Northwest Passage 5.12d

There's no better multi-pitch free route at Smith than this magnificent four-pitch line to the top of the Monkey. Despite a few clips along the way, it's mainly a trad route with good protection as long as you have the patience to stop in the middle of strenuous moves. It goes completely free, either with the difficult Sheer Trickery start, or the easier (though less elegant) Sheer Variation. Pitch 1: (5.12a A0 or 5.12d or 5.12a) Choose a start option, leading to the classic West Face crack. Pitch 2: (5.11c) Lieback up the knife-edge arete (clipping bolts) and turn the corner to easier climbing up a solid flake crack. Some climbers (foolishly) bypass this pitch by traversing straight left 10 feet to the anchor below the Northwest Corner. Pitch 3: (5.11d) Climb the remarkable flake crack, placing gear, before traversing right to the West Face Cave. You can link the second and third pitch into a single lead (5.12a) but you won't be able to watch the leader. Pitch 4: (5.11b) Exit the cave via the same boul