Most parties do the first three bolted pitches (10+,10b,10b), which are fantastic, rapping station to station before the crux roof fist crack on the fourth pitch. If you are inclined to take several #4-5 cams up here, it's fun to go all the way up. The 5th pitch checks in at 10b protected by all draws.

Per

Doug Haller

: P1. Scramble 20-30 feet up the right side of the two flakes to gain a small pointed ledge. Look for the first bolt about 20 feet up followed by a second bolt a body length higher and near a small flake/roof. Follow a line of bolts up and through the peak of the "A" shaped roof/overlap. Pull the overlap, and continue to the obvious ledge with two cold-shuts as anchors, 10 bolts, 100 feet.

P2. Locate the line of bolts trending up and left. Climb up and left along the bolt line using a faint but large dike in the rock for foot and hand holds As the route trends to the blunt arette, climb up and over a bulge to sight the anchors, 10 bolts.

P3. Pitch 3 pulls through two overlaps. From the anchors, climb steep slab to gain crack holds below the first overlap. The third bolt is out of sight but atop the edge of the overlap. Make a long reach and high step to gain a stance above the overlap. The second overlap is surmounted along a rail. Keep your focus to reach the anchors as the climbing is continuous.

Rap

Riders in the Sky

.

I Love a Cigar

Cloak of the Wolf

Black Sheep

Shadows on the Rock

Minoan Maze

Oklahoma Princess

Over the Hills and Far Away

Practislab

Sea of Sorrow

Labyrinth

Anasazi Arete (Pete Hubbel Memorial)

Temple 19

The Route that Time Forgot

Solarian

Ankar Gate

Jacob's Ladder

Nazca Line

Riders in the Sky

Fire on the Horizon

Knossos

North Buttress of Acid Rock

This is THE Sheeprock testpiece. The Cloak is a well-protected line following the most direct and some of the steepest features to the summit of Sheeprock. The last pitch cuts right through center of the headwall. This also provides the only rap line down the North Face from the summit.

Start on the far left side of the North side, at the bivy site. 4th class 30' to the cozy perch.

P1: "Gateway". 10+

. This pitch also provides access to trad routes

SolArian

and

Black Sheep

. Slab and sequential face climbing warm-up. Pass a chain anchor at 100 feet and continue on easier ledgy climbing to an excellent 3 bolt belay ledge, 150' 16 bolts. Use a few long runners in spots.

P2: "

Black Sheep

" dihedral. 11+

. Insecure step into the right facing dihedral and tricky crux pulling around left at the 3rd bolt. This sets the stage and establishes you onto the Cloak. Once around the corner, finish on easier slab and face to an exposed and uncomfortable hanging 3 bolt belay, 65' 8 bolts.

P3: Roof Pitch. 12+?

. Tighten up your shoes. Sustained steep edging and smears separated by 2 roofs. The first and smaller of the two being an improbable balance boulder problem at, say, V5. Once over the roof, sequential face climbing follows a leaning rounded arete to near-impossible friction slab below a five-foot roof. Paw your way over this powerful roof and enjoy a comfortable tiered 3 bolt belay. Probably the biggest challenge on this relentless pitch is keeping your concentration sharp and your calves from burning! Be smart with some longer draws/runners as the route wanders a bit, 115', 16 bolts.

P4: Headwall. 12

. Soak up the exposure. This follows an unbelievable natural weakness in an otherwise impasse. Follow the first few clips on big holds to a ledge rest. Continue on steep and vertical sustained face climbing with small knobs, edges, and sloping stances to where the angle finally breaks. The crux is about midway with a reachy sequence of crimps. Chase several more clips on 5.10 to a great ledge 30' below the summit, 125', 16 bolts.

P5: 5th Class

(optional). Cruise past two bolts to summit anchors and enjoy the view, 30'. Congratulations.

Rap the route with two 60m ropes (3 raps). Best rap is from stations 4 to 3, 3 to 1, 1 to Perch. Although its possible with 2 x 70s to stretch the rap from 4 to 2, and 2 to Perch (although pulling ropes is more of a workout this way).

