Mountain Project Logo
To save paper & ink, use the [Hide] controls next to photos and comments so you only print what you need.

Surging Wave

5.7, Sport, 60 ft (18 m),  Avg: 3 from 90 votes
FA: Mike Engle, Vernon Phinney 1989
S Dakota > Needles Of Rush… > Mt Rushmore Nat… > S Seas > Shipyard Rock
Warning Access Issue: Check NPS for Closures DetailsDrop down

Description

Up the Gully from the East Side. Follows a bolted wave line. 4 bolts to the top of the first pitch of Classic Waves. You want to rap down.

Location

In gully between shipyard rock and Hornet's Nest.

Protection

4 bolts, anchors above.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

The rock looks so similar out here. This is a picture of the route from the 1st bolt up to the top.
[Hide Photo] The rock looks so similar out here. This is a picture of the route from the 1st bolt up to the top.
The route is the right most bolted route up in this gully which you enter at the base of the Classic Waves route.
[Hide Photo] The route is the right most bolted route up in this gully which you enter at the base of the Classic Waves route.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Michael Parker
Belgrade, MT
  5.7
[Hide Comment] Route starts in very back of the gully between Shipyard Rock and Hornet's Nest. Enter the gully from the base of the Classic Waves route. This route, as well as the other routes in this gully all share the same anchors at the top of pitch 1 of Classic Waves. You can turn any of these routes into a multi-pitch by continuing up the 2nd pitch (5.7) of Classic Waves. Dec 1, 2016
Alex Grimsley
Bend, OR
 
[Hide Comment] Don't try to TR this route, just belay up the second and rap towards the start of waves. The anchors are so far back that doing it TR would be pretty bad drag on sharp crystals Apr 30, 2018
Andrew Bien
Eau Claire, WI
[Hide Comment] Re: comments that this is the "right most" and "very back of gully" -- there seems to be a hidden bolt line further back/right, past all the spines. I assume that's Tsunami. Jul 31, 2023
Adam Pequette
Rapid City, SD
[Hide Comment] The 1st pitch of Waves, Spilling Wave, and Surging Wave all finish at the pitch one belay ledge for Waves. Tsunami is further up the gully and finishes at the summit. The start of Tsunami can be reached by scrambling around the corner to climbers right from the Waves first pitch belay ledge. Aug 1, 2023
Lou Hibbard
Eagan, MN
[Hide Comment] Per the comment by Alex above. It is much faster and simpler if trying to get lots of routes in to do any toproping while belaying on top. Lead any route that gets you to the anchor. Then rap down on single line to TR any route you are nervous about leading. While belaying should do a redirect through a locking biner above if not using an autolocking belay device. This way no rope drag and get more routes in. Only disadvantage is can't see the climber. Add directional draws or gear as needed while rapping to prevent rope grating swings from a climbing fall.
If I lead a route I almost always TR any adjacent routes from top that have poor gear and I don't want to lead but I can TR from the same anchor. Jul 7, 2024