A beautiful outing on clean, water-streaked granite.  Mordor Wall links interesting features up one of the proudest parts of Cathedral.  A perfect warmup for clean aid walls in Yosemite, and a worthwhile outing in and of itself.  Jim Surette freed some pitches including the first and the roof pitch. 

  P.1  A bathook move off the ledge takes you to a right angling flake (slightly expando?)  and then up to a bolted belay. (C1+) 

  P. 2 A rising traverse on amazing, streaked granite.  Alternate bolts and bathooks on the traverse.  (the number of bolts has grown over the years) and then up a thin seam sprouting some fixed heads to a bolt anchor. (C2 F) 

  P.3  A0 Bolt ladder to a nice 5.9 finger crack (easily aided at A1) takes you to a great sidewalk ledge. (C1) 

  P. 4  Up off the ledge and awkwardly through the roof with great exposure, clipping a fixed bong at the lip.  Incredible position.  (awkward C1) 

  P. 5  Easy aid or 5.9 free up lower angle crack system to a sloping ledge.  Occasionally wet/dirty.  Scramble off or rap the route.

The Mordor Wall

Highway 61

Free Finale/Mordor Roof link-up

Difficulties be Damned

Pendulum Route

Division of Labour

Slippery Corner (Apocalypse / Diagonal Variation)

Life the Universe and Everything

Lights in the Forest

The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm

Mines of Moria

Elevator Dance

Armaggedon

The Reckoning

Grand Finale

Cecile

A companion to the Mordor Wall. 

  Pitch 1: Bolts and hooks up to a thin crack. C2 (Has been attempted free. May be the cliff's first 5.14) 

  Pitch 2: WILD- move right along a thin seam(rp's)to some fixed stuff. Down climb to the lip and traverse right to the safety of a small ledge. 10+RR 

  Pitch 3: Two aid moves on dowels the start a sustained thin slab up to a small roof and Freak Out Ledge. 5.12c A0  

  Pitch 4: Aid up a crack or face climb out right to bolts and cool steep slab climbing to a ledge under Diagonal. 5.11+  

  Pitch 5: Up a bit the work left past fixed gear and the final runout slab to the top. 5.11

A full length route free climbing most of Mines' first pitch and joining Mines' second pitch near its top.  The 5.11 corner third pitch is supposed to be really good. They finished on The Bridge. 

  p.1 Start up Mines and take a left at the end of the flake, past a bolt and a hard exit move protected by small gear.  Belay at bolt anchor above. A compact pitch with incredible climbing, powerful. 5.12d ish? 

  p.2 Straight up off the belay, follow some bolts/heads right until below an obtuse corner, that becomes distinct.  Straight up from here, stepping left onto a good stance afer the crux and a random two bolt anchor. Finish up the crack/seam to a bolted belay on a great ledge 25' above the lip. Was a bit crumbly but has cleaned up beautifully, great pitch. 5.13a. 

  p.3 Follow the corner system to the belay on the Bridge 5.11. 

When the Pendulum tree dies we'll still be able to get up on the big wall.  Lots of great climbing out on the best part of the cliff, airy and clean.

This route is basically a direct start to the Soft Iron aid route. Start as for the second pitch of Highway 61. Climb up the corner using all kinds of techniques to a shake (around 13b to be here). Get as much back as possible and launch into a long series of hard moves. Join the Soft Iron Route, gain the hanging crack, and enjoy 5.12a climbing to rejoin the very top of Highway 61.  

  Absolutely awesome climbing.

The first climb to go through this section of Cathedral. It used to start off of a branch near the cliff but the tree is gone. Now steep aid to reach the start on bolts of 'Highway 61'. Climb overlap undercling right to reach a decent belay (5.10a) Climb directly up groove corner ( 'Lights in the Forest' has the same start) to moves out left on bulges until ceiling crack is reached. Mantle crack at fixed lost arrow and follow crack to belay place (5.9+). Move horizontal short distance to the base of a shallow right facing corner and cramped belay. Do difficult thin moves up corner (5.10c-d) run out and move left under giant ceiling to a decent belay ledge. Climb the pendulum roof crack directly on aid (A-2) or move up left to traverse right inward above ceiling and jump to jugs for the (5.11d) free lunge. I couldn't bring myself to do the lunge so I ended up aiding it. After the ceiling belay higher up on a decent ledge. Continue up the crack to the top on beautiful jams to typical Cathedral Ledge wider crack stuff near the end.

The climbing is not that brilliant but the situation is awesome ! 3 short pitches ABOVE the Pendulum roof. Established "top-down", the last pitch was done first etc; The last sequence is the crux, some thinnish face past a bolt.   P1 move right past a bolt to a widening crack and tree/bolt belay 50' 9+ P2over a bulge (bolts) then thin moves (tcu) and a ramp to a nice ledge (thin belay- use the rap rope for back-up)5.10 P3 up a nice flake to stance with a bolt, thin moves past this to the top 45' 10c.