A link-up/variation to both

SolArian

and

Cloak of the Wolf

that tackles the attractive OW in the

Cloak

-headwall. I have not climbed this variation, but the following route description is from my notes from Cassidy. This route is a serious undertaking. Expect run-outs, poor quality rock, and some questionable pro. none-the-less, its an adventurous line, and great vision from the FA team.

Start as for the

Cloak

for the first pitch to the grassy comfy foot ledge.

P2: 5.11+S. continue up the right facing, leaning, and overhanging finger crack dihedral (Sol follows the dihedral right of this). Reported from the FA that this pitch has pretty thin gear, and is strenuous awkward crux, where your feet drop out from under you. This joins up with the second half of P2 of

SolArian

above its crux. hanging belay with bolts. 105'

P3: 5.10+R. thin and flared finger crack as if you were starting P3 of

SolArian

. Instead of going to the A-frame roof, undercling/smear traverse straight left under the roof of the

Cloak

Go past its roof crux, to a crumbly left facing dihedral weakness in the roof and around the corner. Gear belay on a good ledge at the base of the wide crack. watch for drag. Apparently there is not good pro pulling through the roof and the rock is shite.

P4: 10+S. the headwall OW. though it looks stellar from the ground, this crack is apparently very sandy, crumbly, and flared with marginal to no pro through most of it. This leads to a small ledge, then a final 30' hand crack puts you on the summit shoulder.

Down climb to the anchors of the

Cloak

and rap. 3 raps with two 60m ropes. or two stretched raps with 70m ropes.

If you are climbing on the north side of Sheep Rock and you are looking for shade, this is it. Routes on this part of the wall go into the shade early in the afternoon, unlike most of the others.

Pitch 1, 5.9. Climb an easy face and corner to a large, shallow groove on the right side of the next face. Climb the face and groove to the base of a distinctive steep face and arete. Belay at a nice ledge by a bush, 160 feet, 8 bolts, 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 2, 5.10+. Do crux climbing to get on the face, and continue difficult climbing to the chains above, 80 feet, 10 bolts, 2 bolt anchor.

From the top, easy climbing up and left gains the eastern shoulder of Sheep Rock or

Over the Hills and Far Away

, or rappel the route.

Minoan Maze is uper sustained with great position and exposure! This works as a variation to

Knossos

for the last two pitches, though it starts further to the left, but I don't remember it as well.

P1-2. Climb

Knossos

.

P3. From the tight ledge, continue up to the left-leaning, left-facing corner. Make a rising traverse left. Try to stay low on the traversing moves and watch for drag. There are many bolts on this pitch (24 or so), as the pitch feels almost a full 200' but may be as short as 150'. The hanging belay is exposed.

P4. From the belay, move up, and make a committing step right over a small headwall with a short section of crumbly rock (5.8) Look for a line of bolts paralleling a left-facing corner. Follow the line of bolts past one anchor (at about 75 feet out from the belay) to the final (summit/saddle) anchor over increasingly easier terrain, ~130 feet.

Oklahoma Princess is more than OK!

This is a fun warm-up shorter route on the far right side of the north face routes. Locate a pillar-slab formation left of the gully formed with back side of Acid (there is actually a newer route on the backside of Acid, but i do not know anything about it). OP is approximately 100 feet right of the Knossos tiered base. Though mostly moderate climbing, there are some long runouts for the grade, and bolt spacing may seem a little further than the other routes. it may be possible to protect these with gear if youre feeling timid.

P1. follows the left arete of the pillar. fun! ends at a semi-hanging belay. 5.7.

P2. continue up the arete until you step right and up the face. possible to protect this move with some gear. Continue up the face to a good ledge.

Rap the route with two ropes.

Pitch 1. 5.10+. Climb a face, 130 feet, 12 bolts, 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 2. 5.10. Go up a face, 90 feet, 8 bolts, 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 3. 5.0. Traverse up and right, 90 feet, 1 bolt, gear anchor.

Pitch 4. 5.10. Ascend an offwidth and chimney, 90 feet, 5 bolts plus a few medium cams, 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 5. 5.10+. Climb a hand and fist crack, 50 feet, 3-5 #3 size Camalots plus a couple mid-size cams, 2 bolt anchor.

Scramble right to top anchors on

The Cloak of the Wolf

to reach the top of Sheep Rock.

