PRINT: Rock Climb South Buttress, Wind River Range

South Buttress

5.8, Trad, Alpine, 500 ft (152 m), 4 pitches, Grade II,

Avg: 3.4 from 419 votes
FA: Wally Green, Bill Primak 1951
Wyoming > Wind River Range > Cirque of the T… > Pingora

Description

A great shorter route with three really nice pitches.

Approach: Walk up a well worn trail toward Cirque Lake from the Climber's trail to the west side of the south shoulder. Two well worn trails will cut off to the right to gain the shoulder. Both are about the same exposure and class 3 at most. Continue up the south shoulder until it steepens past class 3.

Pitch 1: Climb the grove to the right of the ridge crest to a ledge, continue right and then up to another big ledge. Or, start straight up the ridge apex from the base and traverse right to the big ledges. It is worth considering breaking up this into a couple pitches as the rope will bend all over and sight lines are broken (~45m)

Pitch 2: Climb the right facing corner/hand crack to an obvious large ledge on the left (~30m). *Some descriptions advise to extend this pitch further, but this is by far the most comfortable belay stance.

Pitch 3: Exit to the right off the ledge and climb the cracks in the right facing corner to the large ledge at the base of the K Cracks (~50m).

Pitch 4: For the 5.6 variation head down and left to cracks that lead up to a dihedral (rap station is at the base of the pitch).

For the 5.8 variation, head straight up the fine crack (wide to start, then hand/finger). The left of the K-cracks is 5.8 or climb the right variation from a little bit lower down to the right for 5.8+. Climb above the rap station to belay from a nice ledge.

Finish: scramble left a little, then straight of a ramp/gully to the summit (easy class 3)

Descent: Scramble back down 3rd class to raps starting at the top of the K-cracks. Line of raps is climbers left of the route. Rap anchors are all new bolts/rings from top of K cracks down. Rap 1 ~30m, Rap 2 ~32m, Rap 3 ~25m, Rap 4 30m. A 70m rope or the use of two ropes is easiest to rig. A single 60m rope can be used with some creativity (Carabiner block offset from middle with the tag line side extended w/ cord) or with the use of alternate rappels, though much of the old tat anchors have been removed at this point.

Location

Approach: Scramble up 4th class ledges on the south shoulder to the base of the south buttress. The climb starts at a right facing corner system. Descent: Rap off fixed anchors using two ropes, then downclimb the ledges.

Protection

Standard rack

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Yellow start: 5.6
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Blue start: 4th class
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Blue finish: 5.8
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Purple finish: 5.6
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Green finish: 5.8+
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Red: East Ledges (5.2)
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Belays are circles, rappels are arrows. Click on photo to see full res.

Yellow start: 5.6 Blue start: 4th class Blue finish: 5.8 Purple finish: 5.6 Green finish: 5.8+ Red: East Ledges (5.2) Belays are circles, rappels are arrows. Click on photo to see full res.

Top of the K Cracks father/son photo.

Top of Pingora

Enjoying P2

Sweet 5.8 crack section

Leading Left "K" crack

Everything I took up Pingora! Our first time to the winds and I was glad to have it all!

Pingora 1981. Wolf's Head in background.

Jen coming up the K Crack.

Gokul, on the K crack

K cracks! About to head left

Viva la whale

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Rob Hyldahl
Provo, UT

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. Jul 29, 2006

Armin hammer
Reno, NV

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 Aug 22, 2006

Chris Owen
Big Bear Lake

5.8

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. Nov 11, 2006

Hayduke Cloud
Denver, CO

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. Jul 5, 2007

Tom Rangitsch
Lander, Wy

If you are doing the Cirque Traverse, this is the easiest/fastest way to get to the top of Pingora. You can simul-climb the last bit of pitch one/two(probably 220 feet) and then hurry up the K crack pitch (pitch 3 as described in Bechtel's guide), then scramble up to the top. We did it in about 40 minutes and we weren't moving too fast. The rappel down to the notch by Tiger Tower/Wolf's Head is not as obvious as described in the new guide. You need to head to climber's left to get to the second rappel station, don't head down the most obvious line on the first rappel (you can see the rappel slings from the first station and they are not at the base of the dihedral that you see from the first rappel station). It's four rappels with a sixty meter to the notch and some of the slings on the rappel are not in the best shape. Aug 17, 2008

