Water Stains  5.7+

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Type:  Trad, Alpine, 4 pitches, 400 feet, Grade II Consensus:  5.7+ [details] FA:  anyone know for sure? Season:  mid-spring to mid-fall Submitted By:  Bill Lawry on Apr 6, 2008 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (3) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Water Stains Route. However, see this [[107830304]...

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Description 

Water Stains zig-zags its way up the middle of the west face of The Pulpit. Mike Hill's description in "Hikers & Climbers Guide to the Sandia Mountains" (1993) is okay. See "Location" for gaining the ledge at the base of the 1st pitch.

However, see this Photo for what may be the original way to do the first couple pitches per Mike Hill's guide. It is different from what is described below; the way below is what I learned from someone else in 2004.

Pitch 1: Climb easy terrain up and left into an open book or large alcove. Work your way straight up until the climbing eases. Trend a little right and then up heading out from under the roof system. Set gear belay at ~30 meters of rope on a small ledge adequate for two people. The last 10 or 20 feet to the belay is 5.7 and a little run-out with hard fall potential.

Pitch 2: Climb slightly up while mostly traversing left to a fixed pin. Pin is visible from the belay. Traverse down/left under the pin through the crux, and then up to a spacious ledge and bolted belay.

Pitch 3: Traverse directly to the right on a ledge for roughly 30 feet to a relatively new bolted anchor at your feet; these bolts are not visible back at the spacious ledge. Continue the pitch up a subtle ramp that trends rightward past a piton via balancy but not difficult face climbing. Some small pro. At an ample ledge very near the top, temporarily jog right to keep the climbing within the rating; see Photo. Belay on a ledge with a mostly-alive belay tree, ~6" diameter. Behind the tree there's a little pro-able feature high in the dirty corner.

Skipping the above "jog right" and instead heading straight for the tree on the belay ledge felt 5.9ish with no nearby pro - did it on top rope.

Pitch 4: Scramble up the last pitch staying a bit right of the gully. There are sections of dirt and loose rock. Be careful to not send rocks down the chute that aims them at your belayer.

Location 

See Mike Hill's description. After a bit of 4th class scrambling and a tight squeeze between rock on the left and a live pine tree on the right (~8 inch dia), rack up on the ample horizontal ledge. The live pine on this ledge stands noticeably alone a bit up from the very base of The Pulpit .

Protection 

Standard rack plus a few pieces for roughly 3/8 inch cracks.

Photos of Water Stains Slideshow

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BETA PHOTO: This may actually be the original way the first co...