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Sergeant Pepper
5.10,
Trad, 140 ft (42 m), 2 pitches,
Avg: 2.5 from 4
votes
FA: Derek Field & Dave Spies (Nov 2017)
Arizona
> Northern Arizona
> Sedona Area
> Sedona
> Midgley Bridge…
> Submarine (Steamboat)…
Description
Sgt. Pepper is a trippy ride along the very thin fingercrack on the south face of Submarine Rock. This somewhat improbable line offers thrilling exposure and mostly good sandstone on the sunny side of an iconic Sedona landmark.
Pitch 1: Squirm up a clean right-facing offwidth corner to gain the big ledge system. Trend up and right on easy ground to a fun no-hands slab traverse and belay with whatever size gear you want at the base of the fingertips crack. (5.6, 60 feet)
Pitch 2: Layback the thin fingercrack up to the red rock where it terminates. Make an airy traverse right past one bolt and mantel onto a ledge. Walk a little further right into the adjacent crack system which has a piton (?) halfway up a short left-facing corner. Climb this corner and mantel solid mud jugs onto the summit. (5.10, 80 feet)
Rappel: same as all other routes on Submarine/Steamboat Rock. Rap 120 feet from chain anchor on SW corner of summit. Dave Spies and I donated well-camouflaged chains for the anchor (Nov 2017).
Location
Right-slanting system of mostly thin cracks on the left side of the south face. Approach as for
Project 941, walking out to the "limestone tongue" (per Toula) on the SW side of the formation. Start in a short right-facing offwidth corner (see photo) just right of some Boy Scout petroglyphs.
Protection
double rack to 2" + one each 3-4"
* optional 5" cam for easy offwidth start
* crux takes micro gear (micronuts, ballnuts & sliders are all "helpful")
One 70m rope or two 60m ropes
* one 60m rope gets you down to easy (4th class) ledges
[Hide Photo] Sgt. Pepper topo
[Hide Photo] This right-facing offwidth marks the start of the route. Start cutting to the right from the top of that thing. It's 5.6 so you might not necessarily need the 5" cam. (Photo: Dave Spies)
[Hide Photo] Dave Spies finishing the first pitch.
[Hide Photo] Leading the crux pitch on FA day. Lotsa micro gear. (Photo: Dave Spies)
[Hide Photo] Looking back down the crux section. Very exciting!
[Hide Photo] Dave Spies getting some fresh air on the exposed traverse.
Mesa, AZ
If climbing the unprotectable (till the very top... with a #5 cam) slabby offwidth isn’t your thing you can easily scramble up the back side of the OW. That being said the OW is pretty laid back and no OW technique is really needed to climb it. Mar 20, 2021