Edge of the Sun, 5.10d, 3 Pitches

Overview/Approach

 
Edge of the Sun is located on a little known feature in Pine Creek Canyon, named the Bottle. The Bottle is a sub structure on the northwest corner of Magic Mountain where it intersects the gully to a fairly popular route called Crabby Appleton, across from Cat in the Hat on Mescalito. We actually first noticed a great corner (Five Pack, 5.10b) after our descent of Crabby Appleton high up on the bottle and decided to return to climb Five Pack, Edge of the Sun and/or Lunar Eclipse (5.11), all reportedly decent routes. Edge of the Sun was established by Wonderly and Egbert in 1988.
 
I advise combining Edge of the Sun with Five Pack and/or Lunar Eclipse to make for a full day of climbing. All three pitches on Edge of the Sun make for a pretty damn good route by Red Rocks standards. The last pitch offers great exposure and positioning before it tracks up a bolted varnished face just to the right of the good corner pitch on Five Pack. The rap descent for all three routes is the same, a three double rope rap down the “easier to pull” west face of the Bottle. Avoid rapping Edge of the Sun although it is set up for a rappel. Just rap to the top of its 2nd pitch and diverge from there (right) onto the better west face rappel.

Park at the Pine Creek trailhead. Descend into Pine Creek and head for Mescalito. Hop into the wash as though you were making for Cat in the Hat on the south side of Mescalito. Stay with the wash until below the Bottle which is directly across from Cat In the Hat. Ascend up the Crabby Appleton gully, but stay to the left side. Edge of the Sun starts directly below the arête on the Bottle. Lunar Eclipse and the preferred rap line for the Bottle routes is to the right. The chock stone chimney start for Five Pack is to the left. It is a bit of a bushy approach.

Route Description

400’+/-, 3 Pitches, 5.10d

1st Pitch- 130’- 5.10a/ Standing below the short face on the right side of the arête, climb up the right side first, make a step back left on good rock before you can find pro. Then angle up left on easy holds but somewhat run out varnish. You will reach a bomber horizontal crack with two options above, both varnished shallow corners. Take the right one, which although looks closed, is not. Follow this fantastic rock, placing pro at will straight up to a fixed belay below a broad whitish face above. Did not feel the 5.10 climbing to me.

2nd Pitch- 130’- 5.10a/ This pitch did not look 5.10 at all from the belay. The depth of angle is a bit deceiving however. It is fairly steep on whitish edges and chicken heads. Pro is a bit run out here and there with a few bolts and cracks along the way. Stay left of the arête, but angling towards it the whole pitch until you reach a fixed station practically on the arête located below a great varnished wall and roof.

3rd Pitch- 120’- 5.10d/ This is one of the better mixed pitches I have led at Red Rocks. The rock is great and the exposure and position fantastic. The first few meters to turn the arête back left are the highlight, but not the hard climbing. Traverse up and left on good rock and holds, placing gear to supplement a single bolt until you are on an easier angled arête of sorts. Follow this easier run out section up to a small foot rail. Move out left and start climbing the bolts (7 or so) up the varnished face on crimp edges. The crux move is a rightward stretch below a mini corner. Mount this lone feature on the wall and continue up the bolts through a water streak and some white rock to finish at the top fixed belay.

Climbing Sequence

Descent

I advise against rapping the route, although it is set up for that. As of 2010, there is one stuck rope on this descent. Rather, take a double rope rap back to the top of the 2nd pitch being careful to not let the tails of your ropes fall too far left as they might be hard to pull back up to the rap station. Then rap over the blank western face (right of the arête) to a rap station mid way down. A third double rope rap gets you to the ground and just meters from your start.

Essential Gear

Single to 2” including C3’s and wires. The crux portion of the route is quite fixed, seven bolts or so. So bring at least seven draws and the rest slings. Double 60m ropes for the descent. The climb can be a bit cooler than you think, depending on conditions. A jacket on hand whenever you climb north facing routes at RR would be advised. Can leave shoes and packs at the base, all these routes start within short walking distance of each other.

Images

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