Stupa Troopers

Awesome, sustained crack climbing on the entire shield, from start to finish!

Pitch 1: 5.12a. 15m.  From the ground, you can see a few pitons in the incipient crack. This pitch takes good gear down low, is supplemented by well-driven pins, and ends at good ledge atop a pillar. Take care not to place gear in the downward facing flake. We hammered on this flake extensively, and it makes for a convenient jug at the end of the difficulties, but don't trust it enough to place gear beneath.

Pitch 2: 5.11. 20m. Continue up the left-facing corner, utilizing fun holds and knobs along the way on the arete. Belay at a good right-ward slanting stance.

Pitch 3: 5.12. 30m.  Easier opening moves off the belay warm you up for a punchy finger crack. This leads to sustained splitter climbing, changing corners, and some mini rooflets that lead to a good stance out left.

Pitch 4: 5.12c. 30m.  From this ledge, continue up the same crack system you came up on. The cracks out left seam out and don't take good pro, but the splitters straight up beckon with more sustained climbing. Enduro pitch with some flared jams. The difficulties ease the higher you climb. Belay at the massive walk-off ledge, taking care of some loose blocks on easy terrain as you approach the ledge.

***Note*** You can walk off this huge ledge out right (towards the North) and descend on non-technical terrain all the way back to the base of the climb. For those that want to continue to the summit, expect easier climbing ahead, but a technical descent back down to this ledge.

Pitch 5: 5.8. 35m. About 100ft left of where the last pitch topped out, look for a pair of beautiful railroad track splitter cracks and follow this to any number of good ledges. The terrain eases up on this upper section of the mountain.

Pitch 6: 5.10. 30m. Continue upwards on good crack systems until the angle starts to ease off.

Pitch 7: Another 300 ft of 3rd to 4th class scrambling leads to the spectacular summit block, aka "The Stupa." The final summit block requires a low-5th class move to get to the actual summit that you'll have to reverse to get down.

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Descent: Reverse your steps down to the descent ledge, just above the "Diamond." We did a series of down-climbs, plus two rappels to get to this ledge.

To the left of Altared State on the Sky Blue Diamond