Regular Route

Note: This description is from memory of a 9/2006 ascent. It might be blurred with two other routes I've done on SR (a new route on the East Face and the Longs Couloir var. to the Regular Route), so please email me corrections at camburns@rof.net. Eric B. encouraged me to record this ASAP before I friggin lose my mind. Cam

Route: Hike around the NW side of the monolith and into a huge bowl with a black basalt intrusion. Ascend into the bowl. You'll soon find you can't get very far as cliffs ring the lower part of the bowl. They're not high---maybe 80 feet tops, but they bar access to the Black Bowl above. Over to the left you'll see the cliffs even overhang. That's where, if all goes well, you'll likely rap down. But for now, move to the right side of the bottom of these cliffs and climb one or 1.5 really easy-but-kinda-ugly pitches to gain the Black Bowl (via a series of crumbling ledges and protectable rock).

Now you should be in the Black Bowl (that's its real name) proper. Move up and left into a low-angled gully. Follow this for two very easy pitches (can be scrambled) or about that distance (several hundred feet). The gully curves up and right and puts you atop a sort of rounded pillar (the gully forms the left edge of this rounded pillar). Up and right is an ugly looking right-slanting crack. It looks worse than it is. Climb it. Soon you'll be at the Colorado Col. From here, descend directly east into the obvious notch, then climb out (a bit scary as there's little pro), to reach the Sierra Col (the Colorado and Sierra Cols are very close, maybe 50 feet apart--but there's a gap between them, as you'll find. That's the scary, unprotected bit). From the Sierra Col, you go down---the Rappel Gully, that is. Fix a rope and rappel. A 165-foot rope should be considered the minimum (length-wise) here.

At the bottom of the Rappel Gully, traverse right (south (right if you're coming out of the Rappel Gully)). There are two main variations to this traverse (one high, one low), and both require a bit of route-finding/common sense to navigate. Remember these when you're coming back. With both, you end up at a cave. Move left out of the cave and up steep ground (5.7-8 or so; this is the upper part of the Honeycomb Gully) until it gets easier.

Now, you can unrope and scramble to the Lizard (shit, is that what it's called?), the famed horn of rock jutting out (from the right or north side) into the col that separates the north and south summits of SR.

Climb the Lizard. Pretty much just draws are needed (there are many fixed pins and a couple of bolts), then belay. A short traverse right along ledges leads to a short, steep vertical crack (this is often overlooked as parties go farther right) that requires a 5.8 (or so) move to gain easier ground. From here, keep moving up and right (4th class) until you can scramble to the summit.

The descent from the summit is fairly straightforward into the upper part of the Honeycomb Gully. The traverse from the south side of the cave back towards the Rappel Gully is the key to getting back, and, again, there are two variations to it.

Then, jug the Rappel Gully. You'll need to traverse from the Sierra Col to the Colorado Col to descend. The rap from the Colorado Col can hang up ropes, so be aware there. Then, there are several big bolted anchors down the middle of the Black Bowl (this is typically not where one ascends, as you are viewer's left of this line) that let you descend to the final, short cliff band around the base of the Black Bowl. Wander far right (north), and you'll find an easy, short, free-hanging rappel out of the Black Bowl. It's a hike from here.

There is endless loose rock in the Black Bowl, so extreme caution (and helmets and body armor) is advised.

Not a lot is needed. A regular-sized rack (full set of cams, full set of stoppers, a dozen draws and stoppers, etc.). Jumars, definitely. Bring at least two ropes as you'll need to leave one in the rappel gully for return to the Sierra Col. If there are more than two climbers, you'll definitely want more than 2 ropes.