Route Name: Season in The Abyss

Application Status:

Application Cycle: current

Rock Formation: Ridge One

Number of lead bolts to be placed: 7

Number of anchor bolts to be placed: 2

Route Difficulty:5.13b/c

Route Diagrams:

Proposed Route:

The proposed route climbs the shortest part of the northwest facing wall of Ridge 1 to the left of the established route Later Creators. The route does not share any terrain or holds with any existing routes except for the 5.11 trad route Like Hell It Is; the proposed route crosses this route but the bolts will not affect the posterity of that existing trad route. The proposed route begins with a V6ish boulder on high quality and clean rock to a good rest at a large jug then initiates the route’s crux; a V8ish boulder on great rock to a marginal rest on beautiful in-cut crimps then finishes with a V4ish boulder to get onto the slab and finally the “anchor” which will be more or less in line with the height of Later Creators anchor. In total its estimated difficulty is around 5.13b/c. In the photo below, the route more or less follows the fixed line (red line approximate route, blue dots approximate bolt placements).

Name Meaning:

In keeping with the Heaven/Hell theme of the wall the proposed route takes its name in amalgam from both Arthur Rimbaud’s prose poem Une saison en enfer and the SoCal speed metal group Slayer’s seminal album Seasons in the Abyss.

Existing Route Information

Existing Route Diagrams

A description of the approach (include approximate distance from the designated trail system, existing “social” or undesignated trails leading to the climb and condition of the trail, and state whether there is a durable surface, such as rock.

The approach involves taking the climber’s trail to Hillbilly Rock then hiking west through the notch between Ridge One and The Hobo before dropping south down the gully between Ridge One and Ridge Two. This is an established approach to existing rock climbs.

If different from the approach, a description of the descent, (include approximate distance from the designated trail system, existing “social” or undesignated trails, a description of the trail condition and whether there is a durable surface, such as rock. Include photographs of the descent.):

The descent will be via lower-off from fixed anchors, taking you back to the gully/staging area between Ridge One and Ridge Two.

A description of the area at the base of the climb (include existing levels of soil compaction, existence of a durable surface such as rock, and existing soil erosion. Include photographs of the area at the base of the climb.):

The staging area is currently a well situated stack of boulders directly left and above the staging area for Later Creators.

Has all reconnaissance work that can be reasonably done, short of placing any hardware, been done?

Base Area Photos

Has the route been top roped? Is there loose rock? Is it extremely overhanging?

The route has been “toproped” via fixed line and Microtraxion. The moves have all been completed. There is very little loose rock in the route. The route is overhanging by 30-35°.

Any additional notes:

Very little work remains to be done to get this route into climbable shape. The rock is clean, compact and there is very little lichen on the usable holds on the slab to get to the “anchor.”