Jupiter II

The setting is beautiful, the stone varnished, the gear is where you want it, and you'll probably have the wall to yourself. In the Spring of 2010 my partner and I found a straight-sided stopper stamped "VB" (Paul Van Bettten?) and a Forest Titon stamped "PH" on the route. Evidence of the climb's seldom-done status.

There are 5 pitches, one of which is below average, but the other 4 are exceptional. All belays are bolted.

P1 - Begin with some runout 5.8 or 5.9 up corners and grooves just left of the obvious dihedral line. Move right into the corners and chimney. Step right at the top. 5.9 or 5.10-

P2 - Work straight up from the belay on RPs and small gear. At ~50 feet, step left into a clean left-facing corner. Climb the corner (crux) on RPs and good small gear. 5.11c, but certainly harder than the .11c on Cloud Tower and Lev29

P3 - straight up from the belay on runout 5.9 face climbing, or slightly right and then up, which a couple RP placements. Aim for the bolt and face climb up and left (5.10d) to a thin crack. After the crack, move left around a large block and belay from bolts on top. 5.10d

P4 - Follow a vegetated low-angle crack or runout arete straight up, passing a band of lighter/sandier rock, to the huge ledge. 5.8

P5 - Up the clean and steep hand crack in the flaring corner on the right. The crack widens and becomes lower angle. As the rock suddenly deteriorates, move left across blocky terrain to the final anchor. 5.10

Rap the route with a single 60m rope. After 2 rappels on Jupiter II anchors, move slightly left and rappel nearby "Challenger".

Jupiter II begins halfway between the huge LF-Corner of "Steep Space" and the cracks of Challenger. It's the first obvious crack system left of the huge corner.

2x cams from tips to hands, a single #2 and #3 BD. A good selection of nuts, RPs, or HB Offsets.