North America, United States, Washington, Cascade Mountains, Big Kangaroo, South Face

Publication Year: 1988.

Big Kangaroo, South Face. On October 4, Chris Copeland and I climbed the first three pitches of the 1984 Thomas-Kearney route, but instead of exiting from the corner, we continued up it. From a small stance in the corner, we climbed a left-leaning flake for 75 feet which parallels the corner before rejoining it to climb up to a hanging belay just under a giant overhang. We climbed up and left using a thin crack beneath the overhang (5.10c and aid) and up to a belay above the left end of the overhang. We traversed left using tension and continued across to a large flaring crack. We ascended this a short way and traversed left again to gain the 1967 south-face route. Protection was up to 4 inches with emphasis on stoppers and small Friends. (III, 5.10c, A2.)

Alan Kearney