Mare Frigoris climbs a beautiful formation on the western side of the cirque of the moon. This route is a serious choss endeavor that is purely aesthetic. The bottom of the route follows the obvious leftward diagnol to lower angle territory. After being positioned in the middle of the wall a leftward traversing pitch gains a striking crack system. Upon further inspection this crack system is horrendously loose and lichen covered.

Aside from two "approach pitches" on lower angle terrain in the middle of the wall, every pitch was difficult and dangerous. The crux is the second to last pitch were one pin was placed. The last pitch is 5.11 OW.

Mare Frigoris or "the cold sea" is a region on the Northern hemisphere of the moon that refers to the open air bivy that occured after the ascent.

Mare Frigoris

The Mansion

Cowcatcher

Telstar

The Last Resort

Moonquakes

Chicken Talk

Pipeline

Forest Creatures

Bo Mambo

Space Ghost

Buffalo Crude

The Last Resort is a route that lies on Conehead, a feature at the back of the Cirque of the Moon.  It is a good, short free outing on mainly excellent granite with the crux on the first pitch and good protection throughout.  The route ends directly under the 'jowls' of Conehead and begins on the clean buttress to the left of the massive (junky) dihedral below.  Climb 5.9 crack up through a roof, step left and belay.  Amble up 5.7 face to a bolt below a ledge where another large crack begins arcing left to a ledge.  Pitch 3 traverses right from this ledge to a 5.8 chimney with a belay at the top.  Move up and right on mostly easy ground (with one stupid hard move) through vegetation to gain a steep trough descending from the left.  Third and 4th class lead to the rim.

This is a worthy little distraction from big days and rain delays.

Mostly steep handjams and a tricky sloper just high enough to be dangerous. Mega jug finish.

Though uncompleted as of August 1979, Cowcatcher is worth mentioning as a very ambitious attempt on this major feature of the cirque, with many fine pitches of free and aid but ultimately a band of rock too treacherous to climb.  No further details available.

Green Cheese is left-most buttress of Tycho Wall, to the left of Pipeline.  Telstar takes a center line up the buttress after it is reached by wandering up through the slabby toe as indicated in the photo.  The route went all free and was reportedly not slimy at all considering the marked green color of the overall wall.  Route tops out at the large overhang in the center of the face.

Lots of low angle lay-backing on great rock that protects well.

P1.

5.8, 60m

Start under an angled dihedral and push the rope up 200ft loose alpine romping until hitting a ledge on the left.

P2.

5.10-, 60m

Continue up and right aiming for nice ledge in a left facing corner.

P3.

5.9, 45m

Major traverse right. Step down from the belay following underclings to a green ledge.

P4.

5.10, 30m

Climb straight up the corner of slippery rock, step left, and climb through the short roof on great rock.

P5.

5.10+, 37m

Double dihedrals with lots of sustained lay-backing. Crux protects with small cams and midsized nuts.

P6.

5.10, 35m

Grass dance pitch. Climb up a bit and traverse left through the grass. Continue up and left through a roof to a small ledge.

P7.

5.10, 33m

Follow the corner straight up. When it begins to trend left, exit on face holds to enter another crack system continuing straight up to some funk and the mega ledge that splits the wall. Accidental fixed nut at this belay.

P8.

5.10-, 35m

Walk right across the ledge for 20ft and climb straight up the wonderful low angle finger crack to the rim.

The northwest facing wall of the cirque is called Tycho Wall and has 3 distinct buttresses. Pipeline takes a direct route up the middle buttress. Undisputed gem of the area, the climb follows an obvious crack system up impeccable granite for two-thirds of its height, then more broken but still quality rock for the remainder. Pipeline takes its name from the fact that some of the crack system acts as a siphon for water from the upper plateau. This was only a problem on P2 which had to traverse out of this wet sheet, the rest of the route manages to avoid it. Nevertheless a late summer or fall ascent is recommended. Pipeline went originally at 5.9 A3 but was freed the following year (1979) by Mike Head, Tom Wells & Bruce Bundy at 5.11d. The crux occurs on the first pitch with other formerly aided sections freed up at difficulties ranging from 5.9 to 5.11. Note that the FFA team fixed the first three pitches then finished the route the second day, hence the Grade IV rating despite the first ascensionists having bivouaced en route. The following description assumes a mixed free/aid ascent.

