Labor Day

This route climbs the center of the west face to the left of the major dihedral and ends just left of an obvious red corner high on the face. Chris and I have put up 10 or 15 routes in the Wind River Range in the last 2 decades and this is by far our favorite - sustained, committing and aesthetic. If you can climb the grade comfortably with some areas of run out face and small RP's at thin cruxes its not to be missed.

Access: Begin at the grassy ledges used to access the minor dihedral.

Pitch 1: Traverse down and left across easy but loose terrain. Stop at a corner just before the climbing becomes 5th class. 4th class 100 feet.

Pitch 2: Traverse across 5th class terrain to a pair of small right facing corner/flakes. Climb to the top of the second and belay. 5.8 200 feet.

Pitch 3: Climb a small roof directly above then climb thin cracks to the left end of a curving roof. Traverse 15 feet left and belay below a thin flake. 5.9 150 feet.

Pitch 4: Climb up the thin flake then the left facing corner pitch of the major dihedral route. Climb it to a small roof. Face climb left (5.10) to a large flake. Climb the flake to a belay. 5.10 180 feet.

Pitch 5: Continue up the flake until it ends. Climb straight up the face to a roof. Under cling out right then down. Belay on a small ledge. 5.10a 90 feet.

Pitch 6: Climb the corner above on beautiful water worn chicken heads to a white sloping face. Clip the bolt and face climb up/left. Belay on a small ledge. 5.10 130 feet.

Pitch 7: Climb up the open book corner to the left until underneath the large right facing corner. Very thin finger tip liebacks lead to a finger crack and finally a roof into the corner. Under cling the roof, climb the corner and belay where the crack widens. 5.10d 160 feet.

Pitch 8: Continue up the corner to a ledge, lieback the corner above until it becomes a seam that heads out right toward the red corner. At this point step out of the corner to a flake on the left and climb it to a belay in blocks. 5.10a 160 feet.

Pitch 9: Climb through the blocks, then climb thin liebacks and face to a roof under a right facing corner. Pull the roof into a very clean finger crack/corner and climb it to its end. Traverse right to a large roof, turn it on the left and climb a left facing corner to the top. 5.10 200 feet.

Pitch 10: Traverse left, pull a small roof and head for the top. 5.7

The route is to the left of the well known major dihedral route. There is an obvious white "bump" midway up the route to the left of the major dihedral - this is the middle of the 6th pitch. See the topo and photo for location. Walk off the grassy goat ledges.

Standard granite crack climbing rack, including RP's. There is a single 1/4 inch bolt that is now 15 years old - back it up below.