Continue right after the bolt as you would for at the start of Apocalypse, and follow the dike up and right around a corner.  Instead of continuing right up the dike as you would for Apocalypse, sling the tree and go straight up and left into the corner and over the bulge onto the ledge.  Anchor onto the fixed anchor above the block and continue either on Diagonal or Apocalypse as you see fit.   

  If you want, you can move left and hop back onto Standard Route.

 This route was climbed after a thunderstorm as a variation to Repulsion because the leader did not want to slip on the 5.8+ beginning.  Instead he traversed right into the unknown, and made his way up this "slippery corner" unsure if his feet would hold against the wet and dirty smears.

Life the universe and everything. The best route I have done!Pitch 1: (11+) Climb the first pitch of Cecile (This pitch broke and is now easier and more fun). If this pitch is wet you can use the pendulum bolt ladder to get onto the ledge.Pitch 2: (14a) Climb all of the hard part of difficulties be damned but head left at the roof for a wild sequence of moves that finishes with a stout v4ish mantle and a 2 bolt anchor at the base of the hanging slab. This finish is considerably harder and better than the original.Pitch 3: (12b) The Enduro slab! Nothing stopper on this pitch but never easy and very few opportunities to shake your calves. This is bolted in Cathedral slab style and is stressful at times. At the end of the slab a really fun traverse leads into the top of highway 61’s third pitch which ends at the comfy ledge at the base of the Bridge of Khazad Doom.Pitch 4: (13c) The Edge of the Bridge pitch. This pitch has the hardest moves of the whole route. It is basically a 4 move V8 to a clip into a 7 move V8. After the last bolt turn the corner to join Divisions of labor. Climb this to the tree ledge. This pitch is like climbing a beer fridge!Pitch 5: (10b) Finish up Divisions of labor.Some logistical notes:-The belays are really comfy overall.-Total rack is about 15 quickdraws with a few 2 foot slings, 4 finger size cams, a .5 and a #1. After the first pitch the biggest you need is a .5.-If your second is going to jug the crux pitch it is good to have a rope protector over the lip. --Having someone second this pitch will destroy your rope. It is also good to use 3 two foot slings to keep the rope running smooth.-For the arête pitch it is best to put a directional at the base of the arête and belay a few feet down in the corner below.-You can rap the whole route with a single 70 but be careful it’s pretty close in 2 spots.It is really easy to drop in from the top directly below “The classroom” at the top of the cliff.

A good short little route to finish off a day. A nice location at the top of the cliff, above the Pendulum roof/ Bridge . Nice rock and good pro. A short flake leads to a stance with a bolt. Crux slab above.

Memorable. 6 great pitches! Pro on the last pitch is R, but should not be an issue if you're climbing 11.

 P1-Start at a bolt ladder to the right of Highway 61 (where the old tree climb began) and climb corner to ledge system above. 5.8 - 80'

 P2- Undercling right under the overlap to ledge. 10b - 40'

 P3- Move up and left via crack into a corner (bolt). Straight up into the chimney feature and then to another great belay ledge! 5.9 - 140'

 P4- Up and at 'em! Up the 5.8 handcrack then traverse right under overlap to right edge and bust a move up (assume harder if you have a smaller ape-index) to a bolt above and a friction move to the belay. 11b - 90'

 P5-6 May be combined. Move out right from belay to a bolt and to a devious 5.9 move, trend up and left to another bolt (crux) and climb a finicky friction move to easier climbing and the belay bolts. 5.11b - 50'

 P6- Climb out right a bit and up, then trend right a bit through some lichen, to the trees! 1 bolt protects the pitch. 5.9 - 60' An alternative at the start of p6 may be to traverse right to escape into an obvious feature. From Tyler Rohr: Some beta on pitch 6: After the lone bolt it was pretty unclear to me where to go. I found a piton up and right in small feature (maybe 10-15 ft)...I ended up moving right maybe 20 feet from the piton through dirty ground and then the rest of the way up (30 or so feet?). A lot of the climbing involved scrapping off lichen before committing to a foot, but eventually, far right, things cleaned up.

This route combines some of the best pitches of climbing on the Mordor Wall, taking two from The Pendulum Route and one (and a half) from Lights in the Forest, the last being the imposing Bridge of Khazad-Dûm, a huge jamming and undercling roof. 

  Pitch 1: 5.8, 90'. The original start was shared with the Pendulum Route, which involved chimneying between the rock and a large tree at the base of the wall.  The tree has fallen, but there is now a bolt ladder. Continue up the steep corner hand crack and mantel onto the tree ledge. 

  Pitch 2: 5.10b, 40'. This is the second pitch of the Pendulum route. It follows a small overlap that you must undercling to the right. Small gear useful on this pitch. 

