Sooberb Lite  5.8

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Type:  Trad, 3 pitches, 250 feet Consensus:  5.8 [details] FA:  Ament & Dalke, 1965 Submitted By:  Nick Wilder on Mar 16, 2011 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (10) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Sick Flake. The 5.8 crux is surmounting the chock...

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Description 

Although this climb is just the first couple pitches of Sooberb, it is worth listing separately. By skipping the ~10 feet of 5.10c on the last pitch, the moderate climber has another great option in this area. Pitches 1 and 3 are forgettable, but pitch 2 is great.

Go past The Unsaid area, past Long John Wall, and start where the trail meets the wall with several terraces, down and to the right of Side Wall bench. You could skip the first pitch by scrambling on top of the bench.

P1. Ascend a 10' finger crack to a large, right-facing corner. Easy slab climbing leads to a bulge just below the "Sick Flake" and a large tree. Belay at rap rings next to tree. 5.7.

P2. Surmount the Sick Flake by either chimneying inside (easiest, and the only way to get pro) or laybacking the edge (great moves). Once on top of the chimney, climb the steep, left-facing corner. The holds are mostly huge, but it's steep and can give you a pump. Belay at another set of rap rings just below a tree in the rotten band. 5.8.

P3. Move slightly left, just above the tree and climb moderate cracks over an overlap. Choose a path left across a nice face with large features and easy moves, but not much pro. Belay on a huge ledge in the next rotten band. The final pitch of Sooberb will be just above you - a 5.10c overhanging crack. 5.7.

Protection 

Standard rack, up to #2 Camalot.

Descent 

Easily walk 20' down the rotten band to the small trees. Rappel 80' from rings to the end of P2. With a 60m rope, you can rap from here all the way to the Side Wall bench (barely - careful!) and scramble to the base of the climb. Or you can do two rappels straight down the route right to your packs.

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BETA PHOTO: The sustained, steep 5.8 corner above Sick Flake.