A direct start for Etude can be done by climbing directly up from the base of the apron below the Flake Out ramp/ledge.

Etude direct start

Race Bannon

Flakes of Wrath

Flake Out

Hidden Crack

Sweet Screams

The Incident

Vicious Rumors

Flower of High Rank

Bookhouse Boys

Rock Hudson

Spooky Spike

Hey Dude

Flakes of Rad

Wet Dreams

Spooky Spike Direct

My Brothers

Johnny Quest

Etude

This is a fun, clean crack route that requires more finesse than strength.  The delicate crux section, with side pulls and shallow, flared foot jams, is well-protected with fixed pins.  An easier finger and hand crack above leads to the belay.  There is a second pitch, but most people rappel after pitch 1.  This route is located just left of Flower of High Rank.

This is the short face with a thin crack on the slab directly beneath Johnny Quest.

Pitch 1 is the crux, with strenuous lieback and hand jams in good rock.  The 5.9 second pitch is runout.  It finishes on top of the rock - walk off to the right.  This route is in the shade after mid-morning

This is a well-protected two pitch crack climb, that traverses left for a long ways as it moves up.  The crux is a short offwidth near the end of pitch 1.  It finishes on top of the rock - walk off to the right.  This climb is in the shade most of the day.

Start with Flake Out and climb past the first vertical corner and belay as for Spooky Spike. Traverse up and left for 30 feet to just before Flake Out's wide crack, then lieback a thin flake system over a bulge, joining Spooky Spike to finish.

Layback up a large hanging flake to a small roof.  The flake is solid enough to climb on but, Its probably a bad idea to stuff cams behind it and fall on it.  Setting an anchor at the top of Wet Dreams and lowering in is the safest and most convenient way to access this short, steep climb.

Undercling across a wild arch in a dihedral.  A wild, steep and exposed line.

This is the left-facing corner with a thin crack located just right of Spooky Spike Direct.

A demanding lead.

The classic moderate crack at Suicide. You'll never tire of repeating this gem.

The climb is located where the Northeast Face becomes the North face and is easily identified by the tree (the flower?) growing right in the middle of the crack about 70 feet up.  The tree is historically littered with slings to help identify it.  The climb is just to the left of a huge (undesirable looking) right facing corner.. and you actually start up this corner to get to the main crack.

I prefer to do this climb in one long pitch, usually scrambling up to the base of the main crack for the first belay (some might want to rope this bit - and you'll need to build an anchor).  With a 200' rope you could belay from the ground, but there's enough rope drag already so why add more.  You can do the climb in two pitches and belay at the tree, but it is kind of a pain in the butt.

Once climbing you'll enjoy some quality jamming/stemming in the first section heading to the tree.  Sustained moves from fingers to off-fingers to thin-hands will get you to the tree and a nice comfy rest.  Want a 10a variety... don't use the left wall - my friend accidently did this and bitched his way up....

From the tree there are two cracks, one heading straight up and the other trending out a wild looking face to the right.  The right crack has your name on it.  Spectacular, exposed climbing up this arching crack leads to the route's final crux at the roof.  The roof goes at 5.9, but take your time to figure it out... many a flailing here.

Some 5.7 jamming finishes the journey.

What a climb!

Climb the flared finger crack on the right side of the Flakes of Wrath dihedral.  A slightly overhanging start leads to vertical climbing.  This is the direct and harder start to Flakes of Rad.

This thin crack/seam starts inbetween the routes

Flakes of Wrath

and Vicious Rumors (5.11c R). This tips crack ends at the traversing route Flake Out, and finish up the rock on a variety of routes.

Start up Flake Out, but stop well before the offwidth.  Pitch 2 is the crux - a thin crack in a dihedral.  It finishes on top of the rock - walk off to the right.  This climb is in the sun only in the morning.

Same start as Etude, but instead of moving right to the middle thin crack, continue up the leftmost crack up to a thin fingertip lieback crux protected by two bolts, finishing at the 2-bolt Etude belay stance. (35-meter rappel)

Climb the lieback of Flakes of Wrath to the roof where FOW goes left and go right to a ledge. Climb the face above to join Flake Out. Several options above to finish.

This is described as "more of a nightmare" in the guidebook.  On the contrary, its actually quite cool.

Wet Dreams ascends the steep upper right side of the wall directly above Flower of High Rank via an obvious wide right-arching crack.

The climbing consists of bomber hand jams and a tough move into a downward sloping slot that can fit your entire body.  The final exit move out of the crack will keep your attention for the entirety of the short pitch.

Intersesting stemming between the shallow corners to the right of Rock Hudson. For a safe lead, this one requires a fixed pin or two. As it is (without the pins) it's definately an R rated lead, but is a fun toprope.

Climb the start of Spooky Spike Direct, then step right and climb a challenging arete.

Pitch 1 (crux) is a classic steep finger crack.  You can either rappel 90' from the top of this pitch or continue to the top with the second pitch of Flake Out (5.6) or Flakes of Wrath (5.9R).  This climb is in the shade after mid-morning for most of the year.

Description

Protection

Routes in (u) Northeast Buttress