This excellent route climbs through the left side of the South Face of The Sun in 4 great pitches. To locate the start of the route look for a clean crack rising up and left from the ground with a wide spot about 15' up. The Upper pitches are hard to spot from the ground but it is fairly obvious where the only weakness through the sheer face could possibly be. The route can be broken up several different ways and climbed in three to five pitches depending on how you choose to do it. This is the way we did it...
Pitch 1, 220 ft. 5.8+: Locate the clean crack that begins on the left side of the formation and angles up and left. Pass a wide spot early on (5.8s without a bigbro) and continue on via a nice finger crack that leads to a long arching corner system that sweeps up and left. Either belay at the top of the finger crack or continue up for another 150' to a good stance atop a large flake just before you are forced to step left into another crack system. Intense for 5.8.
Pitch 2, 85 ft. 5.9-: Make a slab move left into the next crack system and follow the low angle crack for about 40 ft. to a steep corner formed by an enormous block. Move around right via good hands, pass a bush and power up the corner either by offwidthing or liebacking and belay on a large flat ledge atop the huge block. Better than it looks.
Pitch 3, 75 ft. 5.10b: Climb the obvious overhanging hand crack above you via jams and liebacking. Either continue to the top or belay at a very unique rock "saddle" that makes for a comfortable seat with a great view of the next pitch. Stenuous.
Pitch 4, 85 ft. 5.9: Climb the beautiful corner crack up and right with perfect hand jams, good crystals and knobs for the feet, and great pro to the top of the rock. Pure fun!
Walk off either side.
Protection
Stoppers and Cams up to a #4 Camalot, extra #1 through #3.
There is also a bolted route to the left of the first pitch. about 5.9+ face climbing. bring a couple of large cams for the top. there are no bolts to belay from the top.I rope soloed the route 9/21_03. the last two pitches are crazy! don't forget your tape gloves.
By Ben Faber From: Benfield, Kolorado Sep 24, 2003
Good route - really good. I combined the last 2 pitches without too much drag.
With the Halogen start: P1: Begin in a short dihedral to the left and around the corner from Better Lock Next Time. Under a bolt about 20'-25' high. The crux is just under the bolt and to get over it. Can be protected with #2BD. After this the slope relents for a while and you get to a 2 bolts (3 with the old button head!) belay after 80'-90'. You can belay here or continue up the relentless slab for another 80' or so, passing 4 (may be 5) bolts (2 of them old button head) to a groove. Continue up the groove to a clean 4' wide gully with good cracks at the bottom to set up a comfy belay (200'). The slab is steep and a little bit run out but knobs and crystals are where they need to be. I climbed mostly on the left of the water streak until the last bolt then right of it to the groove. Stay cool, wear long sleeves P2: Out of the gully then right to join Better Lock at the corner of pitch 2. Layback up the corner to the large ledge below the obvious crux crack. 100' P3: The crack is harder than it looks from the belay. It overhangs most of the way and gets harder as you go up. Protects well but strenuous. (Not my lead!) Belay at a saddle below an obvious right facing corner. 75' P4: Climb the obvious crack in the corner to the flat top. 85' P3 & P4 may be combined but you need large gear (may be #5BD) to set up a belay in the crevice that splits the flat top of the formation or walk 50' to a ditch that runs perpendicular to the crevice and drop yourself in the ditch. Make sure that the rope stays out of the crevice or the second will be in trouble when he removes the last pro because the crack is just the vertical part of the crevice.
Just did this climb yesterday for my birthday. Great Climb! A must if you like bushwacking your way up to a crag. We recovered a cam that was fixed in the 10b pitch. If you can describe the cam you can have it. Looks to be a pretty cool trophy cam, someone almost tore the lobe off a brand new C4!
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