- Edit (TBD)
Description
First climbed in 1950, Saber begins from the far right side of Loggers ledge and reaches the top of Castle rock in 2 pitches. Look for a left angling ramp just to the right of a large, low roof. This is the start of Saber.
P1. Climb the left angling ramp to the base of a left facing dihedral. The rock in the dihedral has been polished to a slippery, disconcerting, mirror-like sheen. When you hit a diaganol crack heading up to the left follow it to Saber ledge. Belay from bolts. (~90 feet)
P2. A few easy moves (~5.5) on the left side of a wide chimney take you up onto emminently forgettable and blocky terrain. The climbing gets easier as you ascend, and I found myself on 4th or 3rd class terrain long before reaching the top of Castle rock (~190 feet).
I've stuck with the historical rating for this climb, which may be a bit of a sandbag-- a more realistic rating for the first pitch may be 5.6. Combined with the polished rock, this route is probably not the best choice for a fledgling trad leader. One star for history and for being an accesible moderate as well as a good place to booty gear, but I can't imagine wanting to do this twice.
Protection
Wires to 4"
Routes in Upper Castle
- 31Saber5.6Trad