Begin climbing a sharp pillar at the toe of the buttress. Crux moves go up and left to a damp belay near a band of knobby rock. Aid up a bit (A2) then traverse left (5.8) across the knobby face to the base of the crack in which the next three pitches lie. Beginning at finger width (A2/5.11) the crack expands gradually to hand-sized. A fixed knife blade marks the end of P2 below a small triangular roof. Pitch 3 continues up on fingers and hands (A2 or 5.9) to a bolt in the middle of some flakes. The first ascent team bivvied here in hammocks then proceeded up the crack as it turns into a flake and then a pillar. From a single bolt belay atop the pillar either lower off and use tension or cross delicate face holds (5.10) to the next crack right. The pitch that follows (P5) eats up mid to large sized nuts as it is a straight-in 5.8 hand jam (that accumulates to an overall 5.9 rating) that grows slabby at the top with a belay at a fixed pin below a steep step (A2/5.9) leading up to a 5.9 corner. This short pitch ends below the infamous Baltz Slot and is marked by a comfortable 'bucket seat' that protrudes from the wall. Take a thin crack left then up and out the Baltz Slot, taking care not to snag the rope in the crack at the top (why it is 'infamous'), then wander up broken ground to a large ledge system (first ascent party bivvied again here). Pitch 8 wanders up and left to the base of a headwall which goes at 5.9/A2. FFA party opted for the chimney to the right which was impassable during first ascent due to great amounts of water. Either pitch ends next to a large roof from where one long traverse leads off the main wall.

This route sports a lot of fantastic face climbing on awesome rock. In a cosmic coincidence, much of this route was retro bolted mere weeks after the first ascent. When we climbed the route we did not leave any fixed gear behind and did many bold pitches of climbing. Including an 82m pitch that Lane Mathis managed with only a few pieces of marginal protection. Understandably, the second party had no idea we had been there.

Because we were chasing whatever pro we could our line was a bit wandery and very dangerous. The new variation pitches protected by lead bolts are likely the funnest path up the wall. Additionally all belays, save for pitch 5 are now bolted and the route can even be rappelled. We found a fixed nut on one of the many dihedrals that can be used to exit the mega ledge to the summit, so at least some of this was climbed even before the "first" first ascent.

The following beta is what I believe to be the best path up the wall, utilizing the new variation pitches (white lines on the updated topo).

P1.

5.9, 60m

Mostly super easy romping up very low angle terrain. Traverse right across at two bolts and a thin crack that is difficult to protect for leader and follower. Belay on the ledge at two bolts.

P2.

5.9, 40m

Climb straight up from the belay aiming for three bolts on a slab. Travers right to the mini roof and belay at two bolts under the tooth.

P3.

5.9PG, 40m

Climb up and left to a bolt under the tooth. Surmount the tooth and follow sporadic gear along incredible face climbing. Belay at another ledge on two bolts.

P4.

5.9, 55m

Trend up and left before climbing up the slab past two bolts near a small right facing overhang. Then cast off up and right aiming for the tip of the triangular nose. Two bolt belay.

P5.

5.8, 50m

Pull easy moves over the triangle to an awesome ramp of perfect rock. Gear belay on the mega ledge.

P6.

5.8 25m

Many options to reach the rim from the mega ledge. We chose the nearest which was a great left facing corner about 30ft right of the belay. Climbing up the left trending flakes will lead to a rap station (one bolt, one nut) to rap the route.

This was done solo so please forgive the poor beta. I wondered back and forth chasing the best and funnest looking features on the far north side of Sumac Point. No signs of previous travel, but with the relative ease it could have easily been done 60 years ago.

Either scramble around or climb one of the many shattered, left leaning cracks to the major ledge. From here make your way to the biggest tree that sits under the best rock. Climb lots of okay rock in cracks and face. Mostly 5.7 climbing with a move or two of 5.9 on the whole line. A left arching hand crack near the top is a pure joy. After about 500ft of climbing reach a false summit. A grueling 4th/5th class hike reaches the true summit.

One amazing, granite crack climb. Awaiting a free ascent. Crux 4th pitch will go at an estimated 12a.

Impossible to recall in detail but the route follows a natural line of cracks, dihedrals and flakes trending toward the obvious dihedral on the rim of Sunset Buttress.  There is a bolt just below the belay at the top of the first pitch.  Pitch Two goes up and left to a layback dihedral.  Traverse right on flakes to a belay below a small roof.  This crux pitch goes up and over the roof on face holds, then angles left to a flake belay.  Pitch Five is possibly a second crux, more face climbing up to the large ledge below the dihedral.  Finish up the dihedral which is mildly vegetated.  Following its first ascent in 1978 the route was free-soloed by Dave Baltz in 1979 who also added another route (Dave's Solo, unmarked) somewhere to the right.

Description

Protection

Routes in Cirque of the Moon