Aesop’s Arete
5.9 trad · 100 ft · ★★★☆
First ascent: unknown
Description
Aesop’s Arete starts with a shallow right facing corner/flake. The climbing continues up through large holds in chunky dark varnished rock and onto the face (crux) and the arete to the right. It eventually joins the last 25 feet of Van Allen Belt to the communal anchor on the ledge. The crux consists of balancy moves on small edges until reaching the larger holds of the upper arete. There is a key pocket slightly left when pulling onto the face where you will want a gold totem or equivalent size cam (.4 bd) with a low profile head. A .4 C4 will not fit. You will make a move or two above the .4 until reaching a larger pocket near the arete that takes a nice #3 C4. This is a quality line on nice varnish that is a little bold through the crux and goes on all gear. Not sure if there has been a previous ascent, so if anyone knows please speak up.
Location
About 25 feet left of Magellanic Cloud and around the corner.
Protection
gear to 3” and nuts
Access
The 13-mile Scenic Drive requires a timed-entry reservation October to May and has seasonal gate hours. Calico Basin and Kraft Mountain sit outside the Scenic Drive and need no reservation.
Wet rock: Aztec sandstone loses much of its strength when wet. Do not climb for at least 24 to 48 hours after rain or snowmelt, or holds break off and routes are permanently damaged.
More routes on Sunnyside Crags
- Water Dog 5.10d
- Pit Bull 5.10b
- Starless and Bible Black 5.9+
- Spring Break 5.11+
- Tie me Tightly 5.10-
- Cold September Corner 5.8
- Mister Masters 5.9+
- Whipper 5.10
- Mercedes 5.11a/b
- Gotham City 5.12a
- Van Allen Belt 5.7 R
- Magellanic Cloud 5.9
- Meteor 5.11
- Shady Ladies 5.7
- Hot August Night 5.11- PG13
- Bad Day at Black Rocks 5.10b
- Blast From the Past 5.10-
- Whiplash 5.11
- Adapt and Overcome 5.8 PG13
- Mister Freeze's Face 5.10d
- Tarantula 5.12-
- Fork In The Road 5.8
Open the Red Rock climbing map · Is the rock dry? Live conditions