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Peak Mountain 3

Sultan's Tower

FA Herb and Jan Conn 1956
CREATED 
UPDATED 

Description

The route starts on the W side of the formation. You'll have to chimney up a wide corridor for about 25 ft to find the start of the route (see "close up" pic). The first pitch consists of flaring cracks and ends in a large chimney. 60ft. The second pitch is maze-like. From the chimney, down climb a few feet and take a sharp turn right. Here you'll enter a giant hallway that you walk/scramble through for roughly 80ft. The finally pitch will now be to your right. It's a tight ramp that uses crack and chimney features to get you settled between the two summits. The summit on you're right is the false summit but it is worth checking out. You can either jump from the false summit to the true summit (if you're crazy) or, from the perch between the two summits, you can jam up a short crack and then make an awkward, backwards, stemming move to get you in place to mantle onto the true summit. This is the move and it's spicy when you think you'll have to reverse it to get down! Now enjoy the views fit for a King!

Location

See the attached google map screen shots to help you find this gem. It's kind of a bushwhack and it took me two outings to find the proper route. Basically follow Horsethief Trail #14 until the intersection of Centennial Trail 89, stay right at this fork and continue on HL #14. You'll come to another intersection where a trail splits off to the right, stay left, on #14, and just keep going. Then use the climb Hopscotch as a landmark. It is a 60ft crack that splits a green face, it's on your left and is easy to spot. From here you'll go about another 50yds on trail #14. Then you'll head off into the woods on your right. You want to be on an old two track road, but it is not easy to tell if you're on it or not. There is an old box spring lying on a tree that will let you know if you're heading in the right direction. This is where the google map images will come in handy. You'll be gaining some elevation at this point; keep an eye out for Beeker and Jinni. These climbs have large boulders perched on there summits. Once you find the mass that is Sultan's Tower you'll hug the formation, heading up and going around it staying on the S, SW side. Look at the 3rd pic I posted. You'll come to a large corridor with a small grassy knoll and a dead tree stump. Here's where you can lay the packs down and get ready for a climb fit for a King.

Protection

Standard rack of nuts and cams up to BD C4 #3. Lots of long slings to reduce rope drag. There are no anchors or fixed gear, you must down climb the route to descend.