Gabriel Neely
Denver

The 5.8 (K-Crack) variation is fantastic. It protects well-go for it! Aug 30, 2009

Mark Thomas

5.8

If you link this with the East Face Left Side Cracks it makes for a great full day. Aug 31, 2010

cragsavvy
Salt Lake City

Long approach.. Easy breeze for the first two pitches with easy fun granite cracks. Base of the 3rd pitch is wide and roomy, with lots of rooms for multiple parties. The 5.6 crack to the right that you can climb in variation to the K crack, is more like 5.7. The right K crack I found moderately easy, 5.6-5.7. On the second rappel, if you have one rope you have to rap over to a right ledge with more rap slings on the right. Make it down straight forward from there. A 60 meter will NOT make it, bring a 70 meter. Sep 25, 2010

Liz Donley
Boulder, CO

Short for the area, but good for a relatively easy day, or a day when the weather is iffy. Since the rappels are so close to the route, you can get down easily at any time by heading left from the climb. Sep 30, 2010

Tim Shea
Fort Lauderdale, FL

Less serious than it looks, this climb has some fantastic climbing. P2 is really sweet and the "k" crack finish 5.8, is definetly a beautiful pitch. Awesome summit and views from Pingora make this an easy, beautiful alpine climb. Aug 23, 2011

Cam Reade

1.5 hour approach to base of pitch one. can run pitch 1&2 together with a 70m rope. the 5.8 K crack pitch was fantastic! Aug 28, 2011

markguycan
flagstaff, AZ

Leisurely start- left camp after 9am. Climbed it as 4 pitches: linked first two- minimal pro placed to diminish drag, then short corner to traverse- easy with great views, then the long dihedral pitch -felt the most difficult, then finished on the "Best 5.6 Ever" left of the K Crack, also did and enjoyed the K Crack but IMHO the 5.6 was more memorable. Late lunch on top, napping in the meadow by mid afternoon. 1 70M easily gets you off, a 60M would work with 2 short easy downclimbs. Rack: set of nuts, single set cams to #3camalot, 6slings. 4*'s! Sep 15, 2011

Garret Nuzzo Jones
Salt Lake City, UT

We ended up climbing several pitches to the left of the corner. More in line with the K cracks. They went at something a little stouter than 5.6. Somewhere around 5.7 with an awkward flaring chimney/offwidth that is difficult to protect. Interesting, but not super classic. The final 5.6 variation is excellent though and protects well. Jul 8, 2013

Chris Dickson
Ophir, CO

My partner and I found that this route can be rapped with just one 60m rope (despite what some of the above comments say) in 4 rappels. The 2nd rap is a FULL 100ft rappel, so watch your ends, but we did it this way without any problems. Aug 4, 2015

jediah porter
Victor, ID

I'll see Chris' 60m bid, and "raise" to 50. I rapped Pingora 4 times in the last couple weeks, all with a single 50m rope. I down climbed nothing but the absolute lowest bit to the big traverse ledge back towards the approach ridge. I used that same 50m on the Wolfs Head descent too. I had a tag line, but next time in there I won't bring it. It goes like this:

-rap number one to a likely seldom used, slung thread climbers left of the K Cracks. Exactly 25 m.
-rap number two back climbers right, short (12m?), to another slung horn, this one with tons of slings. Here's where you end up on rap 1 with a 70m
-rap 3 straight down, about 20m. To an excellent stance with a funny, double-body-size protruding horn.
-Number 4 goes straight down too, to a slung thread at a small stance.
-Number 5. 25m gets you to the top of a fourth class down climb onto walking terrain.

