I saw the lower part of this climbing area in 2013 while driving on the road below it. I bookmarked it in my GPS as "Slab To Check Out", but did not get up to check it out until late 2016. I went in from the bottom and found the lower part of the slab to be too low angle. However, I discovered an upper part that was much steeper. The upper part can be approached from below, but it is a miserable steep uphill bushwhack. It is better to approach it from above off of 6S10X.
To get to the climbing area, take Beasore Road to Cold Spring summit and turn left onto Road 6S10X. Drive on Road 6S10X about 3/4 to 1 mile to the second road on the left. Turn left on the second road to the left (Road 6S10XD) and go up a hill. If you have a 2WD or low clearance vehicle, park at the campsite at the top of the hill. If you have a 4WD or high clearance vehicle, turn left at the top of the hill and go up a rough road for about 0.15 mile. Park where the road forks in a flat area under trees. Hike along the right spur road of the two forks for about 0.25 miles. This spur is too narrow for many vehicles. When you come to close to the end of the road, which is at several fire rings, turn west and walk downhill past several boulders and across very low manzanita until you can see an open slab area slightly on the left. Go out to the slab area and follow cairns down until you can cut sharp left through an opening in the manzanita. Go across the top of a vegetated slab that often seeps water to bushes. Go through a slight opening in the bushes to pass a large boulder on the right. Continue down just above rock formations to the top of the slab. You will see two sets of rappel bolts to access the top climbs. Google Maps coordinates of top of slab 37.420273 -119.512477. To get to the bottom climbs, proceed right through an opening and go down a dirt slope under dying trees to the edge of the slab. Then continue down along the edge of the slabs. All climbs can be done with a single 60 m rope. The climbs are very well protected. Don't get too excited about the route names, I think they are funny.
The two upper climbs are started by rappelling in from the top from the rappel anchors. The upper slab climbs listed from climber's right to left are the following:
"Not My President" (5.8+ to 5.9) **
Start at a two bolt belay/rappel station in lower angle terrain part way down the slab. Proceed up steepening terrain to the two bolt belay/rappel station at the top. Five bolts. Note that you can also do three single rope rappels down from these stations to the base of the slab. FA Mark Fletcher and Jill Rafel 11/19/2016 (bolts placed on 11/6/2016).
"A Ray Of Sunshine" (5.4 - 5.5)
Rappel down to start at two bolts on the beginning of steeper section above. You could also traverse 3rd-4th class into the start from the left. The hangers on these starting anchor bolts may rotate a bit because I used Triplex bolts, but the bolts are solid. Do not try to tighten the bolts to stop the rotating. Proceed up past three bolts to the top belay/rappel anchors. FA Mark Fletcher 11/6/2016
The lower climbs listed from climber's right to left are the following:
"Hamilton Schools Pence" (5.7)
This climb starts just right of bushes growing against the slab that you must climb through to approach. Go up on knobs and features to a mossy section and then up a steeper section to a ledge. Rappel from a single ring/double bolt sport anchor. Six bolts. FA Mark Fletcher 6/24/2017
"Not Normal" (5.8 ) *
This climb starts just left of the bushes growing up against the slab. Go up knobs and features to a sloping ledge and then up a steeper section to a ledge. Rappel from two bolts with rappel rings. Seven bolts. FA Mark Fletcher 6/24/2017
"The World Could Disappear, But I Would Still Be Here" (5.9+ to 5.10a) **
This longer climb starts about 10 feet left of "Not Normal". It traverses left past features and knobs to a steeper section. At the base of a steeper section with a large knob, there is a bolt out to the left. Clip this bolt with a long sling and then detach when the bolt above is clipped or ignore this bolt (climb was bolted doing rope solo). Then go up a steep section on small features past bolts to a two bolt belay/rappel anchor. This rappel anchor can be used to rappel in from the top. It can also be used to combine this climb with "Not My President" by doing a 4th class pitch in between the two climbs. 11-12 bolts. FA Mark Fletcher, Paul Didorian, Jill Rafel, and Ann Meyer 11/19/2016 (bolts installed on 11/6/2016)
"ITMFA" (5.10d - 5.11a)
This climb starts in a slight depression on the left side of the base to the left of a tree. The climb goes up a slab that has lots of flaky rock that starts out easy, but gets much harder above the fourth bolt. The climb is deceptively hard in that it looks easy from the base, but has very little features at the crux. There are many bolts on this climb, especially at the crux. You may want to skip some of the closer bolts if you are climbing above the grade. Higher up stemming in a slight depression helps you move up higher. I have not done all of the clips cleanly, but have done all of the moves. Someone who is really good at very thin slab please provide input on the rating. Eleven bolts. There are rappel rings on the bolts at the top. Partial FA Mark Fletcher and Jill Rafel 11/19/2017. This climb may be better when some of the tiny holds are cleaned up.
"Colluding With The Russians" (5.9+) ***
This is the best climb of the area. This climb starts about 10 feet left of "ITMFA". The climb does up a friction slab to features and then up a very nice move at the fourth bolt. Please do not pull hard outward on the flake past the sixth bolt. This flake will support a hard downward pull, but may not support a hard outward pull. It is a key feature of the climb. Go up to a good stance right of the grove, clip the bolt and then drop down and go to the face left of the groove to another bolt. Some may wish to place a purple X4 cam in the crack/groove between bolts, but it is really not necessary. Go up the groove and then left of the groove past two more bolts to a two bolt belay/rappel station. Eleven bolts. Please leave the vegetation in the groove as is since the key locations are already cleaned. FA Mark Fletcher 6/25/2017.
"01/20/2021" (5.6)
This climb starts just to the left of bushes growing against the slab and where there are debris from a downed tree. Go up the lower angle face on nice erosion pockets to very easy climbing to a small ledge with a single ring/double anchor sport station. The rappel is probably a full 30 m. Some of the face needs to be cleaned a bit. Six bolts. FA Mark Fletcher and Jill Rafel 11/19/2017. Note that you can climb 3rd/4th class for about 30-40 feet between the top of this climb to the start of the route "A Ray Of Sunshine".
