Rattlesnake Route. This route climbs a face, actually an indistinct buttress, about 200 feet to the southwest of Bridalveil Fall, and is easily identified as the area above a cone-shaped rock and tree slope. Several parties in recent years have been repulsed by a rattlesnake on the second pitch. Layton Kor and I climbed the route on June 4, unaware that it was the "snake" route. The first pitch was 80 feet of moderate fifth class climbing to the last tree. A more difficult section of mixed aid and free climbing ascended a long open-book and finally ended in a belay spot perched above an overhanging chimney. Another long, vertical pitch of both free and aid climbing followed a crack system on the crest of the buttress, then worked up left along isolated flakes. The last pitch, a long one, followed a steep, left-slanting ramp for 70 feet; the remainder of the lead was nailing. The roaring of the nearby fall made it hard to hear signals. Fifty pitons were used.

Fred Beckey