Summit Block

This is from the base of the summit "pitch." Approaching it from the west side, traversing its base on the south side, is easier and less exposed than approaching from the east side, where it is Class 4 to get to the base of the summit "pitch" but highly exposed; a fall might not be fatal but would probably land one in a drainage that would be difficult or impossible to climb out of or down from without protective gear, making being stranded highly likely. Once at the base of the summit pitch, maybe 10-12 feet of climbing is left. It is Class 4-5.2 (I lean toward the latter) up questionably solid sandstone. The holds are all there (or were-- sandstone conditions can change almost overnight), but it is exposed (a fall would probably be fatal because the ledge that is the starting point of the pitch is probably too narrow to be relied upon to catch and stop a falling climber) and the rock feels quite fragile. It took me a little while and a few tries to muster the nerve to expose myself as necessary to complete the pitch. There was no cairn up there, but there was plenty of birdshit. San Rafael Swell, UT-- October 2012