This place is desolate and dangerous WYO desert with very few amenities nearby, and zero assistance should you find your pretty-little-self in a bind.
The people are ornery and the land is mean. I don't recommend coming here at all. If the rednecks, miners, roughnecks vagabonds or land doesn't get ya, some dehydrated whacked-out windblown sunbeaten climber just might. . . . Sweetwater Rocks and adjacent areas require LOW-profiles and LOTS of respect and consideration. Keep all fences/gates as you found them. Do not build fires. Adhere to all posted signs. Do not drive off of existing paths (roads). Do not let your dog run around (chances are great that it'll be shot, bitten, trampled or fed upon). Do not take anything from this land. . . and do not leave anything. Good BLM quads are essential (make sure they're up to date). Granite Mtns (Sweetwater) area closures are adjustable and are done so via ranchers and BLM officiales. Great tracts of this area are privately owned; meaning that they are always closed. For example: Lankin Dome BLM as of last year was closed 04-30 thru 06-31 for public AND private lands; between 03-01 thru 04-31 it was closed on private land. So, sometimes private easements are opened, and sometimes they aren't. . . same with public lands; oh, and mining claims too! Pay particular attention to any signage and postings.
For respect of the local ranchers, always close the gates after passing through. Approach from the Nolan Pocket side is usually not restricted but there are closures for grazing leases on the Lankin Gap side from March-June. Be polite and non-confrontive to ranchers.
I describe this only because it is the main descent route from Lankin. The rock quality is really quite good, but descending it is like Half Dome without the cables. There has been at least one bad fall down this thing which she walked away from, though very bruised. Mike Lilygren has wedged a block in a crack at the top of the upper part, could use it for a rappel I think, though it wobbles. Otherwise you just have to suck it up and third class it down. It is particularly dangerous in high winds and when it gets wet. This is the route on the slabs on the SW corner, above the gap you hike to from Nolan Pocket. From the top, it is a little hard to find. Wander along west from the summit down to some big blocks on the SWW side. Scramble down the south side of the last block. You'll see Mike's wedged block a little below you. Friction down in the direction of the gap below. Wind around and take your time. There are two other options for getting off of Lankin. There is a chained rappel route down the Crevasse Route on the East ridge. The top anchor is a bit hard to find from above. There is also a rap route down Red Nations, just east of the summit. Walk along the east ridge about a rope length till above a big block perched above the south face. To its west, look for a two bolt Fixx ring rappel anchor on the edge of a big ledge. Unfortunately, this rappel is not plumb with the next rappel point below. When you are rapping down from the top anchor, look to your right for the two bolt rap anchor, above a small ledge: you have to pendulum over to it. The second rappel ends at the base of the Tree Route. Scramble down the lower part of the Tree Route from here. Recommend 55m ropes for these rappels.
Location
Ascends/descends the SW corner slab of Lankin, above the gap you reach when approaching from Nolan Pocket. Wind around a lot, look for the easiest way. Really nasty in high winds or when it gets wet. Block wedged in crack at the top, could possibly use for rappel.
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