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East Face, Left Side Cracks 
Northeast Face 
South Buttress 

South Buttress 

5.8

   

FA: Wally Green, Bill Primak 1951
Type: Trad, Alpine
Consensus: 5.8 [details]
Length: 4 pitches, 500 feet, Grade II
Season: Summer
Views: 966 page views

Submitted By: Ben Mottinger on May 26, 2006


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Sweet 5.8 crack section


Description 

A nice little route with two really nice pitches. This description is for the 5.8 variation, but the route goes at 5.6 also.

P1: After the 4th class scramble to the start, climb a nice r-facing corner system for a long pitch (maybe some simul climbing is necessary) to a little perch at the foot of a clean wall with a crack that splits. (5.7, 200ft)

P2: For the 5.6 variation head left to a dihedral. For the 5.8 variation, head straight up the fine crack (wide to start, then hand/finger) and at the split head left. This sews up and is the best pitch of the route.

P3: Easy scrambling to the top.


Location 

Scramble up to the base of the shoulder via 4th class sections on the east side. Descent: rap off fixed anchors using two ropes then downclimbing.


Protection 

Standard rack



Add Photo Photos of South Buttress
P1 corner

P1 corner

Stemming out on P2

Stemming out on P2

Gabe leading the famous "K-cracks".  Beautiful climb.  Photo taken from the 5.6 variation.

Gabe leading the famous "K-cracks". Beautiful cli...

Looking southeast from the South Shoulder.<br />Photo by Blitzo.

Looking southeast from the South Shoulder.
Photo b...



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By Rob Hyldahl
Jul 29, 2006

Excellent route! Fairly short and un-commiting (by wind river standards) but you can't beat the setting and the superb rock. The 5.8 variation (k-crack) made the route! It was definitely one of the best single pitches of climbing that i've ever done. The descent is easy and straight-forward. All in all a great route to begin with if you are new to the Winds.

By Armin
From: Arvada, CO
Aug 22, 2006

can run P'1-2 together w/ 70m, just barely reaches belay ledge. The crux of the climb will probably be the approach, unless you are an anaerobic machine

By Chris Owen
Administrator
From: La Crescenta, CA
Nov 11, 2006

1993: Rained on for 6 days, 7th day dawned very clear, did this route on that final day with Fred Batliner. K-Crack was superb, very similar to a Joshua Tree pitch, but in a wonderful American West alpine setting.

The route is also a great quick way off Pingora.

By Hayduke Cloud
From: Rome, GA
Jul 5, 2007

The above route description is a little mis-leading. What the author is calling the 'first pitch' is actually about 240-250 ft long. Your second could certainly simul-climb, as the climbing is moderate, but there is no way to stretch the rope and gain the base of the K-crack. Maybe with a 70m, but even that would be pushing it. Probably best to break it into two pitches. This is a fantastic little climb, and the K-crack variation is certainly worth all the fuss. Descent can be made with one 60m rope via four rappels from the top of the K-crack. You may have to downclimb a little bit of 5.0 on a couple of the rappels.