Three Choclateers

Three Choclateers is a trad line with a rugged spicy start, followed by a decidedly enjoyable and protected natural line for another 375'. The natural line peters out after those three pitches which gains the broken terrain in the middle of the wall. At this point you can continue up the original ascent line (adds a couple hundred feet of climbing to the summit, with a 5.10 move or two), or descend the easy fixed raps of Ten Minute Shift, or invent your own way to gain the summit.

p1) pull one stiff move to a left-leaning ramp and head up it past small gear. beneath a featured face section, load the crack at your feet with tiny nuts, ballnuts, and a #.75, and climb up on dishes past a manky #2 camalot to another weakness which leads up and left to the main chimney. continue up awkward but very fun featured chimney with pro to a ledge above a bush/wide crack. ~180'. ~9+ PG13

p2) continue up the crack past great rock and fun varied climbing. at ~150', hit a blocky ledge, and continue to a stance at 180'. ~180'. ~9+

p3) climb up the remnants of the crack system to the huge bushy break in the brownstone wall clearly visible from the ground. easy 5th class.

from here, you can walk over to the rappel that takes you down the sport line on the left side of the sand castle face, or to continue on the original line, move to the base of the upper wall where a huge rock creates a 40' gully with a varnished ramp in it leading up and left. scramble up this ramp and belay at the top.

p4) climb up, then step right to the tree on the face, and then move around it to the crack diagonalling up and right through a steep section. step right until almost on the arete, and then go straight up to a belay at a bush on a flat ledge. be careful with rope drag. ~120'. ~5.10-?

p5) continue up the crack system straight up to gain the brownstone ridge. ~170'. ~5.6

Approach: start in the same spot as for Ten Minute Shift, the sport line rising up and right. This also means you can rap back to your packs if you choose not to summit after pitch 3.

Descent from p3 is to find the pine/bolt rap at the top of the sand castle face (see sand castle and hueco thanks description) or continue up to the summit ridge. From the summit ridge, walk towards Vegas, check out the register and the views from the huge pine, and descend via 3/4th class to the base of the wall. This is better described on other brownstone routes, but is a gentle and quick descent.

Rack: black alien and/or ballnuts. RPs. a screamer or two would be nice. double nuts, lots of runners, double blue alien to #3 camalot, and a #4.