Direct North Wall of Sentinel Rock, Left Side. On the direct north wall of Sentinel Rock, 600 feet up, a distinctive line of ceilings cuts across the left central part of the face. In June Layton Kor and I climbed a new route which ascends in a direct line past the left edge of the ceilings. We climbed up to the Tree Ledge and bivouacked at the base of the wall. To reduce our chances of having to bivouac in hammocks, Layton led the first pitch that evening, involving a very difficult, overhanging, flared squeeze-chimney. In the morning we swung leads up the steep wall. The leads were moderately difficult artificial climbing, with belays in slings. In mid-afternoon, 100 feet below the ceilings, a snow flurry forced us to make a difficult 150-foot rappel down and left to a ledge. We prepared for a bad night, but the storm soon passed. On the second day, one more pitch brought me to the ceilings. Layton continued past the left edge of these ceilings and entered a long, narrow chimney-system reminiscent of the first pitch. Struggling up, he placed a rurp for aid, and then continued free for 30 more feet to the only ledge on the route. We left our hauling bag here, and continued up another strenuous chimney pitch. Then came a long tension lead following the curiously disconnected shallow grooves which are characteristic of the direct north wall. We rappelled back and spent a disquieting night perched on the very exposed ledge only 10 inches wide. On the following morning we nailed two more pitches up the grooves to the summit. The actual climbing time was two full days.

Glen Denny