You can descend the route with a single 60 m rope. Bear to the left on the last rappel to reach an easy gully, and scramble down the last few feet.

Fun and aesthetic.

Locate a large rectangular slab of rock to the right of the

Ankar Gate

. Casual entry moves to a stiff face crux and rest. Joins the left arete for sustained edging, smearing, and palming-liebacks to the top of the slab. 105'.

Climb the blunt arete; the crux is at the steep bulge midway up... don't let your guard down.

You might notice the bolts on the first pitch as you are approaching

Anasazi Arete

which is about 200 feet to the left.

Pitch 1. 5.10+. Start just left of a deep gully. The crux climbing is past a high first bolt to easier climbing, 100 feet, 6 bolts, a #3 Camalot (for the flake near the top), a #0 Metolius, a small wire before the first bolt, and a 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 2. 5.10-. Our original line followed the line of least resistance to the right on crumbling rock, 5.8. We have reworked the pitch to climb directly on high quality rock to the second pitch anchors, 100 feet, 11 bolts, 2 bolt anchor. We left the original bolts but took the hangers.

Pitch 3. 5.9. Climb up and left on moderate face to a steep headwall. From here, you could climb to the right on an easy 5th Class ramp that takes you to the shoulder were the south face routes of Baby Helen's end. Instead, climb offwidth and hand crack to anchors, 80 feet, 5 bolts, a #1 and #3 Camalot, and a 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 4. 5.11. Climb low angle slab to a left-arching crack. We found ancient bail gear at the bottom of the arching crack. We climbed the arching crack to the prominent corner above. We placed a bolt next to a giant loose block and retreated due to crumbling rock above, 50 feet to our last bolt.

2 pitches, with an unfinished 3rd pitch.

Starts below the "African Flake". TO the right is a very obscure and old mixed 2 pitch route, called Smile for the Camel, identified by some 1/4inchers and a small right facing corner second pitch to the same ledge as T19.

P1: Start with a step around a left facing corner (protected by a pin). Follow face up and right. 5.9 excellent pitch and great warm up. 165' rap

P2: crank over a bulge and balancy face climbing up to a good sized ledge below the headwall. 5.10c/d

This is a forgotten pitch that ascends a sharp and varied crack.

Solarian is identified by the striking, sunlit, dihedral system on the left side of the north face of Sheeprock. This route features face climbing, layback corners, a 100', diagonaling, finger crack traverse, and great exposure for only 3 pitches. This is one of few trad routes on Sheeprock.

Begin as for

Cloak of the Wolf

, on the Perch above the bivy spot on the left side of Land that Time Forgot.

P1: 5.10+, 150'

, shares the first pitch of the

Cloak

. 16 bolts, 3 bolt belay on a grassy belay ledge.

P2: 5.10, 105'

classic. Lieback up the arching, right-facing dihedral (5.9) to a steep, cruxy step left into the main dihedral, protected by a bolt. Jam through a weakness in a roof above a spooky, hollow flake to a 3-bolt, hanging belay. Be mindful of rope drag. (you cannot retreat after this point).

P3: 5.10+, 150'

excellent and memorable. Continue up the finger crack above the belay to join a dihedral and A-frame roof. Pull around the roof, 5.10+, (strangely reminiscent of

Fat City

crack in Lumpy) where a tight, finger crack splits to the right. This is the crux of the entire route. CAUTION: be sure to place pro for your follower, the roof edge is sharp! Dance the sustained rising finger crack traverse (5.9) for about 100' to a comfortable sunny belay ledge with two bolts/gear (and a great place to take a pic of your follower!). This pitch gobbles up nuts and small cams.

P4:

traverse the ledge right for about 20' to rap anchors where you escape by rapping 70' to the top of

Ankar Gate

, or rap/traverse to the saddle and have a picnic. If you still want to summit, climb Velcro Wall via

Acid Crack

, 5.5, (classic!) and a hundred feet of 3rd Class slabs to the top.

There are a few options to get down. From the summit, rap

Cloak of the Wolf

. From the saddle, rap

Jacobs Ladder

or

Ankar Gate

. Bring 2 x 60m ropes for raps.

