1. Scramble up easy lower angle slab to belay at two bolts.

2. Climb to base of steep corners to the right of large overhang. Follow corners (5.9) protected by several pins and make a rightward traverse past a bolt to a wide crack. Follow this to a ledge.

3. From belay ledge, move left and up to a bush, then traverse left across lower angle slab to a bolt. Climb up to a short crack and go left to an optional belay ledge or continue up bolt-protected face to good belay ledge....excellent climbing.

4. Traverse left from the belay ledge to a bolt. Continue up to black knobs and a pin, or traverse left into a large shallow groove and corner. Belay at a large pine tree at the top of the shallow corner.

5. At the left end of the large ledge, traverse left past two bolts to the base of a wide flake that can be protected by a #4 cam. Continue up the flake and corner past a bolt to a two-bolt belay ledge.

6. Climb over a small roof to a knobby slab protected by 4 bolts. Traverse left to a belay at a large pine tree.

7. Follow rightward leaning corner and wide crack, then climb up and left on easier rotten rock to ridge top with large sandy ledge and belay at a large boulder. Descend ridge or climb to Quantum Perplexas to summit of Pawn Buttress. Descend down the ridge by an 80 foot rappel on bolts and down climb the north side of the ridge and hike a short distance to the saddle—between the Pawn and the West Pawn Buttress. Then hike down the gulley to the base of the climb.

8. From the belay at the boulder, hike up the ridge by easy, but rotten rock to a some pine trees. Just past these, follow the ridge crest past 3 bolts to a belay ledge with bolts.

9. Avoid the rotten crack directly above by moving left. Continue up gritty rock on the last pitch of Quantum Perplexas for 190 feet on an exposed, narrow ridge protected by 3 bolts to the highest summit of the Pawn, a spectacular location...great views...The elevation here is 8,900' Either down climb to the east end of the ridge (exposed) or make 1 or 2 single rope rappels off the north side from two bolts at the summit. Hike East to a pass and scramble down the east side of the Pawn.

En Passant

Zugzwang

Path of the Argonian

Earth, Wind and Fire Dihedral

The Hollow Flakes

Direct South Face

Pitch 1:

Start at the lower left end of the buttress below a rightward slanting diagonal crack/ flake system. Follow these for a short pitch to a bolted belay beneath a detached flake called "The chop" . (5.8)

Pitch 2:

Move carefully past this to a short bolt ladder.  A steep right facing corner leads up to a thin flake that curves up and right. Just as the flake leans right, look left for a bolt  out on the face. Traverse left on chickenheads and nobs to a belay on the other side of the flake...great rock. (5.9 C1+)

Pitch 3:

Traverse left along a remarkable hollow flake. When the flake gets too wide to protect, move left again to a bolt out on the face. Face climb past an amazing dike to the top of the flake and 2 old rap bolts. Continue up the low angle face past 2 more bolts to yet another flake. Belay at its top. (5.9)

Pitch 4:  Move left and follow and easy corner / flake to the top. Down climb a bit to a belay tree. (5.6)

Descent: Rap and down climb the gully to the West using 2 ropes. P

This is a 6-7 pitch slab/crack on the west face of the pawn and as good as it gets on alpine granite. Sandwiched in the middle of the slab pitches is one unique and very difficult crack pitch. Very little beta out there on this route, but the crux pitch is referred to as insecure 5.12. I would personally refer to it as "hard alpine 5.12" or even "soul-crushing 5.12," but that's just me.

P1:

Follow the first pitch of En Passant or The Marshall Route. EP follows the blocky crack that ascends just left of the big black water streaks on the slab. Marshall goes up the gritty gully 100 feet to the right. When you gain the ledge traverse right to a bolted anchor from EP or traverse left to the same anchor from Marshall. 5.7ish

P2:  Climb directly up onto the chicken heads. There is a bolt hiding between two of them (we missed it but its there) and then clip a second bolt 20 feet later. Get a small piece in a crack and continue right around a roof on easy terrain until just left of the big triangular cave/roof where you'll find another anchor. 5.8

P3:

Climb directly up over the steep bit of slab in a flared crack that doesn't really take pro. Clip a bolt just above the crack and do a hard transition move out of the crack and slab up toward the dihedral pitch. 5.10+

P4:

The cruxy nasty. A truly great pitch. Demanding. There's a bolt in the middle but I'm not convinced it helps that much. Good luck. 5.12b/c

P5:

Payment in flesh for the good rock quality below. This is rotten and gross. Loose. Weed-ridden. Climb directly up from the anchor into the roof and then left around the 3-4 inch slot. Lye the dirty thing back with feet on the slab placing increasingly smaller gear util you reach your decision point. Continuing along the slab is possible as an alternate x-rated pitch. Not recommended. Zugzwang heads to the right along a 1-inch horizontal crack. This crack is filled with brittle dry weeds which defies attempts to place gear, but its basically a jug rail. Once you're in the trough above you'll find a bolt on your left and find a crack system where the pitch can end. Build your belay.  5.10+

P6:

Let's be honest this is what you came for. Huge chicken heads, crazy mantles, and full rope-stretcher to the summit. Can be broken into 2 pitches. 5.9

Descent:

5 double rope-raps back to the base of the route. Adventure Rappelling for sure. Rappel anchors are now redundant, except for the 4th rap, in which its best to simul-rap through the arch, utilising the natural rock-anchor.

P1- Climb the low angled slab to a bulge. Belay just above this on a hidden ledge.

P2- Move up and right past a bulge to a hand crack formed by a flake. Move left at it's top to the fine mottled slab above, the creme brulee. Belay at a tree just up and right of the last bolt

P3-Traverse right past a roof.  Slab up an arete to the highest bolt. Leap east across a crevasse like chimney to a small belay ledge!  You can also down climb this if the "leapin lizards" jump seems too epic.

P4- Slab climb up and right, past bolts and chickenheads to the summit of Reptile Ridge.

Descend by rapping 35 off the North side. Hike/scrabmle 200' East along the exposed ridge to the top of the "Backside Route", and the end of the ridge. Rap from bolts 95' to The east. Scramble down and hike to the pass. Descend gully down the West side of the Pawn slabs. Descent is also described on the topo, only one 60M rope needed to get down.

Though the views up there are fantastic....do yourself a favor, and just admire this one from afar.

P1: Start at the base of the Pawn on the right side and work your way up a crack system to a bolted anchor on a ledge. The first pitch can be identified by a slanting 3" crack  (5.8)

P2: Climb a groove/corner with gritty rock for about 50 m to a 2-bolt belay on the right side of the gully right before the angle eases off. Part way through the pitch tension over to the crack system that goes left. (5.9+)

P3: Continue up the low-angle gully for 20m to another 2-bolt belay on the left side next to a rotten crack, below a short bolt ladder. (5.4)

P4: Climb the short bolt ladder and then move left along a wild hand traverse. Placing gear when possible (#4 useful). Do an awkward mantle on to the top of the 'Arrow Head' to another bolted anchor. (5.9)

P5: Mantle off the anchor onto some chicken heads and climb up the slab with great edges, clipping bolts along the way. Aid through the two roofs to access the final slab to the summit. Bring a single rack to #4. A #5 could be useful below one of the roofs. 18 or 19 bolts. (5.9 C1).

P6: Short scramble to the summit (5.4).

Descend here or continue to the top via the Upper Ridge.

Descent:

Short rap from the summit to the top of P5.

Double rope rap from top of P5 to P4.

Double rope rap from P4 to P2.

Double rope rap to ground.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in The Pawn