Regular Route  5.9 C0

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Type:  Trad, Aid, 1700 feet, Grade V Consensus:  5.9 C0 [details] FA:  David R. Brower, John Dyer, Bestor Robinson, Rafi Bedayan, 1939 FFA: Rogowski, McCalla 1959 Season:  year-round Submitted By:  Camster (Rhymes with Hamster) on Apr 11, 2008 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (12) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

Cammo pretending to be a real climber but actually...

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Ship Rock is located on the Navajo Nation, and currently climbing is ILLEGAL on the Navajo Nation; including Ship Rock. MORE INFO >>> According to the most recently published guide on Ship Rock ("Desert Rock", and "50 Classics.."), Ship Rock was placed off limits to climbing in 1967, but the ban was not enforced until 1970, following an accident. Since 1970, some people have made clandestine ascents without incident. Others climbing on the Navajo Nation have had their gear confiscated or been fined- it is unclear what the specific consequences would be if confronted by Navajo authorities. It is unclear if one can get permission to climb here from someone with the appropriate authority to legitimize climbing here. Some climbers have talked to locals, especially the grazing-permit holders, and respectfully asked permission, and have had really positive experiences, climbing as well as a cultural experience, at other places on the Navajo Nation. It is probably legal to drive to the base. It is supposedly illegal to camp there, however widespread litter suggests that this is a popular "party spot" (which may be deterrent in of itself). It is illegal to collect or remove rocks on the Navajo Nation, without a permit. This area is included for historical purposes mainly, and as a location to put those amazing photos everyone has. 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 Climbing on the Navajo Nation is ILLEGAL. MORE INFO >>> While some have made clandestine ascents in the area without incident, others climbing on the Navajo Nation have had their gear confiscated or have been fined. It is unclear what the specific consequences would be if confronted by Navajo authorities. It is unclear if one can get permission to climb here from someone with the appropriate authority to legitimize climbing here. Some climbers have talked to locals, especially the grazing-permit holders, and respectfully asked permission, and have had really positive experiences, climbing as well as a cultural experience, in some areas on the Navajo Nation. This area is included for historical purposes mainly, and as a location to put those amazing photos everyone has. 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 

Note: This description is from memory of a 9/2006 ascent. It might be blurred with two other routes I've done on SR (a new route on the East Face and the Longs Couloir var. to the Regular Route), so please email me corrections at camburns@rof.net. Eric B. encouraged me to record this ASAP before I friggin lose my mind. Cam

Route: Hike around the NW side of the monolith and into a huge bowl with a black basalt intrusion. Ascend into the bowl. You'll soon find you can't get very far as cliffs ring the lower part of the bowl. They're not high---maybe 80 feet tops, but they bar access to the Black Bowl above. Over to the left you'll see the cliffs even overhang. That's where, if all goes well, you'll likely rap down. But for now, move to the right side of the bottom of these cliffs and climb one or 1.5 really easy-but-kinda-ugly pitches to gain the Black Bowl (via a series of crumbling ledges and protectable rock).

Now you should be in the Black Bowl (that's its real name) proper. Move up and left into a low-angled gully. Follow this for two very easy pitches (can be scrambled) or about that distance (several hundred feet). The gully curves up and right and puts you atop a sort of rounded pillar (the gully forms the left edge of this rounded pillar). Up and right is an ugly looking right-slanting crack. It looks worse than it is. Climb it. Soon you'll be at the Colorado Col. From here, descend directly east into the obvious notch, then climb out (a bit scary as there's little pro), to reach the Sierra Col (the Colorado and Sierra Cols are very close, maybe 50 feet apart--but there's a gap between them, as you'll find. That's the scary, unprotected bit). From the Sierra Col, you go down---the Rappel Gully, that is. Fix a rope and rappel. A 165-foot rope should be considered the minimum (length-wise) here.

At the bottom of the Rappel Gully, traverse right (south (right if you're coming out of the Rappel Gully)). There are two main variations to this traverse (one high, one low), and both require a bit of route-finding/common sense to navigate. Remember these when you're coming back. With both, you end up at a cave. Move left out of the cave and up steep ground (5.7-8 or so; this is the upper part of the Honeycomb Gully) until it gets easier.

Now, you can unrope and scramble to the Lizard (shit, is that what it's called?), the famed horn of rock jutting out (from the right or north side) into the col that separates the north and south summits of SR.

Climb the Lizard. Pretty much just draws are needed (there are many fixed pins and a couple of bolts), then belay. A short traverse right along ledges leads to a short, steep vertical crack (this is often overlooked as parties go farther right) that requires a 5.8 (or so) move to gain easier ground. From here, keep moving up and right (4th class) until you can scramble to the summit.

The descent from the summit is fairly straightforward into the upper part of the Honeycomb Gully. The traverse from the south side of the cave back towards the Rappel Gully is the key to getting back, and, again, there are two variations to it.

Then, jug the Rappel Gully. You'll need to traverse from the Sierra Col to the Colorado Col to descend. The rap from the Colorado Col can hang up ropes, so be aware there. Then, there are several big bolted anchors down the middle of the Black Bowl (this is typically not where one ascends, as you are viewer's left of this line) that let you descend to the final, short cliff band around the base of the Black Bowl. Wander far right (north), and you'll find an easy, short, free-hanging rappel out of the Black Bowl. It's a hike from here.

There is endless loose rock in the Black Bowl, so extreme caution (and helmets and body armor) is advised.

Protection 

Not a lot is needed. A regular-sized rack (full set of cams, full set of stoppers, a dozen draws and stoppers, etc.).
Jumars, definitely.
Bring at least two ropes as you'll need to leave one in the rappel gully for return to the Sierra Col.
If there are more than two climbers, you'll definitely want more than 2 ropes.

Photos of Regular Route Slideshow

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Cam and Charlie French screwing around in the Blac...	From the top of the Black Bowl, the route goes up ...	Charlie French and Cam in the Rappel Gully, trying...
The 1st set of anchors for the descent off the sum...	I plucked this photo from George Bell's collection...	Yours truly climbing the Horn pitch
PG setting the summit speed record (1hr 50m)...fre...	That's a long way down! Spot the car	The Traverse Pitch after the rappels
The road way down there!