Into The Sun 

I'm not sure when this was first done (it was referenced in Mike Farris' 2000 guide as a route with no recorded ascent at that time, so there's been plenty of opportunity for interested suitors to give it a try), but I top roped it July 2, 2006. I thought it was considerably harder than the 5.10+ rating given here -- I have in in my notes as 5.12a (I've done almost no climbing in Blue Mounds, so don't have anything local to compare it to, but I climbed a lot in Devil's Lake in my youth. Maybe I was just having a bad day). Great little climb in any case (2 out of 3 stars in my notes). Also, if Burnt-Out Candle is on the north face of Sun Drop II Tower, isn't this the south face?

We climbed this side of the tower June 3, 2007 so your ascent certainly predates ours. I took another look at the Farris guide and would agree that this is in fact the South Face if his directions are correct (I had my doubts). I am most likely guilty of sandbagging the grade, in retrospect its crux trumps the 5.11s I've done at BM. It's a pity the route is so short and lacks leadable protection.

Given this information I should note that my friend Jake and I climbed the true West face of the tower in October 2004, mostly out of ignorance. We climbed Junior Varsity and then redirecting the toprope to the right of JV's arete climbed up the center of the face. At the time I was convinced this was the North face and that Farris' directions were off. We both felt it was probably old school 5.10 but our experience with the upper grades at BM was limited. The difficult stuff came right off the ground.

I climbed these routes this fall(2007). I thought Into the Sun (the South face) to be about a 12a compared to other routes at the mounds - but after talking to Doug and seeing where he climbed on the face(more to the left than I was), I think it is probably a hard 11 - c or d. Definitely harder than every other established climb at Blue Mounds except No Go Crack.

I also climbed the West face and thought this to be harder than "the layback 5.11b/c" - but I was tired, so who knows.

Great route! Very sequential. I used the same beta given in the description (gaston, pinch) and thought no move was harder than mid 5.11 but finding a sequence and putting it together was very difficult.

With pads and spotters this could be a committing highball with a scary but very easy finish. Same goes for the West Face.