Sunlight Peak
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bking14ers
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Sunlight Peak
On Sunlight Peak, is the summit block what makes this peak a class 4?
Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear. -- Margaret T.
You'll never have a better chance to climb that mountain than you do today. -- Dave C.
Dude! I knew you would cave-in once we got up there. -- Dean G.
You'll never have a better chance to climb that mountain than you do today. -- Dave C.
Dude! I knew you would cave-in once we got up there. -- Dean G.
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JA_son27
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Re: Sunlight Peak
I would say so, I personally never encountered anything that would constitute a class 4 move other than on the summit block
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
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mjsherman
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Re: Sunlight Peak
I've been on that peak three times and if you stay on route this is true. If you get off course it could get class 4 in a hurry.Take you time and it will be fun.
Matt
Matt
Re: Sunlight Peak
No class 4 until the summit...if on course that is.
Ryan
Ryan
It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.
Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary
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wesley_j
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Re: Sunlight Peak
Agreed, there are definitely some IV moves on that peak if you are not right "on course." Fun moves, but definitely worth taking some extra care/time.mjsherman wrote:I've been on that peak three times and if you stay on route this is true. If you get off course it could get class 4 in a hurry.Take you time and it will be fun.
Matt
Trying to do as we should
That doesn't always rhyme with doing what feels good
That doesn't always rhyme with doing what feels good
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bking14ers
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Re: Sunlight Peak
I am planning on a trip to that area next summer. My wife doesn't know it yet. Not my problem the ocean isn't in Colorado. Anyway, how hard is the route finding on that peak? That was mentioned a couple times. Is it easy to get off course? There seems to be alot of things to do in that area, that is why I chose it. Is that true? Camping, climbing, and a long hike in. (from the train of course).
Everything you want in life is on the other side of fear. -- Margaret T.
You'll never have a better chance to climb that mountain than you do today. -- Dave C.
Dude! I knew you would cave-in once we got up there. -- Dean G.
You'll never have a better chance to climb that mountain than you do today. -- Dave C.
Dude! I knew you would cave-in once we got up there. -- Dean G.
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JayMiller
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Re: Sunlight Peak
bkings14rs asks
You are correct in saying this is an incredible area to camp. Besides the three 14er's, the basin is the most beautiful area I have been in. Make sure you get in Windom and Eolas while you are there. We found the route finding on Eolas to be more difficult than Sunlight. Just don't get spoked after you cross the catwalk and look up at the face. We would have sworn the face was at least class 4 all the way up. But once you are on the face, you find it really is class 3 all the way.
Cruiser & I climbed Sunlight last summer. We did not find the route difficult to find. I carried Bill's route description and pictures. Using them made the route finding relatively simple.Anyway, how hard is the route finding on that peak?
You are correct in saying this is an incredible area to camp. Besides the three 14er's, the basin is the most beautiful area I have been in. Make sure you get in Windom and Eolas while you are there. We found the route finding on Eolas to be more difficult than Sunlight. Just don't get spoked after you cross the catwalk and look up at the face. We would have sworn the face was at least class 4 all the way up. But once you are on the face, you find it really is class 3 all the way.
My Philosophy on Life: If you wake up alive and well ... Shut the heck up.
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Brad Snider
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Re: Sunlight Peak
I agree with the others. There are plenty of cairns on Sunlight and route-finding is not that hard. There is not much exposure and zero class 4 except for the summit block. CFI was working on improving the trail from the upper Twin Lakes Basin when I was there this past August, so the route may be even more obvious now.
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Dancesatmoonrise
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Re: Sunlight Peak
Yeah, watch out for the gully - it's pretty loose. Hardest part, IMO.
The summit blocks offer secure friction as long as they're dry, as Bill says. There's also a block down in between the "leap" - so there really isn't class-4 style runout (I have a photo of it in the TR.)
But I will say the route-finding up top can be a little less than completely straightforward - and if you get off-route, be prepared to do more technical climbing or spend some time getting back on route.
All in all we found the summit block hype to be more hype than bite - but it does get your attention. Good luck, you'll love the area.
The summit blocks offer secure friction as long as they're dry, as Bill says. There's also a block down in between the "leap" - so there really isn't class-4 style runout (I have a photo of it in the TR.)
But I will say the route-finding up top can be a little less than completely straightforward - and if you get off-route, be prepared to do more technical climbing or spend some time getting back on route.
All in all we found the summit block hype to be more hype than bite - but it does get your attention. Good luck, you'll love the area.
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ClimberDave
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Re: Sunlight Peak
Dancesatmoonrise wrote:Yeah, watch out for the gully - it's pretty loose. Hardest part, IMO.
The summit blocks offer secure friction as long as they're dry, as Bill says. There's also a block down in between the "leap" - so there really isn't class-4 style runout (I have a photo of it in the TR.)
But I will say the route-finding up top can be a little less than completely straightforward - and if you get off-route, be prepared to do more technical climbing or spend some time getting back on route.
Climbing the gully reminded me of the sand dunes. Not as bad of course but lots of lose stuff.
- CIMG2112-1.JPG (166.93 KiB) Viewed 999 times
Bill's photos work great for route-finding at the top. Once you get it, you don't know how you missed it. Where I got messed up was a the upper basin. Yes, there are cairns up there but some go to Windom and others go to Sunlight. But the main thing was that I just wasn't paying attention and instead absorbing the scenery (and I had the luck to be climbing completely alone that day (once past the lakes)). If you get off-route in the upper basin, finding the way over to the gully isn't a problem at all.
