In late May 2020, I met Sam England on the west side of Notch Peak in the West Desert. (I had spent the first day of this trip hiking in gear and scouting route options as Sam finished the last leg of his drive.) Soon enough, we were at the base of the lower north face, starting up the prominent buttress to the climber’s left (east) of the routes Appetite for Destruction and Western Hardman. This wall is approximately halfway up Notch Peak Canyon.

Our line began with a pitch through cracks to reach a third-class ledge. Above this, we climbed three pitches up a right-facing corner and crack system. Encountering deteriorating rock quality, we traversed left and then back right for two pitches, then followed ledges and ramps to reach the upper headwall. On the headwall, we angled left to a large corner and chimney, with face climbing and a bombay slot to attain a ledge. From the ledge, 200’ of choose-your-own-adventure scrambling got us to the top of the lower north face.

We fixed lines as we went, which we then used on our way down to clean loose rock, install an additional rappel anchor, and add a few key protection bolts at otherwise run-out cruxes. Eastern Softboy (1,200’, 12 pitches, IV 5.10) sports a reasonable 75-minute approach, moderate grade, and generally good rock.

As Sam and I hiked into Eastern Softboy each day, we stared at the prominent prow at the head of Notch Peak Canyon, an obvious feature that ascends into the namesake notch of the mountain. (This prow is reached by continuing up after the fixed lines on the usual approach to the upper north face, entering a gully to the right of the prow where the normal approach cuts to the right.) We returned in May 2021 with Billyjack Cundiff to find a route up this striking swath of stone.

Our climb was beset with a litany of mishaps, from broken helmets to chopped ropes, largely owing to the decidedly mediocre rock in portions of the route. The middle pitches directly on the prow of Prowd Enough (1,200’, 12 pitches, IV 5.10+) climbed nicely enough, but the detours to and from these pitches left something to be desired. A more direct start and finish would make the route more appealing. It’s possible to either rappel from the top of the prow or hike down the east side of the mountain. 

— Derek DeBruin