Nice cragging route if you want something else to do after Charlie Horse Needle; thin hands, pull a pod, finish on glory hands!

There are a few more anchors scattered around the CHN buttress but this route is the only worthwhile looking one I saw. The existing anchor seemed decent enough, I think I added chain, but can't remember for sure.

Route faces southwest.

Unknown 5.10+

Sims-Hesse-Hanning Route

(P1)

scramble up on a ledge and climb a fist crack splitter (5.10) that is right next to a 6 friend corner.  When possible, pull up into the wide chimney and do a few 5.7 moves to gain a hand crack on the left wall of the chimney.  Belay here inside the chimney at a good stance on a wedged boulder.

(P2)

climb the hand crack up the chimney wall and follow it out onto the face at a sloping ledge.  Continue up the crack, now 1.5 friend sized for a few moves until it is possible to move back right into a squeeze chimney (#3 Big Bro would have been really nice).  Climb the squeeze chimney (5.9) and do some awkward OW moves onto a ledge with a decent bolt, a drilled angle and a crappy star drive.  Belay here.

(P3)

Bust up the overhanging dihedral on stacks to gain thin hands in the vertical corner (5.11c).  The crack pinches back down to stacks before going wide again for more OW to the top of the pillar past some loose rock at the very top.  Belay at 2 drilled angles.

(P4)

Pull one or two moves of loose 5.6 to the summit, then downclimb back to the belay (Old anchors on top are not trustworthy).

Descend

via 3 single rope raps (with a 70 meter rope) or one single rap from the top and one double rope from the pitch 2 belay)

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Charlie Horse Needle