A few may ask for a belay, so the leader should be prepared to give one. For the NGA route, one proceeds about 100 yards beyond the SGA escape chute, where a tall alive tree is seen leaning at 45° diagonally across the canyon. At this point scramble through the underbrush up the steep dirt slopes. The route is nefarious, possibly marked in places by previous useage. The leader should fix in mind the route to avoid descent problems. After climbing through bush, one bellies up several ledges getting into the red-brown sandstone ridges and valley. The cone-section NGA substructure looms up above, and one may mistake it for the peak itself. It is grey in color and riven with cracks. Hike around to the far side of the substructure to find a very large bowl where climbing is the easiest. After topping out on the substructure, one faces the steep-faced end view of the cone (or dome) super-structure. Directly ahead is climbable, but awkward. Much better to circle 100 ft to the right to find a small pine tree where a vertical crack makes for easier climbing. A series of short climbs follows, after each one traverses to the left. Belays may be called for in a couple of place, one of which is stepping off a limb of a pine tree onto a rather steep face having exposure. Another is climbing up a chimney with little head room, since it angles off to the right. An alternate to this place is traversing a ledge and then a few feet of steep face climbing. Really not much of this 3rd-4th class climbing, and not difficult for typical DPS-ers. On Saturday Phil Bruce did a fine job of route finding, rope work and leading to get all of his party of 15 to the top of NGA. Meanwhile, Henry took his party of 15 to climb SGA. Eleven made the peak, and the other four were fatigued, considering an all night bus ride, a 5-mile back-pack, rope climbing around the inner canyon obstructions and then several thousand feet of gain. Both parties returned to camp at dusk. A pleasant camp-fire social topped off the evening. On Sunday Phil took his party of 15 (minus one or two) to climb SGA, while Henry had only four takers for NGA. Both climbs went well and both parties returned to camp by 1:00 pm. Break camp, shoulder packs and hike five miles down canyon to catch the bus. The delightfully warm sunshine enticed most to a luxury dunking in the river mid-way along route. The water deep enough to allow swimming. The last of our strength seemed to ebb away on the final 500 ft climb to gain the undulating woods-land, so it was most gratifying to return to the bus, and be offered nice cold drinks, and to see a feast in preparation by Zoya, with able helpers Ione Bruce, Betty McCosker and captured males. The dinner was extra-ordinary--honey-dew melons, tossed salad, baked onions, choice steak, choice of pies and drinks. Zoya Beach, our sincere thanks and esteem to you for managing and preparing this sumptuous dinner in a primitive setting. The evening was given to good cheer around the campfire. Monday, the go-home day, was anti-climactic as we were bombed by a five-hour bus break-down in Las Vegas But what better place could you pick for a bus break-down.

-- Henry Heusinkveld

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