Ship Of Fools

This route is the obvious addition right of High Gravity featuring some really unique and improbable climbing through completely new independent terrain except for the 5.9 pitch which is shared with Lenticular Limbo and the first 15 feet off the ground.

The route is new, and while we did out best to scrub it, it is still cleaning up.

I wanted this route to be well equipped and a good ground-up onsite challenge for those who are keen. All cruxes are well protected mostly by bolts or bomber gear.

Pitch 1: 5.11 20M

This actually shares the first 10-20 feet off the ground (depending on the snowfield) with High gravity. Climb up the Texas shaped block, but where H.G. breaks left at the bolt continue straight in the nice corner. 2 bolt anchor.

Double rack to #1 single #2. 0.1/0.2 offset cam is quite nice for the end.

P2: 5.12+ 45M "Corner of Propositions"

A wild classic pitch. "Lay your proposition down, lay it on the line."

Begin with some 3D stemming then transfer to incredible movement up the left edge of the corner. The corner then arcs to the right past pumpy laybacking to easy double finger cracks. Follow these to a 1 bolt anchor at a small ledge (0.3 backup).

10 bolts, double rack 0.3 to 0.75, 2 alpine draws

P3: 5.9 45M

This is the throw-away pitch. Ramble up through easy terrain to the large terrace ledge network. Aim for the two bolt anchor on High Gravity below the big headwall. There's a lot of loose rock on this pitch, be careful. Belay at this shared bolted anchor at a ledge with HG, below the right leaning finger crack above. The bolted aid seam is also right above this anchor.

P4: 5.11 35M

A very nice crack pitch. A long reach off the belay will establish you in a right trending crack that pinches to a tricky section of fingers before opening back to a flake. Follow this up the incredible headwall till it becomes a LF thin corner to a 2 bolt anchor atop a small ledge in the middle of the headwall. This anchor is equipped for rappel/escape.

Full rack. 3x 0.3s nice.

P5: 5.13- 30M "The Curb Grind"

The Business! An incredibly improbable pitch that incredibly came together. Down-mantel off the belay and traverse hard right into a 8in wide corner flake. Delicate granite teching will see you to a tricky, airy exit onto the arete out right. Continue up the much easier but wildly exposed arete. A yellow DMM offset nut is available to supplement the runout on the arete.

Gear anchor at the end of the arete at a nice stance 0.5/0.75 sizes.

9 bolts

Move belay up over "Tall Boy Ledge" for next pitch.

P6 5.11 30M "The House of Shards"

A super cool pitch with some wild body English. Climb the obvious very low angle hand crack to a right leaning series of ramps to the big stem box with 2 bolts in it. Bridge, stem, chimney to a tricky mantle onto a big flat ledge. 1 bolt anchor (backup with 0.4)

It would be possible to link pitches w/p7 but the belay ledge has a sharp lip that makes breaking them up probably wise and something to pay attention to for your follower.

Doubles 0.2 to 0.5 Single 0.5-#1

2 bolts

P7 5.12- 25M

A final boulder awaits before the top. Move up on big blocky terrain off the belay to a nice compression/layback boulder past 2 bolts into easier crack climbing to a 2 bolt anchor on a ledge below the rim.

Single rack 0.3 to #2, extra 0.3 maybe

From here carefully scramble to the top! Mind loose rock!

Approach:

Follow standard directions to the top of 3rd pillar. Usually takes about 1.5-2 hrs.

I recommend rappelling High Gravity to reach the base rather than the decent gully. This can be done with a single 70m rope and will also allow you to hang draws on the crux bolts of SoF (P2 & P5) if you so choose. The routes are close enough together to make this possible with some swinging.

Note: SoF is not setup for rappel. Almost all the belays have at lease 1 bolt but only the top of p4 is setup to rappel. If you choose to bail, there are many options but escape to High Gravity would almost always be possible.

Double rack 0.2 to #1. Single #2. Triple 0.3 is nice. Offset nuts optional. Offset cams nice as well

10 draws, 4 alpines.