Eldred Valley Rock
Psyche Slab
From the Colin Arthur Dionne Memorial Climbers Camp (CAD climbers camp) parking area, walk North to the power line access road on the right. Hike to the top of the road and find the trail through the slash on your right. The main trail follows the base of the wall to the right all the way to Delusional Reality and left all the way to S.R.I. The climbs are laid out from left to right starting with SRI and ending with Delusional Reality.
2) S.R.I 5.10 (Serotonin Re uptake Inhibitor ) (f/a: Brian Pickles, Luke Clark, Neil Ives 2002) 6 pitches
Begins at the far Left side of the wall at the base of a short low angle slab/ramp. (p1) Start up the thin slab past a small left facing dihedral protected by 1 bolt then right past more bolts to a hanging belay. 40 m 5.10 (p2) Head up and left past bolts to a belay in the base of a crack. 30 m 5.8 (p3) Climb the pretty little hand crack to a belay on a large flat area. 35 m 5.9 (p4) Head up the low angle slab past bolts to a ledge belay on the right. 30 m 5.7 (p5) Climb up the slabs to the right facing dihedral, on the slabs above clip a bolt then walk about 5 m left to the base of a right leaning dyke, head up the dyke (watch the rope drag) to a hanging belay. 45 m 5.9 (p6) Continue up the dyke for 30 m then strike out left across the easy slab past bolts to a grassy ledge belay. 50 m. 5.7. The route does continue but I recommend rapping from the 6th. A fun line that's easy to follow on mixed bolts and gear.
Decent: Rap the route.
Gear: 2-60m ropes, double rack to .75 inch, singles to 2 inch, draws and long slings
6) Schizophrenia 5.10a (f/a: Colin Dionne, Christie Dionne 2002) 12 pitches.
“Slackers paradise” as Colin calls it. This fun and well protected mixed route takes you to the top of the wall, tho if you start too late in the summer sun your shoes may melt. Just as you enter the trees on the Psyche Slab trail, hike directly to the base of the wall (p1) This easy slab pitch has mixed bolts and gear, climb past 3 bolts then look left for gear, find the bolted belay ledge at the base of the steep slab. 40 m 5.7 (p2) Steep slab climbing to the obvious corner, continue up to a bolted hanging belay. 55 m 5.10a (p3) Continue up the crack into the left facing dihedral, belay on the ledge above. 30 m 5.8 (p4) Climb the beautiful dihedral!! step right, head up the slab to a bolted belay ledge. 55 m 5.10a (p5) Climb the obvious cracks on the right, past a few bolts to a bolted belay on the small white headwall to the right. 50 m 5.9 (p6) Under cling right then up the crack onto the slabs to a belay stance on the right. 45 m 5.9 (p7) Walk up the featured slab then step left on a dike into harder terrain past more bolts to a 2 bolt belay on the left. 50 m 5.9 (p8) Climb the easy bolted slab to the small treed belay ledge. 40 m 5.8 (p9) Climb the left leaning crack, to the right of the belay. Mantel up, climb past 2 bolts and continue up to a horizontal crack, look up and you will see 2 parallel grassy/bushy cracks. Follow the right hand crack to a grassy ledge on the left, 2 bolt belay. Communication is difficult. 55 m 5.8 (p10) Head up to the overlap on the right, climb up past 4 bolts then left. Belay on a small ledge on top of the flake. 2 bolt belay 60 m 5.9 ( p11) head straight up past 2 bolts, then trend left past 6 bolts to the top of the long right facing dihedral. Mantel up to the bolted belay. 50 m 5.8 (p12) A stellar finishing pitch!! Climb up to the dyke and follow it left around the corner then straight to the summit of psyche slab. Belay from the large tree 55 m. 5.9
Decent: Rap the route
Gear: 2- 60m Ropes, double rack to .75 inch singles to 3 inch, a good selection of draws and slings
7) Racknophobia 5.10d/ 5.11a (f/a: Colin Dionne, Christie Dionne, Andy Durry 2003) 3 pitches.
