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Original Route - 5.8

Average Rating = 5.00/5 Average Rating : 5.00 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 0
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (1)
Premier Sponsor:
Karl Karlstrom, Scott Baxter, Erik Powell
Rock (Trad)
PG13
5
small nuts, tri cams, rack of C3s - #4 Camalot, long slings, QDs
450
Consensus Ratings
  Difficulty 5.8
  Safety Rating R
  Exposure 4.00/5
  Rock Quality 4.00/5
  Scenery 5.00/5
  Fun Factor 5.00/5

Description:

Drive north from Flagstaff on Hwy 89 to Elden Springs road and turn left/west for a couple miles until you reach FS 9180; high clearance vehicle necessary. Take first right hand fork; stay on this road to where it dead ends at the trail. Walk on trail to junction with a main trail, go left to just below the top of a pointy hill. As the trail drops steeply downhill, turn and walk uphill to the base of SE Buttress. Hiking time @ 1 hour. Route goes into the shade around 2pm. Start is just left of third fin in front of buttress; look for a black groove @ half way up first pitch. If pitch one feels harder than 5.7, then you are off route. Climb to black groove (#4 camalot helpful)for unprotected traverse left to another crack. Go straight up or back into the original crack after the black groove is passed. Belay on horn and small gear (110', 5.7). P2 Goes up the face on gear and trends left on a ramp to a stance at a low angle face. Gear belay (200', 5.6). P3 starts up and right heading for the skyline; thin tricky gear up the face to a gear belay below the wide crack ending at a chockstone (@ 100', 5.7+ pg-13). P4 heads up the wide crack capped by a chockstone then easy rock above. Bolted belay (90', 5.7+) P5 Climb up and traverse left across some ledges until a second ramp heads up and right to the top. Bolted belay (100', 5.6+)

Descent Options:

From summit 60m single gets you to top of P4 where you rappel to descent gully (on the right/east of the route). An exposed walk along the wall gets you to the top of the loose gully. Walk down and right to base of route.

Submitted by: sonso45 on 2013-07-19
Views: 470
Route ID: 114179

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1 Ascent Recorded

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Ratings
  Difficulty 5.8
  Safety Rating R
  Exposure
  Rock Quality
  Scenery
  Fun Factor
Onsight Onsight ascent by: sonso45 on 2013-07-14 (View Climbing Log)

5 out of 5 stars Worth the walk

The hike in is easy if you remain on the north bank of a gully leading to the base of the Elysian Buttress. All the pitches had moments where you had to pay attention. I thought the Skyline pitch (3rd pitch) was very old school with "put your life on the line" type of protection. The climbing on this pitch was out there but solid enough.

Added: 2013-07-19