Last Gasp  5.6

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Type:  Trad, 5 pitches, 750 feet Consensus:  5.6 [details] FA:  Chip Salaun, 1979 Submitted By:  Aaron Martinuzzi on Apr 26, 2009 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (4) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: This picture, stolen from Cajun Capers (thanks De...

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Season raptor closures MORE INFO >>> The following areas are closed from March 1-July 31 or until further notice: Twin Owls, Rock One, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Sheep Mountain, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Lightning Rock and Checkerboard Rock are currently closed. The closures include the named rock formations and the areas extending 100 yards surrounding the base of the formation. This includes all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber's access trails to the formation. Alligator Rock is also closed. www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/area_closures.htm 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

Description 

This is truly Sundance Buttress's 'last gasp' in terms of terrain worth climbing. While the route is good for the grade, it won't offer much as a consolation prize to climbers who trekked out to Sundance with a classic 5.9 or 5.10 in mind. That said, this route is one of the longest of its grade at Lumpy Ridge, and will offer a 5.6 leader a bigger day than most of the other routes of that difficulty.

P1: 50 feet left of Cajun Capers' start, climb up and left over the slab (I went through some bushes) to a notch with a decent stance near a small tree, 5.5.

P2: Climb up to the west edge of Limber Pine Ledge over easy terrain. Belay off trees at the base of a huge, right-facing dihedral, 5.4.

P3: A fun pitch. Climb the massive dihedral, exiting to belay at a tree on a ledge, 5.6.

P4: From the ledge, climb a left-facing corner as it arches up and left past a tree. Belay at a stance near a dead tree, 5.5.

P5: Climb up through the left edge of a roof, much easier than it looks. A very short pitch that puts you on top of Sundance without your even noticing, 5.6.

Location 

This route begins left of Cajun Capers, about as far as you can hike before the slabs drop off to climber's left, and ascends the most westward fifth class terrain on Sundance Buttress.

Protection 

Standard rack.