Well protected sport style route that connects to Schizophrenia at the top of the 5th . (p1) 30 m of delicate slab and dike moves. It dries quickly for those marginal days. 30m 5.11a (p2) Wandering slab past bolts to a belay on a small ledge, recommend long slings to reduce rope drag. 50 m 5.10b (p3) head up past the left edge of a small step, continue up the slabs to connect with the 5th on schizophrenia. 45 m 5.9
Decent: Rap the route
Gear: 2- 60m Ropes, draws and slings about 14 total
14) Psychoblast 5.9 + (Heather & Andre Prassinos 2005) 5 Pitches
A clean variation to Psychopath! Hike past the turn to Solstice about 60 m then head up towards the base of the wall, you will come to a large fallen tree. Hike up the treed rib at the left end of the fallen tree to a large ledge, Psychoblast starts on the left. Or climb Recovery. (p1) head straight up for 5 m to a delicate traverse to the left into the crack, continue up the crack to a gear belay on a large ledge. 58 m (p2) Continues up the same crack to another belay ledge. 35 m (p3)The crack becomes lower angle for this short pitch, belay in a shallow alcove at the right end of a shallow roof. 25 m (p5) Continue up the easy crack, near the headwall exit the crack to the left and belay off a small cedar tree. 45 m
Decent: Scramble down and to climbers right 20 m to a set of rap rings at the top of Decoy, Rap trending right to the ground, can be done in 3 raps.
Gear: 2 – 60m Ropes. Singles to .3 triples from .4 to .75, double 1 and 2 inch and a 3 inch (a green alien or equivalent for the 1st pitch.
15) Decoy 5.10b 5 pitches (f/a Colin Dionne, Matt Hodgson 2006)
5 fun pitches that cant be missed!! Hike past the turn to Solstice about 100 m then head up towards the base of the wall, you will come to a large fallen tree. Hike up the treed rib at the left end of the fallen tree, scramble up and over the easy dihedral on your right to the start platform. (p1) Climb the technical slab past 13 bolts to a hanging belay,this pitch wanders a bit so long slings to reduce rope drag is a must 50m. (p2) Short and exciting, this pitch gets you into the crack. I don’t recommend linking the first 2 pitches due to rope drag. 15 m (p3) Follow the crack up to a hanging belay in a small alcove 30 m (p4) Continue up the crack to a dyke that takes you out left past a bolt, do some more exciting technical slab past 2 bolts to a belay ledge. 40 m (p5) follow the 5.8 crack, past a tree to a bolted belay. 55 m
Decent: Rap the route, from the top rap to the 4th then to the 2nd and to the ground.
Gear: 2-60 m Ropes, standard rack to 2 in, long slings and draws.
18) Delusional Reality 5.9+ Infectious Grooves 5.10c 10 pitches
Enjoyable route following cracks and slabs up the right hand buttress. . This has been dubbed the hardest 5.9+ in the universe. The original route ended at the big terrace, established in 1996 by Colin Dionne and Michelle Thibeault. The final 5 Infectious Grooves pitches were established in 1999 by Colin and Christie Dionne and give the route its reputation. Hike along the base far to the right past the large up turned tree root to the base of a large detached flake/block, if you come to a maple tree you have gone too far. (p1) Climb the block onto the bushy ledge, hike up and left to belay off a tree where the slab opens up to your left. 40 m (p2) Head up the slabs on the left, step right past a bolt and up to the belay ledge. Belay off the large tree. 50 m (p3) climb up to the large left facing dihedral, mantle right onto the slab, finish up past a bolt to the semi hanging belay. 55 m (p4) Climb the obvious flake to a small grassy ledge, finish up the short bolted slab to the belay. 55 m Move the belay left along the ledge to the big tree. 30 m (p5) Strike out right along some small dikes past a bolt into the crack, move up the slab past a few bolts then climb the bushy block on the left, finish with the narrow ramp onto the big terrace ledge. Use of long sling is critical or rope drag makes it near impossible 50 m. Hike along the terrace to the base of the Infectious Grooves pitches. (p6) Climb the steep slab past 5 bolts and some gear to a hanging belay 50 m (p7) Continue up and left, through an overlap to an alcove at the base of a corner crack. 50 m (p8) The corner crack is harder than it looks, from the top head straight up to an open ledge platform on the slab with a 2 bolt belay. 45 m
Decent: To rap from the big terrace: Hike to the base of the Infectious Grooves pitch, just below find the large Fir tree with a rap sling, rap down to climbers right. 3 raps all to ledges with tree slings gets you to the ground hike downhill to your pack. From the top of the Infectious Grooves pitches, rap the route to the big terrace then follow previous instructions.
Gear: 2-60m Ropes, doubles to .75 singles to 3 in, 10 slings and 10 draws