Stone Quest, Parkline Slab 5.8+ R

Yosemite Valley, California USA

Currently 5.0/5

Avg time to climb route: 1 hour

Approach time: 15 minutes

Descent time: 30 minutes

Number of pitches: 4

Height of route: 150'

Overview

Stone Quest is like a mixed bolt and trad version of Nutcracker with slightly more committing cruxes. Pitches are long and taxing on the feet as you ascend the right side of a huge, ominous arête. All belays are bolted and you rappel the route. Tiny technical pro is useful throughout the route,butnotrequired.Prosingles.33”-3” including small wires.
P1: 5.8+, 200’, 2 bolts, trad. Ascend amazing 5.6 hand crack located on right side of giant left-facing corner. Once you get 120 feet off the deck and step around a small roof, the crack gets thinner and thinner before terminating. Smear past two bolts to reach the anchor at 200 feet. It’s suggested not to trail an extra rope if possible when leading P1, as the extra weight surely adds a level of difficulty.
P2: 5.8+, 4 bolts, trad. Ascend slab, starting eight feet to the right of the arête. Head straight up and slightly right to bolt 2, located 20 feet right of the arête. Now, traverse slightly left and up into white and gold rock peppered with knobs. Pro options in the 3/8” size range possible to place here. P3: 5.7, 160’, trad, 1 bolt. Micro cams to 1.25”. Ascend tips crack in black rock to a horizontal gash, pro here, and then climb
to left-facing corner/overhang. Cross corner from left to right side and trend up and left, passing one bolt, to four-bolt anchor (two are new, two are old).
P4: 5.8, 140’, 1 bolt, trad. Ascend tips to gradually widening crack. Pro: tiny cams to 2”. At horizontal band near top of pitch, traverse right up to 1.25”. There is a hard-to- find bolt on easy terrain near the top of this pitch; it’s best to climb right of this bolt via easy cracks to the huge ledge. Rappel route with two 60m meter ropes via bolts and chain anchor.

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