Gold Face

Outstanding "variation" to the lower Exum ridge. This route contains absolutely beautiful rock and an engaging, sustained crux pitch. One can either start on the lower Exum and depart after the first two pitches or traverse in on a higher ledge. The latter is what we did, so the description will reflect that.

Scramble almost to the crest of the lower Exum ridge. If you've taken the right ledge in, you should be at a point at which you couldn't comfortably continue without a rope. Directly up and right, you'll see a small bulge leading into a right-facing corner. This is the first pitch.

P1- Pull the bulge on jugs and continue up an easy right facing corner to a decent slabby ledge. Move right and slightly down to the base of another right-facing corner with a finger/thin-hand sized crack in it. 5.9, 150'

P2- Climb this awesome corner/crack via a combo of liebacks and jams to a good ledge beneath black, fractured granite. 5.8, 150'

P3- The crux. Climb directly up the black, fractured rock, pulling over a minor arete. From the belay, you'll see a clean corner with an old fixed cam near the top. It's tempting to go that way, but don't. The defining feature of the route, a large roof, will be seen overhead. Follow a crack up, underneath, and to the left of this roof and continue upwards as the crack thins. At a prominent horizontal crack, hand traverse out right to a nice ledge. For what it's worth, my favorite pitch of the grade in the range. 5.10-, 165'

P4- Pull the beautiful red jugs above the ledge and enter the crack. Move up this at times awkward wide crack which tapers down nicely for gear. Fun, interesting climbing brings you to Wall Street. 5.8, 100'.

From here, either reverse the Wall Street leap (exciting) or continue up the Upper Exum.

Route follows a line to the right of the lower Exum ridge. The beautiful crux roof and cracks can be spotted from below. Same start as for lower Exum, but traverse in on a higher ledge from the black dike trail.

We took:

1 set of stoppers

Double set of cams from blue TCU-#1 Camalot

1 ea. #2, #3 Camalots

This was perfect for us.