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Sundog (PG) - 5.9

Average Rating = 3.50/5 Average Rating : 3.50 out of 5
Route sequence (left to right): 4
Route Summary | Ascent Notes (9)
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Rock
gear to 3" (+ green Bro), bolted belays.
Consensus Ratings
  Difficulty 5.10a
  Safety Rating G
  Exposure 4.00/5
  Rock Quality 3.00/5
  Scenery 3.67/5
  Fun Factor 3.67/5

Description:

A stellar route that runs up the seemingly blank face to the east of Solar Slab, just to the left of the large gully. Climb the Solar Slab Gully, then head east on the terrace to a break in the bushes. Start just left of the two waterstreaks. Pitch 1: Climb straight up the face, pro is thin, but the climbing is easy. 200', 5.6 From here, simul to the base of the main wall. There is a bolt for belay. Pitch 2: Climb straight up the face, just left of the left facing corner. There is a bolt about 40' up. From here, step right into the large left facing corner. If you have a 60m rope, continue up another 100' to a 3-bolt belay stance. 5.7, 190' Pitch 3: Climb straight up, following the crack to two bulges (bolt @ each), then continue up to a bolted belay. 5.8, 165' Pitch 4: The money pitch. Climb straight up off belay, passing two bolts and a steep 5.9 section. Friction climbing waits above, which leads to a crack and a bolted belay. 165', 5.9 Pitch 5: The last pitch, and a fun one. Climb up the right leaning crack to the base of a wide crack. If you brought your green bro, place it here and pull the crack and follow it up to belay on your left at 2 bolts. If you didnt and dont feel like climbing it, move right and up, following the face, eventually arriving at belay. This option has an R/X rating. 5.8, 165' Descent: Your choice. You can rappel the route, or you can traverse west and up for about a rope length to a tree, which marks the Solar Slab rappel route. I chose the latter because the rope pulls looked heinous on the Sundog rappel. The traverse is 4th class. Update: Supertopo calls this route 5.10a, with the slab above the .9 vertical section .10a and the final wide crack at 5.9. I don't know if I would disagree or not, but I'll say this: If you are not skilled with wide cracks, that will feel like 5.9. Likewise at the crux, if slab work is not your forte, it's going to feel like .10a. However, for those skilled at slabs and wide stuff, its 5.9 and 5.8....so, I'm not going to change the difficulty rating, yet I wanted to post this information for those considering this route.

Submitted by: vegastradguy on 2004-08-06
Views: 1349
Route ID: 44933

9 Ascents Recorded

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Ratings
  Difficulty 5.10a
  Safety Rating G
  Exposure
  Rock Quality
  Scenery
  Fun Factor
Onsight Onsight ascent by: dowww on 2007-11-15 (View Climbing Log)

3 out of 5 stars Sundog

Good visit at Red Rocks with Zach and Janette. Some hazardous rock fall on the 2nd double rope rap....did in a helmet and a rope....and got a little bloody...a lot of "thank god for helmets" going around....tread lightly...this is not granite or even limestone. Those of us who spend time in the Canadian Rockies are used to tip-toeing around. Should be no different at Red Rocks. Cheers.

Added: 2008-03-06

Ratings
  Difficulty 5.9
  Safety Rating PG13
  Exposure
  Rock Quality
  Scenery
  Fun Factor
Red Point Red Point ascent by: vegastradguy on 2007-12-31 (View Climbing Log)

4 out of 5 stars fun day out

climbed this again for the first time in years and i'm sticking to my guns on the crux ratings- the crux pitch is no harder than 5.9 and the final wide section is 5.8- but the wide may feel harder if its not your forte. also, dont climb too far past the final wide crack and accidentally miss the bolts on your left. finally, i'd recommend either rappelling Solar Slab or doing the painted bowl descent rather than rappelling this route- it looks like a rope eater.

Added: 2007-12-31

Ratings
  Difficulty 5.10a
  Safety Rating G
  Exposure
  Rock Quality
  Scenery
  Fun Factor
Onsight Onsight ascent by: clusterfuck on 2007-08-26 (View Climbing Log)

3 out of 5 stars nice

nice

Added: 2007-08-26

Ratings
  Difficulty
  Safety Rating G
Onsight Onsight ascent by: dominic7 on 2007-03-28 (View Climbing Log)

4 out of 5 stars I dragged the #6 all this way for that?

A great few pitches. Rapped with 2 70s and got stuck on the last pitch.

Added: 2007-05-30

Ratings
  Difficulty
Onsight Onsight ascent by: moonbluff on 2005-12-03 (View Climbing Log)

0 out of 5 stars Ascent Note

Great climb. I wouldn't argue with a 5.10a rating at the slabby crux. Just another lovely day in Red Rock...

Added: 2005-12-03

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