Just another option, if you want to stop the absurd rope-length inflation! You're walking 9 miles in, why carry pounds of extra rope? Sep 10, 2015

Master Beta

I'm confused.. bechtel's book has two pitches before the k cracks, 220ft total both at 5.6.. did you climb the corners to the left of the route? because those are 5.7's.
P1-"climb up ledges and cracks to a right-facing handcrack dihedral. climb this past small ledges to a nice belay on a large ledge. 100 feet"

Here's a pic I ripped from one of the posts here. Tried to outline what I thought was the route. Some disparities between guidebooks, which is weird considering it seems like such a straightforward climb. Let me know if I screwed anything up!

Jul 15, 2016

Floyd Hayes

5.8

If there is a class 3 way of getting to the main cracks, my partner and I didn't find it. From a big ledge at what appeared to be the base of the climb, we climbed the right crack (5.5 with rap rings at the top) of a short wall (40') to a big ledge where the main cracks begin about 15' to the right. We then climbed two pitches (80' and 170') to the base of K-Crack. Above K-Crack it is class 3 to the summit, there is no need to stay roped. ADDED LATER: Now I see why we needed an extra pitch, we started below and left of the start in the photo above this comment. Aug 15, 2016

Nathan G
Utah

Amazing route. Couldn't find the class three start to the base of the first pitch, so we roped up early and we able to do it in 3 long pitches plus the class 3 scrambling at the top. On a side note - why has no one mentioned the heinous approach? We did the 6 miles to Big Sandy Lake in 2 hours and it took another 2.5ish to go the additional 3 miles to the cirque. This was with heavy packs which didn't help. All the climbers we ran in to on the trail were shocked at how long/steep the last 2 miles of the trail were. Anyway, this route and the cirque as a whole were awesome. Aug 7, 2017

Gumby King
The Gym

I did the 5.8 version.

Good climb but was a little dissapointed given the hype and it being a Beckey Fav. Route finding is a little tricky. I recommend checking out the Fred Beckey Topo for this info.

The 5.8 K crack is mostly 5.6-7 with a two move 5.8 section. Offset Nuts protect very well on this K-crack. Jul 12, 2020

Grayson Cobb
Missoula, MT

Summitpost beta is VERY off. There is no way this is 8 pitches. 4 pitches at most. Good half day route. Jul 26, 2020

Alex Jacques
Idyllwild, CA

Did a variation to the right of the corner and the k crack face that climbed a corner system up to the top on clean rock. Really fun, went at about 5.9 Jul 29, 2020

Gaba Gool

Accidentally soloed the first pitch - it’s really nothing to write home about. Linked pitches 2-3 with a 60m rope. Belayer had to climb up a bit to give me extra rope. Cool climbing, but wouldn’t go out of my way to do it again. The K-cracks pitch, however, was the best pitch of climbing I’ve yet to do - it’s a beautiful line, clean, pleasant climbing 11/10 will most certainly do again and again and again! Get on it! Aug 10, 2022

Jonathan Dull
Blowing Rock, NC

Did the K Cracks variation and that last pitch was very good. The first 2/3 pitches were only so so. Climbed it around 4am which was pretty cool. Aug 23, 2022

Chris Moorad
Leavenworth, WA

There are now bolted rap anchors from the top of the 5.8 K crack ledge -- x4 30m rappels will get you to the ground. Sep 2, 2022

Kevin S
Ft Collins, CO

We started P1 a little too early in a dirty gully and found it to be 5th class PG-13 (not fun) for about 20 ft before the proper “4th class start”

Also, the topo photo mislead us a little bit when rapping down. From the second bolted rap station, the following bolted rap stations are located slightly to your right as you descend (not to your left, where some tat was found).

Mishaps aside, this was a wonderful route for our first time in the winds! Aug 15, 2023

Sean Brady
Spearfish, SD

5.6

Decent route overall, but the "k cracks" don't live up to the hype whatsoever. It's more of a "k finger flake" - I did one jam through the entire thing. Not bad climbing, but absolutely not the best single pitch of climbing anywhere by any stretch. I found the 5.8 hand crack on the North ridge of Steeple Peak to be much more fun and engaging with better exposure and certainly better gear. Aug 18, 2023