300m, 5 pitches.
100 metres of dirty, mossy, debris-covered slabs and gully lines (3rd/4th class) lead to two or three pitches of mid fifth-class climbing on mostly sound blocky ribs, grooves and corners. There is a good 5.7 wide layback/jamming crack on the left hand edge of the clean, steep wall that improves the climb. The original line takes easier ground to the left.
These pitches lead to 'lunch ledge' beneath overhangs, from where you traverse right under the overhangs and across the exposed face to gain a ramp on the right hand side of the wall. This is the improbable traverse. A direct non-traversing alternative finish goes up a prominent chimney/crack system above and just right of lunch edge, also at 5.8, but it would miss the point of the route).
The traverse itself is best done in two short pitches as it takes a slightly downward trending line at first to reach a sentry box near the center of the wall just left of and below a piton. As of October 2015 there is only this one old and wobbly piton left - previous descriptions indicate two or three. From the belay, traverse right in a very exposed position, on surprisingly good rock. This is a bit sparsely protected for both leader and second. Both these traversing pitches have moves of around 5.7/5.8. They lead to a belay on an easy leftward-slanting ramp (3rd/4th class) which you follow to trees at the top (70-80 m).
From the top of the ramp you can unrope and change into approach shoes and follow further zig-zagging ramps (starting up and right) to reach the south summit of Guye Peak a few hundred feet above, form where you can traverse/scramble north to the main peak and descend via the Cave Arete path. There is scope for cutting out some of the zig-zags in the upper part of the route and adding pitches on the walls above the top of the described climb. The rock up there looks better than the stuff you just climbed up.
These pitches lead to 'lunch ledge' beneath overhangs, from where you traverse right under the overhangs and across the exposed face to gain a ramp on the right hand side of the wall. This is the improbable traverse. A direct non-traversing alternative finish goes up a prominent chimney/crack system above and just right of lunch edge, also at 5.8, but it would miss the point of the route).
The traverse itself is best done in two short pitches as it takes a slightly downward trending line at first to reach a sentry box near the center of the wall just left of and below a piton. As of October 2015 there is only this one old and wobbly piton left - previous descriptions indicate two or three. From the belay, traverse right in a very exposed position, on surprisingly good rock. This is a bit sparsely protected for both leader and second. Both these traversing pitches have moves of around 5.7/5.8. They lead to a belay on an easy leftward-slanting ramp (3rd/4th class) which you follow to trees at the top (70-80 m).
From the top of the ramp you can unrope and change into approach shoes and follow further zig-zagging ramps (starting up and right) to reach the south summit of Guye Peak a few hundred feet above, form where you can traverse/scramble north to the main peak and descend via the Cave Arete path. There is scope for cutting out some of the zig-zags in the upper part of the route and adding pitches on the walls above the top of the described climb. The rock up there looks better than the stuff you just climbed up.
Dave Hiser and Mike Borghoff 1960.
* This newly updated climb is waiting to be checked by the crag moderator.
Feedback
There is no feedback for this climb.
Logged Ascents
1 users have logged this
Please Login to view more details on the logged ascents