A Sphinxter Says What?  5.11a R

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Type:  Trad, 3 pitches, 200 feet FA:  Stefan Griebel and Alan Doak, March 2004 New Route:  Yes Submitted By:  Stefan Griebel on Mar 31, 2004 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

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Raptor Closure MORE INFO >>> The Sphinx is also in the closure that typically includes crags closed 1 February to 31 July: The Goose Goose Eggs East Ridge Mars Block Nebel Horn Tower of the Moon Jamcrack Spire The Pyramid Incognito Crag Devil's Thumb Shadow Fax Isolation Rock Sunset Wall Devil's Wing (W. Face) The Matron Lost & Found The Sibling Toddler Rock Medusa Rock This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund, and Mountain Project. You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates. Keeping climbing areas open and conserving the climbing environment Flatirons Climbing Council Preserving climbing access in the Flatirons

Description 

This route is a 1-pitch variation to the Lower East Face route. The first 2 pitches are shared with the Lower East Face route.

P1, 5.3ish - Climb from the base of the Sphinx up to a ledge system with trees and bushes. Traverse left.

P2, 5.5ish - Climb up and into a cool chimney. Crank out of the chimney on your left, and belay at a large tree. Watch out for big loose rocks on this pitch!

P3, 5.11a - From the big tree, climb up the ramp with no pro (5.6s) on your left about 50'. The ramp seems to hang in the air a couple hundred feet above the ground, and the exposure as you go up this ramp is awesome! Traverse right on jugs to the base of a short, thin, overhanging crack. There is good gear at the base of the crack (.75" - 1"), and OK gear in the crack (blue/green aliens and/or small nuts). Fingertip-lieback and funky-stem up the crack (crux) to bigger holds and better gear. The crux is over, but the pumpiness isn't! Hang on a little bit longer and crank over the steepness to a restful hand traverse. Traverse right and belay at a tree as for P3 of the Lower East Face route.

To summit, keep traversing, and scramble up an obvious gully to the top. This is class 3 in Rossiter's book, but I would give it a class 4/5. If you stay roped, it is probably 2 pitches to the top.

To descend, downclimb the gully, and rock hop North into Shanahan Canyon.

Protection 

A single run of cams, and single set of nuts is plenty to get you up this route. Blue and Green Alien(s) very nice for the crux.