Type: Sport, 160 ft (48 m)
FA: FA: Alex Kirkpatrick EQP: Ray Ringle, Alex Kirkpatrick
Page Views: 13,653 total · 108/month
Shared By: Alex Kirkpatrick on Oct 16, 2013
Admins: adrian montaƱo, Greg Opland, Brian Boyd, JJ Schlick, Kemper Brightman, Luke Bertelsen

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Description Suggest change

This is a very special route with an interesting history. It was the last route bolted by prominent AZ first ascentionist Ray Ringle. The story goes that he was unhappy with the level of chipping that had begun to characterize routes of the era, and after bolting and manufacturing what would become Doubt, he never attempted the route and abandoned route development entirely. The route lay dormant for likely close to 20 years until I stumbled upon it, labeled simply "unfinished", in the guidebook.

The route begins off a small ledge about 3/4 of the way up the Aegir gully from the bottom. A difficult boulder problem gets you off the ground, with the first major difficulties coming a few bolts after. This is the manufactured area and requires an elegant, technical, and powerful sequence. Traverse right on beautiful, perfect granite and continue up fun and unique climbing to the mid-anchor. (The route is roughly 13a to this point and is an excellent pitch in itself).

Recover what you can at a jug before continuing up to the boulder problem that defines the route. The sequence is improbable at best and requires extreme compression on smooth and marginal holds leading to a very difficult move out to a bad sloper. Exit via a heinous gastocling. A more moderate boulder problem directly follows this and could easily rob the redpoint.

From here, fight the pump up smooth laybacks to a great rest before launching into a vicious and delicate 5.12 sequence at roughly the 120' mark. Climb ~40 of 11+ terrain to the chains.

I have never climbed such a technical and complex route. The feet are marginal smears and edges for the majority of the route's 160' length. The sequences are wild and unique and very uncharacteristic of Mount Lemmon.

Those willing to deal with the 45 minute approach, the ~8000' of altitude, the fickle conditions, and the unrelenting technically, physically, and mentally demanding climbing will be rewarded with one of the most beautiful routes I have ever seen in one of the most profound places I have ever been.

Also it is hard for me to suggest a manufactured route get 4 stars (Although the vast majority of the climbing and the hardest crux is all natural), but that being said, this is a four start route in my opinion and will be for all but the most ethically discerning climbers.

This could be Mount Lemmon's hardest route to date

Location Suggest change

Listed as Unfinished in SQTL2 the route is just to the right of another bolted line on the NE face of the Aegir

Protection Suggest change

~18 bolts

80m barely lowers (tie knot)

if using 70m lower to 1st anchor & rethread

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