Trail of My Fears, 5.9R, 2 Pitches

Overview/Approach

Trail of My Fears climbs to the summit of Buzzard’s Roost which is one of the lessor climbed Rockfellow group towers.  No doubt the most popular of these unpopular routes, would be Trail of My Fears, 5.9, the only route published on MP.com as of 2024.  The local guide gives it a recommendation, but if it were surrounded by better routes, it would probably get none.   Ironically, it is located directly across from Book of Andy, 5.10*** on Hawk Pinnacle, one of my favorite single pitch routes in the entire Stronghold, so there is reason to seek out this narrow boulder choked corridor between Buzzard's Roost and Hawk Pinnacle.  In fact, what Buzzard’s Roost lacks in quality climbs, Hawk Pinnacle more than makes up for in its quality selection of trad climb including Book of Andy, Learning to Fly, 5.11**** and Crossroads Chimney, 5.10****. 

Trail of My Fears has two pitches covering 300’ to the summit.  It climbs the aesthetic southeast face of the Roost.  The first pitch leaves much to be desired, climbing chossy face through a rusty bolt and hanger (2024) to reach a wide right facing corner.  Continue up the shedding face to the right of the chossy corner until the corner bends left and you can easily climb up a wide low angled fin.  Rope drag will be enough to make a stop and set up a gear belay.  The 2^nd, much longer and sustained, pitch offers much better climbing than the 1st, but also has several short run out sections at the grade through more mank hardware.  The good news is that there is decent gear to be had near the final rusty hanger and bolt.  There is a fixed rap on the summit that can reach the ground in two raps with a single 70m rope on a clean face.

Hike around the north face of Rockfellow as you would for Abracadaver.  Pass the base of the popular Forest Lawn climb and continue south through dead fall and boulders heading for Hawk Pinnacle and Buzzards Roost.  To reach the west face of Hawk Pinnacle and the east face of Buzzards, boulder hop moving right into the narrow gully between the two.  Continue squeezing through and mantling large boulders until you can locate a lone bolt above one of them on the right side, this is Trail of My Fears.   Book of Andy is the obvious dog leg crack system directly across the gully on Hawk Pinnacle.

Route Description

1^st Pitch- 100’-5.9R/ From a massive chockstone up canyon, towards the south end, climb straight up through a mank hanger below a roof.  Get a solid small cam in the roof, then traverse right and up on crumbly edges.  It is PG before the rusty hanger and runout after the small cam.  Continue up the chossy face to the right of the large corner grove.  Follow it left and do a gear belay in the right-side groove at a point that it makes sense to set up the next lead to traverse to the left side groove.

2^nd Pitch- 200’-5.9R/ Climb up the left side of the pillar ahead staying in the groove until you can chimney out right on the other side of the pillar to reach a shallow left facing corner.  Place some medium pieces here before it peters out as you continue up R ground to a bolt out left.  Climb precarious edges to the next bolt (3rd) (another mank hanger as of 2024).  Where this final bolt is there is also a bomber small off set opportunity in an intermittent crack in the shallow right facing corner to the left.  Make an awkward and reachy move up and out of the corner to easier slab above.   Traverse south to a bathtub sized pot hole with rap hangers on the wall and a singular belay bolt in the tub.

Descent

Make a short rap to a narrow ledge with rap chains.  Make a full single 70m rap to the ground a short distance from your packs.

Essential Gear

Single to #4 including offsets and/or wires.  Plenty of extension for the long wandering 2^nd pitch.  70m rope.  Route receives sun from am to early afternoon.