Sweet Sunday Serenade 5.9

Overview

Sweet Sunday Serenade is likely the most popular 3 pitch route in Unaweep Canyon. It is located on Sunday Wall. Stuart Green in his Falcon Guide to Colorado Rock Climbing describes is “as an enjoyable classic”.

Sunday Wall

Sunday Wall detail

Getting There

Approach: Sunday Wall is located 2.2 miles west of Divide Road on the north side of the Highway 141. This is the third wall owned by the Access Fund with an adjacent corridor containing an access to all three Access Fund owned walls (Sunday Wall, Fortress, and Hidden Valley).
The Access Fund approach trail was built in 1993. The trail head is located 2.4 miles west of Divide Road, directly below the western flank of Sunday Wall. Park at the spacious pullout on the north side with a wooden stile crossing the fence, and Access Fund signs marking the trail head. The trail leads you up to the western portion of Sunday Wall and then heads out along the base and continues east towards our climb. It takes about 10 - 15 min total, about 5 min along the base of the wall.

Approach as seen from the road 141

Nice trail built by Access Fund

More detailed instructions (including maps) see the main Unaweep Canyon page. Thank you.

Route Description

Pitch 1: The crux comes right off the ground with a wide stem and long reach for a hand crack (5.8). Climb 5.7 fingers, hands and short off width up to a big sloping ledge with a 2 bolt rappel anchor at the east end (135 feet). There is a smaller ledge about 15 feet below the main ledge with a sling around a boulder. Do not stop there, continue to a much nicer ledge higher up.

Pitch 2: Climb 5.9 fingers/face in the corner for 20 feet, pretty steep. At this point the route leaves the main crack and angles left into thin finger crack, and straight up to a good large ledge in dike rock.

Pitch 3: You are on a large Sun Deck Ledge. You have a couple of options. We chose to start at the east end of the ledge and climb an wide off width crack while slightly traversing left (west). This was much easier climbing. We stopped just below a summit on a tree with an anchor. To reach the summit of the cliff appeared very easy from this point, but not very interesting climbing, and it was a windy.


Some climbing images

Start of the climb

Climber near the start

2nd climber following

2nd pitch

Rappel from the top

Essential Gear

Full rack, including doubles up to camalot #3, stoppers, and slings, 2 sixty meter ropes.
There are rappel anchors.

External Links

Sweet Sunday Serenade on Mountain Project

Images

View Sweet Sunday Serenade 5.9 Image Gallery - 18 Images