Grouse Slabs

Detailed topos are available below for the following sections:

Far Left - Main Slab - Lower Right - Upper Right - Far Right

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Reno/Tahoe - - - - - - Donner Summit

The Usual Disclaimer

Far Left Section of Grouse Slabs

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A: 5.10a, White Rabbit. Climb up small edges to the horizontal crack and the bolt and then on to the top.
B: 5.11, Gee-Lube. Starting with very thin firction move into the crack and easier climbing above.
C: 5.9-, no name. A short, 15 foot, left leaning crack, boulder problem.
D: 5.8 or 5.9, no name. Move up to a downward pointing flake (5.7/5.8), then left up the short 5.4 corner. Or continue straight up on small edges and friction at 5.8 or 5.9.
E: 5.6/5.10+, Orange Aide. Follow the orange, left leaning crack (5.6) and either move to the left under the roof or turn the roof (5.10+).
F: 5.8, Jellyroll Arch (see Main Slab).
G: 5.10a+, Kodiak (see Main Slab).

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Main Slab Section of Grouse Slabs

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A: 5.9+ to 5.10d, Frosting On The Cake. This friction climb may be top roped from the ledge next to the tree. The climbing consists mostly of friction on steep face. The difficulty ranges from 5.9+ on the right (don't use Jellyroll's crack) to 5.10c/d on the left, just under the tree.
B: 5.7, alternate start for Jellyroll. This bypasses the first pitch of Jellyroll Arch. Go to the tree in one pitch.
C: 5.10a, Kodiak. Friction straight up, protect under the roof, turn the roof (5.10a), clip the bolt, friction up under the next roof. Either belay here or continue through the crack at the right (5.8/9). 1984, Rick Erker and Dan Gomez.
D: 5.8, Jellyroll Arch. Start on the large block, move up to the arch and then friction left and up, stay on the face under the roof. Either belay at the corner of the arch or continue up another 20 feet to a set of flakes to belay. The second pitch turns the left side of the upper triangular roof into the 5.7 crack. An alternate route would turn the right side of the roof (5.9). Complete the pitch at the ledge next to the tree. October 1972, John Hoffman and Skip Casey.
E: 5.9, Short Cake. There are two starts for this route. The first uses the start of Jellyroll Arch. Swing right, out of the corner and onto the face just below the first bolt. The original start uses the first 10 feet of Insidious Crack. Set your first piece of protection in the crack before moving left onto the face. Three bolts protect this thin face climb. After the third bolt protection may be placed in the horizontal cracks until the route finally finishes at the top. 1983, John Hoffman.
F: 5.6, Insidious Crack. Climb the along crack using the face. Follow the left crack at the fork to a set of ledges for the belay or continue on to the top. The second pitch starts to the right from the first set of ledges, around the corner, in the gully. Follow the broken, forth or low fifth class, crack (5.2?) diagonally up and right to just behind the tree. The third pitch, 5.5, frictions up the left side of the upper slabs, ending at the top. July 1972, John Hoffman.
G: 5.10a, Caifura. This short route shares the start with Insidious Crack then frictions right to the first bolt and up the middle of the block. 1990, Rocco Spina.
H: 5.10b, Cream Puff. Move up the thin seam to the first bolt then make a delicate balance move up and left, with a long reach, off a small crystal, to the small edges under the small, 2-3 inch, overhang. Then follow the small overhang to the right to the second bolt. The overhang becomes a 6 inch right facing corner which is followed up to the pair of top-rope/rappel bolts. These bolts can be used to top-rope Caifura, Cream Puff and Grease. 1983, John Hoffman.
I: 5.11, Grease. This route starts just to the right of Cream Puff up a thin crack which gets thinner as it goes. There use to be a bolt to protect the crux moves but it has been chopped several times. The climb turns into very delicate friction climbing for a few feet before easing up. Finish at the two bolts at the top of Cream Puff. 1981, Rob Settlemire.
J: 5.6, The 5.6 Crack. The crux for this climb is near the base of the route. Follow the thin crack up, moving left to the upper section and friction out under the tree. Or climb slightly harder cracks on up and left to the bolts at the top of Cream Puff.
K: 5.10b, Rocco's Demise. This short 15 foot route starts on the left of its one bolt, move up and then right from the bolt. Friction up a few more feet to two cold shuts and the fourth class corner. Descend to the right, down the corner or lower off from the cold shuts. 1990, Rocco Spina.

