Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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38.70800°N / 109.563°W |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
Time Required:
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Most of a day |
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Rock Difficulty:
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5.10a (YDS) |
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Difficulty:
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III 5.10- C2+ |
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Number of Pitches:
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5 |
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Grade:
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III |
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Overview
P1This is the easier line (of two) on this tower and it was first put up by Jim Bodenhamer & Sandy Fleming in 1986 (less than 2 months after the FA of the tower via Bugger's Buttress?). In its present state the line goes clean. All belays are nicely equipped with fat new bolts and rap chains - see Acknowledgements section on main page. Please do not add any webbing (or leave anything behind on the line esp. that might be visible from below) given the uncertain future of climbing in this national park.
Getting There
P3Follow directions on main page. Line starts up a low angle slab near the notch between Sheep Rock and The Lamb (north end or right side when viewed from road of southeast face of tower).
Route Description
P3
P2Pitch 1: 5.7 - 5.9 C1, 160 feet. Move up to the Sheep Rock - Lamb notch and step onto the low angle but sandy slab with bolts. Slab gets steeper but features "steps" that came about from repeated nailing of the slab. More solid bolts lead to a bulge that is overcome at C1. Few more bolts and step slightly right into low angle groove leading to a spacious belay ledge with bolt anchor.
Pitch 2: C1, 50 feet. Move up 8 feet (tricky) and traverse a hand-sized crack horizontally left (C1). Belay on spacious ledge at the base of the prominent 170 foot dihedral.
Pitch 3: C2, 160 feet. Ewetopian Crack. Move up past two angles (reaching the first is tricky) and start aiding up a thin crack that takes many #4 to #6 offsets or equivalent. Couple more drilled angles along the way relieve the anxiety. Crack opens up to green then yellow Alien size for final third. A long and sustained aid pitch. Belay from new bolt anchor on a sloping ledge.
Pitch 4: 5.10- C2+, 60 feet. Move left 10 feet from belay and climb a hand to wide hands crack (free or C1) to the obvious roof. Traverse under roof right to directly above belay, clip a piton and do a few thin aid placement moves (poor landing onto lower angle slab below). Exit into a wide (#4.5 & #5 Camalot) crack. One more drilled angle and you'll be able to clip the anchor on the summit ridge.
Pitch 5: 5.4 ?. You top out on Sheep's buttocks. You can hike down along the backbone and then up to the top of the head (slightly higher than the butt). Supposedly 5.4 but we did not do this as it was raining.
Descent:
Single rope rap from top of P4 to top of P3.
Double rope rap to top of P2.
Double rope rap to ground.
Essential Gear
Triple cams from green Alien to #3 Camalot. I also placed a #3.5, #4.5 and #5 Camalots. Double cams in sub-green Alien size. Many offsets in the #4 to #6 range. Multiple nuts in slightly larger sizes. A hook was helpful starting P2 for me but I suck. Screamers and aid screamers eased my fears a tad (but again I suck). I had and used hybrid Aliens (green-yellow and red-yellow) - likely not essential. Double ropes needed to get off.