Jonny leading the crux pitch of Sundog. Great rout...
Description
Sundog is a neat route that works its way up the right side of the main Solar Slab wall. From the top of the Solar Slab Gully: Head right (east) across the terrace to the grooves in the slab above. Lead up this apron or solo it until you come to the base of the main wall and a shallow right facing corner. There should be a bolt at the base of the route.
Pitch 1: Head up the corner past a couple of bolts to a ledge above. Continue up the left facing corner to a bolted stance. 5.8
Pitch 2: Head straight up delicate face climbing through two bulges to another bolted stance. 5.8
Pitch 3: Crux pitch- head straight up past a couple of bolts to a slab above...head generally up and right to belay. 5.9
Pitch 4: Head up the large corner above to the base of a wide section. Either climb this or head right into 'X' territory. Belay a ways above. 5.8 either way you go.
From here, either rappel the route or head left to the terrace at the top of Solar Slab and rappel that route.
I've done this route twice now, on 17 Nov and in Dec 04. A great place to find some sun in the winter! I love the way Mt. Wilson's shadow falls below the huge Sunporch ledge, which gives you the feeling that the whole sunny buttress you are on is adrift in space.
Take one very large cam for the final pitch - this time we did the Beulah's Book approach, so we got to use the big stuff twice.
Enjoyed this route with Darrin Kite recently, had the pleasure of meeting Phil B. and Joanne Urioste with the survivors of Jorge's 70th b-day party on the upper ledge. We used Greg Barnes' route description, which I thought was fine, but I offer this: the smallest placement I could find on the variant top pitch (go right instead of up the wide crack) was .2 camalot (old) or purple TCU, this was about 3 feet from a bomber hand cam on the ramp before the hard climbing. Above I used a #1 camalot and a .5, no thin placements to be found. This section might be 5.8+ or 5.9, but nothing compared to the bolted movements on the crux pitch below, and my ballnutz went unused on this climb. Based on rappel inspection, I'd reccommend the straight up crack as the more logical, fun-looking, and solid way to go.
Solar Slab - Upper Tier
RSS Feed