  Pitch 3: 5.9, 140'. This long pitch has some good exposure. It also needs a little more traffic...it is very dirty. Start by moving left into the cracks in the corner, laybacking and stemming up to a bolt. Clip it long and move to the right for some more laybacking up to the huge nose of rock. Chimney up this to a good stance. 

  Pitch 4: 5.8, 70'. From the stance, continue up through some trees to a nice hand crack in the back of a corner, to a small roof. Traverse left under the roof with more ease, but with much less protection, to the belay ledge below The Bridge. 

  Pitch 5: 5.11d, 70'. If you don't know where to go from here, you may as well pack up and go home. Jam and undercling, sometimes awkwardly, always strenously, out the huge, burly roof hanging over your head. It is STELLAR climbing. Did I mention it is burly? Pull around the lip and layback more easily up to a two-bolt belay. 

  Pitch 6: 5.10c, 100'. Scramble up and left to MOE, an obvious flake and thin face, past a bolt, into the trees.

P1:  (5.6 C1+) Boulder up a low slopping ledge via a large tree to the start of a shallow right facing corner, easily identified by one good bolt below two fixed pins. Easy aid up bolts and pins to a thin placement then up a nice corner to a 2 bolt anchor on the left side of a ledge, pass this and move right to another anchor next to a large flake.

 P2:  (C2F) Up the flake to a bolt ladder, some of these bad boys are from the FA and suck. But a couple were replaced 2 years ago. Follow the bolt ladder to a flake and this to a corner and the belay.P3: (C2)  The third pitch starts up the same crack system to a bolt on the left, clip this and lower way down and left to a large corner system which is easily climb up to you can clip some fixed heads and gain the ledge under the bridge. A great alternative that is the best way to go in the winter is straight up from the bolt following a great A2 crack and joins the regular route at the heads. P4: (C1 Awkward)  The Bridge. It's straight forward and you know exactly where to go, but it is gut busting awkward. Bring the big guns for this one. The crux is going through the flare into the roof proper. Follow the roof and round the corner to another set of bolted anchors. P5:  (5.6)  Chimney up ledges and blocks to a dirty right leaning corner crack with a beautiful juggy arete next to it. Put gear in the corner when available, but climb on the clean arete when it becomes a viable option.

Leave the anchor and head up to horizontals and get gear make a couple moves and clip a bolt. Move up to a another horizontal and get some small gear and traverse left up into the right facing corner getting more gear. After the corner mantle the obvious jug and clip a high bolt this is the crux. Climb the slab to the anchor. From here finish up the flake that is the last pitch of devisions of Labour at 10d. 

I would give this an X but I don't think you would die. . I have no idea how Doug hooked through the start in 75' and Jim's brilliant ffa was stunning.   Perfect stone, almost no gear and hard moves. 

  Move up past several bolts to a stance at the mini flake, gear up and go for it. The crux isn't TOO far up , but a fall from just below the ledge would be bad

Great climbing and a spectacular position in the center of the Mordor Wall.  I'm proposing 5.10d for the grade but I think it will feel pretty pumpy and out there on the onsight.  Maybe harder?  Pitch 1:  Start by climbing up the third pitch of Diagonal, taking a hard right after 25’. A techy slab crux leads to some pumpy climbing to get to, and through, the roof. Get a quick shake, aim for a high a horizontal, and traverse right to a bolted anchor at a good stance.Pitch 2: Move right into a short corner and head up to a testy slab sequence that guards the final romp to the trees.

This route is named after my grandmother. She is 91 years old and going strong. I am pretty sure if she started climbing tomorrow she would flash it by Friday and down rate it to 12a.  

  Pitch One 12c: 70ft   Start to the left of the pendulum tree. Clip a high bolt and do a boulder problem. Then place some gear and do another boulder problem to easier climbing and belay at a crack or at the tree. 

  Pitch Two 13d: 100ft   Free climb Topless Tellers (A4). The corner looks easy but is ridiculously hard. At the top of the corner make a spooky exit move, clip a new bolt, then make a puzzling traverse/dyno left into Mines of Moria (A2). Launch into a hard and scary boulder problem with big fall potential (only clipping the good bolt). Finish with awesome and exposed climbing to the top.

The Mordor Wall is perhaps the most appropriately named wall at Cathedral. The first time I looked up at that wall, it looked evil, like a steep, imposing wall seemingly devoid of holds and going on forever. Mostly known for its aid climbing, it also hosts a few desperate free routes. Most of the free climbing is in the 5.12 range, and the aid is from C2 to A4.  

  Classics include Grande Finale (5.12), Mordor Wall (A3, some pitches have gone free), Diagonal (5.9 R) would be more popular if the top out wasn't choked with poison ivy (I've not checked for myself yet, but it doesn't sound pretty).

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Mordor Wall