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Peak(s):  Sunlight Peak  -  14,061 feet
Windom Peak  -  14,089 feet
Date Posted:  08/07/2008
Date Climbed:   07/30/2008
Author:  CAVUfool
 Sunlight‘s west ridge & Windom 7/30/08   

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Wednesday we were on the trail by 5am. Based on our casual hike to the lakes yesterday we gave ourselves one hour to the lakes and two hours to the summit of Sunlight via the west ridge. We beat the first hour time but then ate it up taking pictures along the ridge! Roach describes this route as a "scintillating tour de Sunlight", and it was.

Here is the sunrise on Glacier Point and Eolus, where we'll be climbing tomorrow:

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Once above the lakes, in the basin of Sunlight & Windom, the end of the hike began with a scramble up the loose gully on the right side of this picture (east end of Needle Ridge):

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The climbing starts in earnest with some great class 4 to low 5 moves. This picture is the view once at the top of the loose gully and turning right (east):

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Here is the view northwest from the top of the gully:

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A couple of enroute shots:

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This section wasn't necessary but it was irresistible. Don't try to get on top of that block though - it's wobbly!

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Here is the upper portion of the route with our goal in sight:

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And looking down:

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Tomorrow's route (prominent ridge) looks easy from here...

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Sunlight's shadow covering what we just came up:

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This is the view east of the summit, with Sunlight Spire on the right:

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And here we are at the summit (8am):



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The easiest way coming back down off the summit is to take the "leap of faith" from the second lowest point to the third. I had to think about that one for a minute and try all other possibilities first, but the little hop was really the easiest and safest way to do it.

The orange line is what we've done so far, and the blue is where were going next, Windom, which took about an hour:

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Windom was mostly a class 3 steep boulder pile that could be climbed on many different lines. We climbed up the north face then descended the west ridge and traversed back to the lakes.

This picture looks north from partway up Windom at Sunlight and Sunlight Spire (right most), with the ridge we climbed in the center:

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This video is from just below Windom's summit to the south:



This picture looks southeast from Windom:

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More pretty:

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And a last look at Sunlight's west ridge:

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Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
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Comments or Questions
KirkT
User
Great reports...
8/8/2008 12:03am
and perfect timing. We are going there this weekend. Your report could not of come at a better time. The video summiting Sunlight is excellent...best I have seen. What did you use to do the filming with??

Thanks again..

Kirk


CAVUfool
User
Kirk:
8/8/2008 1:03am
I have a Canon SD800. Have a great trip!


cheeseburglar
User
Damn
9/9/2008 6:06am
Guess I‘m going back to Chicago Basin.
That route appears to be a must climb.
Why don‘t you haul in the gear and climb the spire while I goof around on that ridge?


CAVUfool
User
Sunlight/Spire combo?
9/9/2008 3:14pm
I‘d be up for the spire. It was really tempting while I was so close to it. Any idea what it‘s technical rating is? We could do the ridge on Sunlight and then the Spire.



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