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Lower Right Section of Grouse Slabs

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A: 5.10b, Cream Puff.
B: 5.11, Grease.
C: 5.6, The 5.6 Crack.
D: 5.10b, Rocco's Demise. Climb thin friction past the first bolt and on to the two cold shuts.
Between Rocco's Demise and Slip'n Slide is a fourth class corner which meets up with The 5.6 Crack. This corner can be used to down-climb off of Rocco's Demise.
E: 5.9, Slip'n Slide, runout. This old route starts at the low point on the slab. Move up through the orange section to the first bolt of Bear Claw. Then move left to the first old bolt. Continue up and left to the second old bolt. Then move back right. The route finishes by either moving up the left or right side of the upper buldge. Belay from the large split boulder. A top-rope may be set here for both Slip'n Slide and Bear Claw. Be sure to use long runners (10-15 feet); if they aren't long enough, a doubled 165' rope won't reach the ground.
F: 5.10b/c, Bear Claw. Move straight up on very delicate friction through 4 bolts then right to 2 more bolts. Finish the route at the large split boulder. 1990, Kevin Heckenthron.
G: 5.11/12, no name, runout. Move up to a single bolt then on up to the tree on thin face.
H: 5.10, Assault and Battery. This short route is found on the second tier of Grouse Slabs. To get to it follow the base of the wall to the right behind the big tree then up and left onto the second tier. The start of the route is about 40 feet above the top of Bear Claw. This short but nice route mantels, frictions and edges its way past two bolts and up to a pair of bolts. Either rap off or move right and down-climb the easy fifth class corner (5.4). (This corner may also be used to get to the base of Mitigate.) 1990, Rocco Spina.

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Upper Right Section of Grouse Slabs

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A: 5.6, Insidious Crack. The second and third pitches.
B: 5.10, Assault and Battery. Thin climbing through the first two bolts and on to the two cold shuts at the top.
C: 5.7/8, Mitigate. This route starts on the third tier. To find this route traverse right across the base of the main wall and up behind the large tree. Move up left 20 feet and continue up and left another 15 feet, then right and into the corner used to down-climb Assault and Battery. Continue on up the 5.4 corner to the base of Mitigate. Or, from behind the large tree, move up left 20 feet then traverse right up the mildly steep ramp for 30 feet then move left and up onto the large ledges. Mitigate starts at the upper left end of the ledges. Climb the 2-inch crack (5.5) for 15 feet to a small ledge and where the crack narrows down to a seam. Then swing left (5.7) onto the face and friction up the face and through the V shaped trough. Move left at the top of the trough and belay. The second pitch continues up the 5.8 crack, becoming quickly easier, ending at the dead tree on the top. July 1973, Ken Volz and Ron Clegg.
5.6, no name. This right leaning crack, containing plants and other trash, starts at the base of Mitigate and moves diagonally up and right to a three bolt rappel point.
D: 5.10/11, no name. This is a somewhat contrived route starting just to the right of Mitigate and left of the bolted climb (E). Friction, layback and mantel off the ground for about 20 feet then move onto the main face and finish at the three bolt rappel point.
E: 5.10a, no name. To the right of Mitigate follow the five bolts up on small edges, crystals and friction. Belay and rappel from the three bolts at the top. Excelent route.
F: 5.7-, Too Green To Be Mean. Climb the ramp next to the corner and straight up through the broken blocks to the top. Rappel from the bolts on climb (E).

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Far Right Section of Grouse Slabs

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A: 5.10d, Slowhand. From behind the large tree move up and left 10 feet then traverse right and up about 50 feet to the ledge under the roof. At the left of the ledge start the climb up thin moves to the bolt. Then turn the roof using the obvious crack system. Finish up the crack to the double bolt rappel point. 1981, Eric Barrett and friends.
B: 5.10d, Pebble in the Sky. This route moves up and left through two bolts and then back right into the depression in the roof and the third bolt. Finish turning the roof and continue up the face above to the double bolt rappel point. 1984, John Hoffman and Victor Marcus.
C: 5.10d, Europa. Four bolts start the climb, just to the left of I Can't Believe Its A Girdle, and lead straight up to the roof. Turn the roof and clip two more bolts to the top and the double bolt rappel point. Bela and Mimi Vadez.
D: 5.8, I Can't Believe Its A Girdle. This route follows the right leaning crack up to a double bolt rappel point. Use the face to the right of the crack.
E: 5.10c?, no name. Thin face climbing through four bolts to the double bolts at the top of I Can't Believe Its A Girdle.
F: 5.10c?, no name. Thin face climbing through two bolts to a double bolt rappel point.
G: 5.9, Pie In The Face. To get to this route, from the base of I Can't Believe Its A Girdle go right and up about 50 feet, then left and up another 50 feet. The arete is protected by three bolts, use a #1 TCU to protect the start and a #2 or #3 TCU in the horizontal crack.
H: 5.10, Suck Face. Half way to Pie In The Face continue right and up through low fifth class climbing to get to the start of this face climb. Climb through broken flakes and small ledges to the single bolt near the top then on to the top and a double bolt rappel point.

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   Keith Turner
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