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Westron Wynde

5.9, Trad, 400 ft (121 m), 3 pitches,  Avg: 2.9 from 34 votes
FA: Mark Dalen, Mark Leonard 1980
New Mexico > Albuquerque Area > Sandia Mountains > Echo Canyon > Bush Shark Area

Description

Many consider the (5.9) variation of P3 to be one of the Sandia's best at its grade.

Pitch 1 (5.9) Climb straight up the major weakness. Ignore at least the second of two bolts on the left, unless 5.10 face is your stronger suite compared to the style of climbing that lies ahead: continue up through a short chimney / off width section (5.9, visible from belay).  10 or 20 feet higher,  left and up a ramp to belay somewhere below a small roof.  About 160 ft.
Pitch 2 (5.8) Surmount a small roof (5.8) working your way to a straight-in corner (5.11 R), most parties step left gaining a serious of small cracks to a ledge and a small fir tree. (5.10 R). Most climbers avoid both above variations and traverse further left beyond the small cracks. This variation climbs a small arete like feature eventually ending on a large ledge above a fir tree (5.8).
Pitch 3 (5.9) Step right from the belay into a right facing corner system. The lower angled corner goes at (5.9). The further, more vertical corner goes at (5.10a). Both corner systems meet at a bulge. After the bulge (5.9) head up to a second roof bypassing it on its left side. Head up through easier terrain to the top of the formation belaying from a well camo'd bolt.

Location

Approx. 100 yards beyond the Busk Shark Spire. The route starts between the second and third of 3 big fir trees in a narrowing gully on a south facing wall. Look for the first of two bolts protecting delicate face climbing on P1.

Protection

Standard Sandia's rack, doubles especially useful 0.3-#1 camelot. P2 belay requires some larger pieces: #2-3 camelot.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Tamara entering the stellar P3 (5.9)corner.  The corner system further right is the (5.10a) variation.
[Hide Photo] Tamara entering the stellar P3 (5.9)corner. The corner system further right is the (5.10a) variation.
Mark on the wandering second pitch
[Hide Photo] Mark on the wandering second pitch
Near the base
[Hide Photo] Near the base
Looking up P3 from the fir tree
[Hide Photo] Looking up P3 from the fir tree
Approaching the roof on P2- moving slightly left and up towards 11 o'clock
[Hide Photo] Approaching the roof on P2- moving slightly left and up towards 11 o'clock
Base of the Westron Wynde
[Hide Photo] Base of the Westron Wynde
Stewart at the roof on the 2nd pitch.
[Hide Photo] Stewart at the roof on the 2nd pitch.
Photo taken from between the second and third fir trees.  The start of WW can be easily identified by the two bolts marked here by white X's.
[Hide Photo] Photo taken from between the second and third fir trees. The start of WW can be easily identified by the two bolts marked here by white X's.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

John Kear
Albuquerque, NM
  5.9
[Hide Comment] The bolts on the first pitch are not on Westeron Wynde. It is a variation pitch that we thought was a first ascent in 2002 or so. As it turns out the line had already been climbed by Kevin Jaramillo a few years earlier without any bolts. He and I have talked about the existence of these bolts and possibly removing them since they are not circa the FA. One way or the other the bolts remain for now. It is a nice pitch one way or the other and probably harder than 5.9 as Chuck and Tamara suggest, my variation actually starts directly and climbs a steep awkward and thin lieback to gain the first bolt at about 10+. Kevin's route name for this line that actually goes on to the top of the wall separately than Westeron Wynde is Cabron 5.10 A2 4 pitches. I will try to post Kevin's routes on this wall and they will for sure be in the next addition of the Sandia Rock guidebook. There are several routes and variations on this wall in the vicinity of Westeron Wynde, all are worth doing. The original Westron Wynde line actually climbs the wide corner to the right, which is a bit scruffy and often wet then traverses left after clearing the wet bomb bay section about 80ft up. Jul 11, 2008
Bob Graham
Portland, OR
 
[Hide Comment] Did this yesterday, really fun route! The first pitch has some classic wide climbing, the 2nd has a cool roof section leading you up to the tree belay. The 3rd pitch is awesome! Jun 9, 2012
Rika J
Colorado
 
[Hide Comment] The first pitch actually climbs the wide-looking crack to the right of the line in the beta photo. It isn't as wide as it looks, taking thin hands gear or even smaller, but climbs like an offwidth, so be ready for that. The second pitch is a bit weird, but ends at the obvious small tree on a ledge up and left of the P1 belay. Of the two very obvious dihedrals directly above the tree, the one on the left is the 5.9 variation. Sep 24, 2017
Kevin Freitas
Santa Fe, NM
 
[Hide Comment] Do this climb if only for the third pitch! Stellar! Oct 19, 2020
Leanne Duffy
Los Alamos, NM
[Hide Comment] We scrambled up to a ledge to start the climb. Our first pitch was slightly more than half a 60m rope to a comfortable belay on a ledge under the first roof, so ~110 ft. Oct 1, 2023