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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

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Sgt. Pepper topo
[Hide Photo] Sgt. Pepper topo
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] 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)
Dave Spies finishing the first pitch.
[Hide Photo] Dave Spies finishing the first pitch.
Leading the crux pitch on FA day. Lotsa micro gear. (Photo: Dave Spies)
[Hide Photo] Leading the crux pitch on FA day. Lotsa micro gear. (Photo: Dave Spies)
Looking back down the crux section. Very exciting!
[Hide Photo] Looking back down the crux section. Very exciting!
Dave Spies getting some fresh air on the exposed traverse.
[Hide Photo] Dave Spies getting some fresh air on the exposed traverse.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

[Hide Comment] Nice route guys - and impressed you were able to find a way to connect these crack systems. P1 felt like the price of admission to a really fun thin seam on p2. Wouldn’t bring the #5 as you’re a few feet from a safe ledge above by the time you could even place it but would probably deck if you extend it long as you’ll later be grateful for. The description forgot to include bear hugging a huge dirt clog for the final move to the top (a fun first for me!). Also was happy the leader placed a small cam right after to bolt to protect the follower’s traverse. Mar 19, 2021
Chris Adams
Mesa, AZ
  5.10
[Hide Comment] “Sliders are helpful” - true! I used red Camp ball nut to protect the crux and it was much more confidence inspiring than the black and blue aliens I had placed below it. You def. need very small gear to protect the start of P2. Very fun route! I too, hugged the dirt clod at the top out.

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