"The Mitten". II 550' 5.8.  This is the 40th route on the Eastern Reef Slabs of the San Rafael Swell. ...

A short excursion compared to many of the other slab routes.  Location.  Drive 3.2 miles from I-70 to a right turn, and then a 1/4 mile brings one to the trail head and sign/map to Uneva Mine Canyon.  Walk up the road to the right, and at the top of the hill follow a path north along the slabs to the prominent shorter double slab pinnacles between the much larger slabs of left "Reef Knot" and right "Reefer Madness".  About 20 min from trailhead.

P1) Start from the top of the shale wave.  4th class 200' to a ledge.

P2) Straight up open slab to recess and double anchors down and right of a small roof.  200' 5.2

P3) Climb steeply up pockets above anchors, trending right. After about 40' the difficulties ease, continue up to summit and double anchors.  150' 5.8.  Register in cairn in notch behind.

F.A. Paul Ross, Layne and Sheridan Potter. June 22, 2004.

The Mitten

The Thumb

The Holey Ghost

A Frayed Not

Slab family Ross and Son.

On a Wing and a Prayer

Baggage

By the Seat of Your Pants

Middle Finger

Reef Knot

Climbs the pinnacle at the right side of The Mitten formation. An unusual pitch for the frontal slabs. Start at the top of the wave as for The Mitten and Middle Finger routes , Scramble the forth class slab way to the right and link onto the low angled slab below the Thumb. Up this to the foot of the Thumb and the crack on its left that forms the climb. P1)Awkward starting moves to enter the main crack then offwidth and chimney climbing to a thin crack on the right which leads to the top. 90'5.9-. Descent :- Rap from slings around the summit block.

Enter the wash and start up the slab (small cairn) below and to right of the obvious water streak.Due to the smooth nature of the rock on pitch two drilling on the lead was too difficult, the pitch was rap bolted . This was after a 200' run out way to the left at 5.6X in order to gain entrance into the slot canyon above the pitch.(

P1.(small cairn) Follow a line of closed cracks to a ledge with a short thick juniper tree belay.One # one Camalot pro. 160'5.6R. move belay left to below the water streak.

(P2. Excellent pitch. Climb the water streak past six pro bolts to double anchors in the slot. 150'5.10.

(P3.Easy groove on right to double anchors. 150'5.0.

(P4.Forth class for about 300' above the slot canyon until one can enter back into the slot via dark rock to a pillar in the centre of the canyon.

(P5.Follow the groove/fault that leads to the large pot holes.Some thin moves past two bolts then easy climbing to double anchors left of the top hole. 200'5.8+.

(P6 easy slab to a large open groove ,natural belay. Register in cairn above groove. 200'5.0.

Descent:-One can forth class down slabs for several hundred feet to the anchors at the top of pitch 3 . Three raps to the ground.

P1.From the top of the Shale wave 4th class to a ledge. 200ft

P2.Straight up the open slab to a recess with a bolt anchor below a small roof. 5.4 200ft.

P3.Climb up right on pockets for 40', then on to a slab and summit with bolt anchor. 5.8 150'.

Register on summit.

Descent: Rap route.

P1.Climb a short steep section, then easy slab to a large flake. 5.7 200ft.

P2.Up the groove and crack. 5.9 160ft.

P3.Move left then up an easy slab to anchor. 5.6 200ft.

P4. Easy slab to anchor. 5.4 200ft.

P5.4th class up pleasant slabs about 700ft to a great summit.

Descent: Rap the route.

Takes a direct Line between "Reef Knot" and "By the Seat of Your Pants".Start at the lowest point of the slab above the bushes in the wash between the two waves.P3 gives excellent sustained slab climbing.

P1)Straight up easy slab and shallow groove/crack to cam anchors.190'5.3.

P2)Continue up obvious shallow groove to double anchors above a dark colored slab.190'5.5.

P3)Straight up the steepening slab past 4 bolts(go slightly right at the third bolt) . Then up to double anchors below an easy angled slab. 180' 5.9+R

P4) Directly up easy slab to double anchors. 220'5.2. From here one can 4th class about 400' to the summit of the slab . Register in small cairn on summit.

Descend the Route .

Pitch 1- Climb face and an intermediate crack system, past the left side of a block, past a ledge, to a smaller stance at good cams & nuts.

5.7r 225'

Pitch 2- Continue up steepening rock, taking advantage of all possible protection in the mostly closed crack.  Tricky slab and face climbing leads over the bulge to the left of a large, pink block.  Continue up past a ledge and easier ground to the start of a prominent groove.  Belay from cams.

5.8R 225'

Pitch 3- Easy climbing up the groove leads to ledges above.  4th class 220'

Pitch 4- Up and slightly left for a very long pitch with no protection.  Mostly 5.3 but with a short 5.5 bulge. (some simul-climbing involved)  Belay on low angle ledges.

5.5x 260' (The summit register for Holey Ghost was found on top of this pitch)

Pitch 5- Move the belay right a hundred feet or so and climb the left side of the summit slab up left leaning holes and then onto the front and easier climbing leading to a belay in a groove below the top.

5.5r 210'

A couple hundred feet of easy scrambling lead to the summit and another register.

To descend, downclimb to the top of pitch 5 and down 4th class territory on the front of the slab to reach rappel anchors for the route "On a Wing and a Prayer".  Three 60 meter rappels reach the bottom.

Starts above the first wave just left of the canyon that separates the Reef Knot formation from the A Frayed Not route. The initial pitches are the very obvious groove/cracks on the right edge of the Reef Knot formation.. Scramble from the top of the wave to a large boulder with a cairn on its top.

P1)Up slab via a shallow crack then trend right to the foot of the Groove /cracks. Cam belay. 200'.5.3

P2) Follow left hand groove to double anchors on the left. 200'5.4

P3)Continue up the groove to natural belay on a flake. 200' 5.5.

P4)Scramble up about 40' where the groove ends  go left along a ramp ,then straight up to a steep wall below a  large pot hole. Double anchors .80' 5.3. (this next pitch could be avoided by an easy slab to the left)

P5)Climb to the pothole then past a pro bolt, to easier climbing  to spike belay. 180' 5.8.

P6)4th class slabs to the summit.

Descent:- The FA party was caught in a thunder storm and rather than set up rappels thought it quicker to down climb the route avoiding P5 to its left. One member of the party totally wrecked a new pair of climbing pants while slithering at great speed down the grooves , hence the name of the route. The other alternative is to locate the rap anchors of Reef Knot at south from a large ledge on the ridge.

Climbs the middle slab of the Mitten formation . Start from the top of the central wave.These climbs on the Mitten are short but are in a  pleasant area of the slabs. Forth class about 200' up open slab to some black rock boulders.

P1)Staight up easy slab to a black rock ledge and double anchors 200'5.0

P2)Up to a left leaning crack which is followed to the summit. 75' 5.6. A spike of rock 25' below the actual top was used for belay and rappel.

Descent:- Rap the route

P1.Follow cracks and grooves. 5.6R 170ft

P2.Move slightly left to a crack/groove then back right to join thin black dyke and bolt belay. 5.5R 200ft.

P3.Follow dyke to another bolt belay. 5.5R 200ft.

P4.Follow dyke to block belay. 5.4R 200ft.

P5.4th class up and right about 400' to summit.

Descent: Rap the route.

Description

Protection

Routes in G Crags