Slick Rock, just east of McCall Idaho, is a huge glaciated granite slab at an enticing angle. It is about 1200 feet high, but reposes gracefully between 50 to 70 degrees, with a few areas that approach vertical. A bold leader, not worried about falling, can go just about anywhere on Slick Rock’s clean polished granite.

As of 4/17/2019 Supertopo management has deleted all my photos from this & my other stories.

However! Tom Lopez hosts 3 of my best climbing stories on his website for his fine book “Idaho A Climbing Guide.” This story is one of the lucky three to survive there with photos. https://www.idahoaclimbingguide.com/contributors/ray-brooks/



I first climbed the 5.6 Regular Route aka Three Cracks route on Slick Rock in Oct. of 1972. I ended up climbing it at least 5 other times, and also helped to pioneer three other harder routes on Slick Rock. I had last climbed the route in 1985 with a girlfriend. Mark Mason has also climbed it numerous times and we both thought of it as long (11 leads with a 45 meter rope), but fun, 5.6 route. It seemed just right for us to finally climb again, since Mark had also not climbed it since the early 1980's.


SLICK ROCK 8/19/15 Regular Route, aka Three Cracks route. Ray Brooks, aka Fritz & Mark Mason

There are currently two large forest fires burning near McCall, but otherwise the weather was perfect, with morning temps in the 40's F. range and afternoon temps in the mid-70's F.


OVERALL, the Three Cracks route was more difficult, harder to protect, & way more run-out, than in our memories of 30 plus years ago, when we thought of it as an “easy” route, that we dragged novice climbers & girlfriends up. We now strongly suspect that in our 60’s, we are not as tough or capable as we were in our 20’s & 30’s. I also believe that our memories of the run-out un-protectable sections were suppressed, since they were not “pleasant memories. ”

Mark was a great partner on the route. He carried a pack with our trail shoes, water, lunches, 1st aid kit, and much other crap, up the climb, and was always encouraging. He also belayed me perfectly and gave me lots of slack rope, and an occasional tight rope when I needed it.


An adventure summary of our climb, with Mark’s 70 meter rope. All our previous ascents had been on 45 meter ropes, so it was a “game-changer.”

Pitch 1 Left facing corner/open book, well protected 5.5 -5.6 to a large ledge that I recall had a decent crack for a belay. Variation 1A on my 1982 topo. A belay crack was not found & I wandered up & right across un-protectable 5.0- 5.5 slab for 100 ft. or so, to a two-bolt belay. (I think our earlier routes went up "run-out" steeper slabs to some cracks & tree belays.)



Pitch 2: Easy climbing up & right over many big semi-loose, but currently stable, blocks to a tree-belay. (I missed a two-bolt belay 20 feet lower.)

Pitch 3: Easy climbing, with no protection, back along the upper edge of a huge downward trending crack, then up towards the first crack.

Pitch 4: Slightly more difficult climbing up towards first crack.


Pitch 5: Up first crack, which was fun climbing with good protection.

Pitch 6: From high in the first crack, I scuttled across to the second crack and stepped in (I nearly jumped). The second crack is mostly a 12-18” wide groove with occasional spots for protection. Techniques used were mostly chimney & off-width variations. 5.7 Crux, where the crack ends, for about 10' & I belayed a little ways above that.

Although I had a great crack for belay anchors, the only pro I had left, that fit, was a blue Camalot, that I backed up with a wedged carabiner, for that all important “two pieces of protection, psychological” belay.



When Mark came up, I had him place another cam for a safer belay anchor, & I was good to go.

Pitch 7: I soon stepped across to the 3rd crack and found it mostly pleasant lay-backing with an occasional more difficult spot. I climbed to what I believe is named “Lunch Ledge” at the top of the 3rd crack. This was where the original 1967 first ascent party spent a while, until my friend Harry Bowron boldly led on.

After bringing Mark up, I looked up & could see absolutely no cracks for protection, just difficult looking run-out ground (Please remember I have climbed this route numerous times and considered it "easy".)

Pitch 8: Meanwhile two pleasant Washington State U. students had just passed us on the closely adjacent 5.8+ Memorial Route, which is a well-bolted Sport Route. It was so logical & easy to step across to a bolt on it & then to follow that route up 4 bolts & some 5.8 climbing to a 2-bolt belay, which was the only short lead on our route.



Pitch 9 followed the bolt route for two more bolts, then I could not see more bolts, or any nearby cracks to the left, in a hundred foot high blank slab, that ended in a vertical headwall. The other climbers had not found any bolts in that section either.

I told Mark I was going back left to the original route, but he talked me into following the line of no bolts. I traversed right on run-out 5.4-5.6 that had unfortunate occasional sandy spots. I became very aware that If I slipped badly on the impossible to see sand, I was going to take a 100' fall. I eventually reached a large un-protectable crack that provided all-important handholds and diagonaled back left to a large crack that led upward, that I could protect. Then I traversed left under a steeper area and reached the top.



The Stats: Roped climbing time about 7 hours (for us). We descended climber's left of Slickrock, which appears to be longer, but safer than the now more popular climber's right descent route.. It was a "somewhat" safe descent, but we suffered heavy vegetation & no trail, on the lower 1/3. Top to car 1 1/2 hrs.

Any areas on my bare legs that were not abraded on the ascent were scarred on the descent.

Car to car 10 hours.

Our new rating for the route is 5.7 R with the R for "Runout."

It was a Big Day for a Geezer!