East Ridge of Wolfs Head

Sketch of East Ridge on Wolfs Head including the standard descent. The book as well as various descriptions on the web of how to get off the summit were a bit confusing (though it was pretty clear once there) and so I've decided to put this picture in. Please note the orientation of the "map" - west is directed upwards here. Map is - obviously - not to scale. Think of it more as a sketch. The red line represents the climb as we did it (dashed red is the alternate start as it appears in Roper and Steck). Belays are not indicated - lots of freedom exists as to where exactly one belays. We did the Grassy Ledges "approach" roped and it took about 4 pitches to reach the Tiger-Wolfs Head notch (=start of East Ridge proper). From there it took us about 8 pitches (including a long simulclimb pitch up the "ramp") to reach the summit. Key features and various "cruxes" are indicated. The descent is represented by the blue line with arrows intended to show rappels. R1 and R2 are short (<80 feet each). These are followed by a walk (class 2 then a few feet of exposed class 3) to reach R3. We did R3-R5 as single 60m rope raps but did have to scramble a bit to reach next rap stations in each case (most scrambles were quite exposed and we "hip belayed" each other over this terrain). At end of R5 you face a huge drop if you continue down the rap line! Instead, catch a narrow and exposed ledge with a faint path to the left. This is the start of the slabs traverse to reach the Wolfs Head-Overhanging Tower col. Traverse narrow "ledges" in low angle slabs southward. Going gets progressively less exposed and the "path" stays west of the ridge crest (some cairns mark the way closer to col). At the end of the "walk", one more rap over mostly class 4-5.0 terrain is needed (R6) to reach the Wolfs Head-Overhanging Tower Col (you rap to a point about 30 feet W of the col = need to scramble over the Col towards Cirque Lake). We did this rap as a double rope but I'm pretty sure a single would work too (tie in knots!).