This climb is located on the west face of South Gateway Rock, near the south end of the formation, about 100 feet (?) south of

Credibility Gap

.

Climb the overlaps which look easy but are a little balancey and spooky.  Gain a good stance below the headwall where you can place some cams.  I placed a #0.4 Camalot and a yellow C3 Camalot in an undercling, but these were not inspiring.  Step left and place a bomber #2 Camalot in a pothole, which at least protects you as you step up towards the piton.  Step up and clip the piton and crank through the bulge.  Be ready for some slopers through the crux.

Belay from the small tree behind the headwall, or you can place a medium stopper and #0.75 Camalot in a crack in the side of the block facing north.

Walk off to the south to the saddle between South Gateway Rock and Kindergarten Rock.

Short Headwall

Kor's Korner

Insignificant But There

Green Arrow

Pipe Route

Credibility Gap

West Point Crack

Practice Slab

West Gully

Pipe Dreams

The route begins behind a large boulder about 70' to the right of

West Point Crack

.  The first piton if reached by getting between the boulder and South Gateway Rock and climbing up and left on a steep ramp.  From there, follow the obvious line where the white and red sandstone meet and form a crack/edge.  This leads to a face climb protected by 4 pins straight up to double anchors. Rap from the anchors or continue up the second pitch.

I have never done the second pitch, but it is rated 5.8 and climbs up and left from the anchors.  My guidebook says it goes over a ramp to a wide flake.  Also, there is another climb listed in my book that traverses right from the anchors and is rated 5.10d.

**Warning***  I have never heard of anyone climbing Credibility Gap and not breaking off a piece of rock.  This is the climb that convinced one of my climbing partners to get a helmet...not for leading the route but for belaying.  The belayer is forced below the climber between the boulder and South Gateway Rock right in line with anything that gets knocked off.

P1 .12a/b Start by climbing up to the chimney of Sandman, then begin to traverse to the right to a piton, clip a LONG runner to prevent rope drag. Turn the corner and work your way to the crack that goes up the spire. This face climbing is the crux and is protected by drilled pins. Work your way up the beautiful crack passing a couple of pins higher to the belay. Stoppers and #1-#2 Friends protect the crack nicely.

P2 .11a, Climb the face above following the pins, then traverse to the right to gain a flake then clip the last pin and on to the top.

Rap with 2 ropes from the anchor.

This is a decent little route to the left of the Practice Slab on the northwest side of South Gateway Rock.

Climb a ramp to a left-angling corner/roof with a drilled piton then crank over the overhang.  Continue up the left side of the Practice Slab to the fixed anchors and rappel or walk off.

This route was entered as an area.  The information was moved here.

This route has small crimps and pockets, use tri-cams and small Friends to help you out when placing gear. There is a tiny crack on left side of the route that small nuts or hexes can fit into. Climb up slightly left and finish on anchors of "

Pipe Route

(10d)". My guess would be that the route feels like an 11c.

This is an exciting route that goes up the steep white face of the Indian Head formation, right of

West Point Crack

.  It begins at an overhang with a new bolt just off the ground.

P1) Crank the overhang, then continue up on easier terrain past a thread for some protection, and another new bolt.  Step right to a crack where you can place a #4 Camalot, then continue up to another new bolt.  (At this point, the Indian Head Route continues straight up).  Traverse right past 2 drilled pitons, and make an exciting move right to a left facing corner.  You can place a #0.75 Camalot here, but it's not that great, nor is it too necessary.  Climb to the top of the pillar and belay from two bolts and a ring angle piton.  (5.9+, 90 feet)

P2) Climb straight up about 12 feet on steep, friable rock to a bolt and a piton.  This is pretty exciting and has potential for a factor 2 fall onto the anchor.  Traverse right about 10 feet to a left facing corner/flake/groove.  It's possible to place a #3 Camalot here, but a few feet higher is another new bolt.  Continue up steep, sustained, and loose climbing, past four more new bolts to the obvious saddle in the white rock.  (5.10+ R, 70 feet)

Rappel the route.  Or climb straight up a slab from the top of the flake on the right and walk off (5.6 R, 40 feet).

Part of a large flake on the South Gateway Rock, it forms into a separate column near the top.

P1. The start is tricky, on a rough overhang.  The old drilled pins have been replaced with 3 modern bolts.  There is a thin belay stance about halfway up the length of the column. 50', 5.7.

P2. Ascend the crack that becomes a chimney passing 2 drilled pins.  The best part is after you finish the chimney section and end the second pitch by pulling left onto the top of the column.  The view is awesome, and well worth the effort.  95', 5.7+.

P3. To top out, you step across from the flake to the right just below a drilled pin.  This move has become more difficult as the rock eroded.  Climb past a drilled angle to a finishing groove. It is kind of scary and hard up there, so it's not done as often. Belay to the south on a ledge system behind the main wall. Scramble south down the big gully to the end of South Gateway to get off.

Reddish colored stone prevails on this climb.

AW

This is a friction slab climb that is on the west face of South Gateway Rock nearest the north. Climb up from the south via 3-4th class, and you will see bolts about 70-75' above the ground.

Begin from the top of

Practice Slab

. Either scramble up the chopped steps by

Kor's Korner

, or ascend via

Chops

or

Staircase

. Climb up the gully/crack towards the summit south. This route can be protected with medium to large cams, although they are not necessary.

From the summit, downclimb the easy gully to the south.

There are two beefy bolts at the top, which can be used to rap the west face with two 70m ropes, but there's loads of rope drag, and this is not recommended.

P1: Start up a rounded flake lieback until you go up and over a small bulge/roof 15-20 feet up. From there, follow the line of pins, moving up and then right to a belay. The crux comes after the second pin.

P2: ?

The rock on the first pitch is absolutely terrible after pulling the bulge. Even the most delicate of climbers should expect to take falls due to vaporizing holds. Nerve racking. Perhaps with more traffic, the climb will improve.

Rolofson's guide rates this 10 R. I found at least one move that would be 5.11 even if the rock was solid. Dealing with the crumbling holds is a special skill set, but I don't know how it factors into the YDS. The difficulty of this route will change as holds disintegrate and new ones evolve.

Description

Protection

Routes in West Side