Southeast Ridge

This route is a cool mix of crack and face climbing, with a steep and fun bouldery crux right below the summit. The rock and protection are generally good on the harder parts, although there is some crumbly rock and poor pro on some easier sections.

On the approach down into Del Agua Canyon, this route is prominently visible on the spire. Just left of the arete on the spire that often forms a sun shade line is an attractive looking corner. Your objective is to gain this corner by traversing into it from the right, climb it until it ends, then break right and corkscrew around the spire to the summit.

Pitch 1: Begin at the large right facing corner with a wide crack in the corner and a thin crack on the face to the right. Start up the wide crack then break right onto the face with intermittent protection. Follow the path of least resistance up and right until you gain a left facing corner, which you take up to a ledge system. This pitch is somewhat loose and unpleasant. 5.7.

This pitch can be skipped by scrambling up the descent gully between the spire and the cliff face.

There are several options for a gear anchor, but the best is probably 2 obvious parallel cracks in a boulder that take cams #0.5-#2.

Pitch 2: Traverse left along the ledge system to the arete. Cross the arete (very exposed here!), pull the small roof on the other side of the arete, and continue up the right facing corner above the roof. Follow this pleasant corner up to a spacious belay ledge. 5.8.

Gear anchor with good thin gear in a horizontal.

It is possible to belay shortly after crossing the arete and gaining the corner. This would reduce rope drag, however it results in an awkward belay stance. If you extend all your gear at the beginning of the pitch, rope drag isn't too bad; I recommend doing it this way.

Pitch 3: From the ledge, go up and slightly right following easy terrain to the arete, and cross the arete. From there, follow easy low-angle terrain to a ledge under a big roof. Belay here. This is a short pitch that essentially just moves the belay to right underneath the final overhang. It is easy to combine this with the next pitch; however, if the overhanging crux above will be difficult for you then you might want to stop here so that your belayer can see you and give you a tight belay for the crux overhang.

Gear anchor with nuts and cams #0.5-#0.75.

Pitch 4: One last small overhang guards the summit. Thankfully, there is a nice looking crack with great rock that goes right through this overhang. Climb the crack and mantle over the lip of the overhang, then step right and scramble up low angle ground to the summit. V1/5.9+.

2-bolt anchor on the summit. The bolts are a bit to the right of, and just past, the summit block. Right near the edge of the steep drop down the other side of the spire. You can also place cams of various sizes in between the summit blocks.

Descent: One single-rope rappel over the back side of the spire (the edge that the bolts are right next to). Bring at least a 60m rope; it will be close with a 60m rope so make sure to tie knots in the end of your rope. This drops you into the saddle between the spire and the main cliff face. Follow the bushy gully to the southeast (left when looking at the spire). At the bottom of the gully, turn right and follow the cliff face back to your packs.

The bolts are currently connected with tat that goes over the edge. Make sure to inspect any fixed tat and replace it if necessary. Next party should consider bringing 4 ft of chain and 2 quicklinks to make the anchor go over the edge without tat.

This route starts on the southeast side of Del Agua Spire, in a large right facing corner with a wide crack in it. There is a photo of the start.

Cams from small to #2, plus nuts. Inspect the tat on the summit and replace if necessary.

Bring a 70m rope or two 60m ropes to rappel.