Ascent Notes for: Southeast Chimney - 5.8 Average Rating : 4.50/5

We did butterknife approach and then traverse over to the start of the SE chimney. 2 pitches of butterknife can be combined if you do 20-30' of easy simul climbing & belay at a large boulder a few feet below the balcony ledge. The traverse was a pain in the ass (esp if 2nd climber is weaker). If I did it again, I'd climb butterknife. Rap off. Walk over to the SE chimney & start again there. First pitch of the chimney has almost no gear until a horizontal about 80' up (maybe if U have >camalot #4). Not difficult but unnerving. From that piece I broke out of the chimney & climbed face/crack on the right to an impromptu belay/rap in a shallow corner (slung horn & nut). Straight up from there to the overhanging part of the chimney..lots of holds there & good gear. Last pitch is just like the description, but not like the topo. Belay at a single bolt, or a 2 bolt rap station 4' to the right.
Note for the decesnt, the above mentioned rap station obviates the need for a second rope for rapping to the ground.

We started out on the butter knife and headed over to the mutt and Jeff, but I was leading and got off route and we ended up doing the south east chimney, missed the belay bolts and ended up having to build an anchor in the chimney. The friction is superb and the exposure is unnerving in places. The scariest part IMHO was the traverse at the summit to the rap station, super exposed straddling the ridge line with several hundred feet to one side and 150 to the other side; butt pucker fun for sure.