack

Unknown Arete

Patio Cracks - Left

Lena's Lieback

Pin Scar Seams

Unnamed Face

Penelope's Problem

Swan Slab Squeeze

Claude's Delight

A very short crack, good for kids and novices

These four short cracks on the far left end of Swan Slab make ok solos/highballs or TRs in a variety of styles. You can toprope them all from a single anchor by scrambling up from the left. The cracks are rated (from L to R), 5.10a, 5.10a, 5.11a, 5.8. Crux on the .11a is a bouldery move right off the deck to gain an easier crack, easier for tall people.

Easy low angle crack found directly next to west slabs.  Good first trad lead as it is well protected and has easy stances. May be a little short and easy for an expierenced leader.

Just left of the 5.8 alcove boulder problem there is a flaring crack that is a mix of face/lb/jam. The crux is the first set of moves and climbing gets easier the higher you get. This is a decent lead although short and can be toproped with the tree if you scramble up the easier terrain. If leading take 1-4.5" pro For the bottom and extra long runners for the topanchor.

A great addition to the Oak Tree Flake or Grant's Crack. Climb the stacked blocks off the ledge at the top of the for mentioned climbs. Pass the bay tree, and proceed into the finger crack. Continue up the right arching crack which turns into mostly tight hands (5.6). There is a medium sized rock at the top with two chopped bolts. Sling the boulder or find a good nut.

obvious chimney in front of the huge oak on the main face of swan slabs. This chimney is a great chimney introduction pitch and is easily protected with small-medium cams. There is mainy different options for finishing the route.

Three pitches of climbing that gets better and better with height.  Finishes on a cool ledge with excellent views.  All in all, straight-forward and fun.

P1 (5.6, 70')

Jam and stem your way up 70 feet of cracks in a gully.  Belay from a big oak tree on a spacious ledge.

P2 (5.5, 130')

Perhaps the least aesthetic pitch on the climb.  Follow a crack in an obvious corner.  After approximately 80 feet, step right and follow cracks up mostly-4th class terrain.  Belay from a big oak tree on a spacious ledge.

P3 (5.5, 120')

Walk up the gully and head right for about 40 feet along a grassy ledge.  Climb up to meet a left-slanting hand crack.  Climb the crack until it ends.  Traverse right for 25 feet on an unprotected slab (5.4?).  Climb a 5.5 finger crack to the top.  Belay from trees and bushes.

Just like the children's story that inspired the name, Ugly Duckling starts out on an ugly face which eventually turns into something beautiful.

Pitch one:  Climb a boulder problem start (.10a) on good edges up and onto the mossy slab.  Make your way right and up, cleaning the edges off as you go until you reach the first bolt(runnout).  Continue cleaning as you climb straight up below an oak tree's branches before reaching another bolt (runnout).  At this piont, the rock becomes cleaner as well as steeper.  Climb good knobs (.8) until you reach the third bolt (runnout).  Follow the thin crack right and up to the belay in the corner alcove.

Pitch two:  This is where the climb becomes beautiful.  Traverse left out a hand crack (.9) on amazing glacier polish.  The best granite at Swan Slab is found in this section.  When the traverse ends, climb straight up and pull the crux (.10c) with good gear at your feet.  The climb then tops out on an easy wide flake and crack.

Crux is just off the ground. Route was hand drilled ground up solo lead.  Climbs independent line even of the top rope routes near Grants. Bolts are well camaflouged and stainless.

This route combines Grant's Crack with the 5.6 chimney above the small belay tree. If you know the name of the route, please leave it in the comments so they I may update it.

Climb Grant's crack or Oak Tree Flake to the belay tree. Second pitch is 5.6-7 depending on where you go, but it's all laid back. Continue up above chimney and slightly right. If you have a 70m rope, you can belay from the large ledge next to the walk off for Swan Slab Gully's 3rd pitch. 60m brings you to a slightly awkward belay on some dirt and grass mounds with large flakes.