Hike past the tiered bivy spot on the far left side up to a ledge system. The route follows the face formed by the large gully under the "neck" of Sheeprock.

P1: There are two variations. The right is harder. Face climb near the edge of the right facing corner, until you have to traverse out over the roof, right. Ginish on a rounded arete.

P2: Excellent. This has exposed and wandering face climbing. The belay ledge is a little rotten and a large spooky block looms.

P3: This has sustained face and edges close to the huge, right-facing dihedral. Belay at the base of a dihedral.

You can escape right across bolted 5th class traverse to the saddle, or rap.

Nazca Line is follows kind of a strange and interesting line, and frankly one of my least favorite routes here. It has a pretty heady feel to it in spots, especially starting pitch 3. get ready for an adventure!

P1. Start at the

Knossos

two tier bivy spot on the right side of the north facing saddle routes. Nazca Line follows the black bolts right of

Knossos

. note that there is a point on pitch 2 that you can join up with the upper section of P2 of

Knossos

, via a straight traverse left.

The gold rock at the end of pitch one feels unusually slick.

Pitch two eases off a bit to end on a good ledge, where the anchors are hard to spot.

P3. traverse the ledge/ramp right and around the corner. the first bolt is a ways up there, and a scary second clip! 5.9+

P4-5. keep following your nose and bolts up the steep weakness. good pitch.

4 very long pitches, sometimes climbed in 5 by breaking P1 in two.

Pitches (as 4): P1 5.9 14 bolts, P2 5.7 bolts, P3 5.10cR, modest traverse left (the 'R') to two bolts through the crux to a belay. [The R is 5.7, 10.c has good pro], P4 5.10b, bolts to the summit.

Don't let the R scare you away, this, like many of the routes up here, is a superb climb and accessible to any mid 5.10 slab aficionado. All belays have 1/2" bolts. Some people have suggested adding another bolt, and I could do that.

Descent: Raps: 1) rap P4, 2) rap to a station 100 feet down and 70 feet left ot the top of P2, 3) rap to top of I Love a Cigar pitch 1, straight down, 4) rap to ground.

P1. Climb the slab over a right-facing overlap, 5.10-.

P2. Steep moves on good holds lead to a wide stem crack, 5.8.

P3. Climb the exposed arete to the large ledge, 5.7.

Enjoy the view.

Starts from the two-tiered bivy site on the right side of the Land that Time Forgot area. Knossos is an excellent route with mostly moderate climbing, and good intro to north face routes. An excellent variation connects with the more difficult and sequential pitch of Minoan Maze for pitch 3 and 4. Knossos tops out near the center of the Sheeprock saddle. Almost every pitch is surprisingly long.

P1. moderate slab climbing to a small ledge and belay 5.9-. 130'

P2. steepens to pull an overlap and awesome face features in the darkened face above to another comfy ledge formed by the rock flakes. 10-. 130'

P3. move belay 20'left to another anchor. skip the first bolt that is straight to your left, and rather, go over the tree to the second clip. wander up the face on very steep 9+. cool pitch! A few abandoned variations exist to the right, so pay attention! 130'

P4. shorter and moderate pitch. small roof above the belay, and up into a corner. 85'

P5. step right and follow flake to a ledge, continue on slabs to the anchor block. 115'

The cat is out of the bag on this one. It seems like a little more information will be helpful. My notes say 5.10, but my recollection is a boatload of 5.8 and 5.9 face. 90+ % of the bolts are large buttonheads currently in good condition.

Pitch 1. 5.10. Begin by an old ring pin, climb past a bush on to a high quality rock face, 170 feet, 15 bolts, 1 pin, 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 2. 5.10. Climb a steep face, 150 feet,. 11 bolts, 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 3. 5.10-. Climb up to the large dihedral, and then left across the face to a tiny stance near the arete, 150 feet, 8 bolts, 2 bolt anchor.

Pitch 4. 5.8 A0. Face climb near an amazing arete to a step about 90 feet up, 8 bolts, and an anchor is a large slung boulder at the top. Consider descending from this point. The last 100 feet. of low 5th Class climbing is littered with debris including football-size rocks that could be dislodged by your rope.

From the top, you can descend

Minoan Maze

with double ropes.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Land that Time Forgot