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The author expressly disclaims any and all warranties, express and implied, that any information contained herein is accurate. There are no warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This guide should never be considered a substitute for professional instruction or years of experience making smart climbing decisions. Your use of the Flagstaff Mountain Bouldering Guide indicates that you are: (1) assuming the risk that errors exist in this guide; and (2) acknowledging that your safety while climbing and bouldering on Flagstaff Mountain and elsewhere is solely your responsibility.


Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Panorama Point Trail Miniguide

This area is comprised of a few blocks littered along the sides of the officially unnamed linkage trail that heads up from Panorama Point across the meadow, through a sea of foliage and across Flagstaff Road, eventually passing Nook's Rock on your right before joining the East Flagstaff Trail down below Cloudshadow Wall. If walking up from Panorama Point, you will find the previously unnamed Panorama Rock and Panorama Roof, Scalawag Rock and The Hall of Horrors. Where: Head up Flagstaff Road. Park at Panorama Point, which is 0.5 miles after crossing over the Armstrong Bridge at the base of the mountain. Head up the trail through the meadow opposite the parking area. After 100 yards you'll pass some bathrooms. Shortly thereafter the trail will crash into Panorama Rock and a number of fine moderates. On the opposite side of the trail, maybe 20 yards away is Panorama Roof. Head up trail for 100 more yards, wind through some dense foliage, and Scalawag Rock will be on your right. Continue further up trail, cross Flagstaff Road, and after 30 yards The Hall of Horrors will come into view up on the right. If you see Nook's Rock up on your right, you've gone too far.
PANORAMA ROCK
1a&b. Panorama Notch V1 (a) / V3 sds (b) ... FA: Unknown *
From a knob on the protruding corner (a), pull into the notch and up onto the top. A
sds (b) begins on low crimpers and swings for the knob.
2. Panorama Arête VB sds ... FA: Unknown *
From a
sds, climb the well-featured southeast arête on good holds to the top. One of the best novice problems on the mountain.
3. Panorama Traverse V2 sds ... FA: Unknown *
Start with #2 and hand traverse left across the ledge system, dropping down at the halfway mark and finishing up #8 on the far left.
4. Panorama Traverse Low V4 sds ... FA: Unknown
Begin awkwardly from a
sds under the shelf and traverse left, staying under the shelf all the way into Southwest Bulge. Silly, awkward, bunchy and contrived.
5. Panorama Face V1 sds ... FA: Unknown *
From a
sds just left of #4, do some long moves on big holds straight up the face into the branches.
6. Capstone Right V0 sds ... FA: Unknown *
From a
sds, pull the bulge with #7 onto a ledge. Trend up and right around the roof to an easy - yet airy and insecure - finish on a small ledge requiring balance and steady footwork. The topout sequence makes this one really fun and worth the effort.
7. Capstone Left V0 sds ... FA:Unknown
From a
sds, pull the bulge with #6 onto a ledge. Steer left below the roof and use spooky incut edges on the perched capstone boulder's face to pull over the very top.
8. Low Bulge V0 sds ... FA:Unknown
From a
sds on the far left next to a crack, pull the low bulge up onto the ledge.
PANORAMA ROOF
9. Panorama Roof V1 sds ... FA: Unknown
Just south of the trail, begin via a sds on jugs under the almost horizontal roof, throw back to the lip and pull over on good holds.
SCALAWAG ROCK
10. Scalawag V5 ... FA: Christian Griffith, 1978 *
Climb the right side of the northeast face up and left to the
incut hueco at the lip. Thin crimps, shallow divots and a pebble or two will get you to a point where you will have to make a move for the high hueco.
11. Large Hueco VB ... FA: Unknown
Just right of the northwest corner, climb to the top via the large hueco.
HALL OF HORRORS
12. Wasabi V3 sds ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2004
Begin from a
sds matched on the obvious ledge. The key to pulling the bulge is getting to a RH sidepull undercling and a sloper before good crimps up top.
13. The Gristle V1 ... FA: Ashley Overton, 2008 *
Begin standing below the ledge, just right of the tree, and climb the face above slightly to the right. From the starting holds, slide right to a large pocket, reach
LH to the protruding pebble on the face and get a small RH crimp, where the good topout grips come into view.
14. Nuke on High V2 ... FA: Ashley Overton, 2008
Start with #13, below the upper ledge, and ascend the left side of the face just right of the tree. The key is getting your RH on the protruding pebble in the middle of the face before moving to crimps just short of the top.

15. Quasimodo V2 sds ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2008 *
Doesn't look like much, but climbs very well. On the right side of the corridor, begin from a
sds and head up and right up a series of incut underclings. From the last undercling at 10 feet, make a reach left to a crimp and pull the interesting bulge probably walking your feet up to your hands on a slabby ledge. Once standing on the ledge, an incut crimp on the upper slab at 20+ feet will allow you to relax, roll over onto the slab and head for the top. This one will have full your full attention for a few delicate moments.
16. Pickled Pigs Feet V5 sds ... FA: Ashley Overton, 2008 *
Begin with a sds with #15 and slide left to a LH undercling and RH 3/4-finger gaston in a shallow pocket. Make a huge crux move up and left to an incut sidepull. Now pull the delicate bulge 12 feet up on small edges and slopers to establish on the slab and continue up the slab for 20 more feet of fun.
17. Hall of Horrors V0 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2008 *
Ascend the 35+ foot slab that is perfect, except that it wants to be inundated with lichen, pine needles and other debris. The useful features have been thoroughly cleaned, but nature may have it's way with this one if others don't climb it. Watch out for an interesting sequence 20 feet up that will have you considering your other options.
18. Gefilte Fish V5 ... FA: Justin Jaeger, 2004 *
Start RH on a pebble 7 feet up and
LH on any of the other holds (there are lots of options). Perch onto the crappy ledge, make a move with the quickness to a protruding pebble or gritty sloper, then up to the lip and the large shallow dishes on the slab. Pull over onto the slab and head up easy terrain to the top.
19. Canned and Jellied V7 sds ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2008 *
A possibly height-dependent sds to #18 that begins hugging the arête with your RH on a small pebble way out right and your LH on a decent crimp. Make a long move to get to the starting RH hold for #18, then use any number of pissy LH holds to perch and finish with #18.
20. Dr. Strangelove V4/5 ... FA: Chip Phillips, 2004
Almost a
laugher. A couple feet left of #18, start on any of the holds below the lip, pull on, slap the top, heel-hook, rock over (desperate comedy) and dash up the tall slab to the top.

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