There is an old rusted bolt atop the 5.6 chimney.

Nice thin face climbing with an occasional thin crack move.  Easily top-roped after climbing Oak Tree Flake or Grant's Crack.

Fun, technical 5.9 fingercrack. Can be toproped by scrambing up a gully with a tree to the left. Beware the old toprope anchors have been chopped. Set a gear anchor in the crack for TR and then climb up another 15-20 ft to when finished to rappel from a tree.

This is the crack with the slippery 5.9 start that turns into a layback, becoming much easier up to a large ledge, with a short 5.3 crack up to a large tree.

Usually there's a cheater block at the base. Come'on though, we both know that you don't need that.

Nice thin face climbing which is harder than its 5.10a neighbor. Easily top-roped after climbing Oak Tree Flake or Grant's Crack.

This route runs to the right of 'Unnamed Seam 5.10c'. Route starts up the little watercourse at the base, goes up thin face moves, and ends on cool juggy holds. Tops out right and pretty close to the anchor, relative to the two face routes on the left.

Rating is approximate.

Again, if anyone knows the name of the route (if anyone bothered to do it before), let me know and I'll fix it.

Great place to learn slab and friction climbing. Routes from 5.6-5.8. Could be longer so do laps and find a harder line each time.

I don't know the official name, so if you do, add it in the comments!

This is a sorta OW sorta chimney between the 5.9 crack and the 5.5 Swan Slab Chimney. It's short, kinda stout, and fun.

This route starts where both Lena's lieback and Claude's delight start, follow Lena's at the split and after about 5 feet there will be a ledge to the right which you will follow out on to the face in between the two climbs. I believe two bolts are there to help with protection. Thought this was the best of the triple stacked climbs but they are all great beginner/ intermediate climbs

This route lies just a little left of the actual slab routes at Swan Slab. I don't know what the real name is, since it's not listed anywhere, but it runs straight up and left to an Oak tree.

It is a nice short boulder/solo or TR.

This fun line climbs up the arete left of Bay Tree Crack. When I climbed it, I started up Swan Slab Chimney (5.5) to Swan Slab Squeeze (5.7). At the top of Squeeze, you can get on the arete. The first move is a couple of somewhat tricky face moves. After that, the rest is pretty easy (5.7ish) and gets much easier as the route goes up.

Please note that the PG13 rating is for leading on the old bolts.

real short - more of a boulder problem than a rope route, but a fun combo of jams and a pull-up/mantel

Lieback up the smooth left facing corner on the far right side of Swan Slab, to a ledge with two bolts.

Either rappel 80' or climb two more pitches to the top.

Usually people only climb the first pitch.

The thin pin scarred seams right of swan slab gully.

Place pro where you can and go for it, and don't skip placing a piece in the horizontal crack at 2/3 height(there is a wider slot over to the rigth in this crack but a SMALL cam will fit)!

If you send this easy, consider going for the 5.10a right of Grants Crack! Reid's book shows this as a 5.7 and the S.T. guide doesn't include it at all. Both my partner and I feel like it is closer to 5.8. But you all decide.

Slab climb between Swan Slab Gully and Hanging Flake just right off the tree. A 5.8 variation starts left of the tree.

This short squeeze chimney, located just above and left of Oak Tree Flake, grows slightly more difficult the higher you climb and provides good practice for someone new to the wide. There are helper holds along the outside edge and face with a crux at a slight constriction where your hips may have to come out for a move.  You can easily reach the top of the climb to set a TR by scrambling up from the left, this is also the downclimb although you could rap from trees at the top if desired.

This is a great beginner friendly pitch.  Start up broken cracks passing bushes (.7) to a bolted belay with chains (top of Lena'a Lieback).

Top out option:

From the chains, traverse left out an exposed undercling flake (#4camalot) then up and to the right (.7) following crack to the belay ledge.  This is the second pitch of Lena's Lieback.  Then walk off to thre right.  The quick walk off has a short scramble/down climb section to it.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in A. Swan Slab