South Face Traverse

The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970’s. The rock itself may have changed since that time. The rating system certainly has. For comparison, the Davis Route is listed in the same document as 5.3 and Boyer’s Chute as 5.2. So please treat what follows as a rough guide to an adventure, not as a solid and current info. If you do climb the route, sharing of what you learn would be appreciated.

Climb the first two pitches of the Davis Route. Then from the great shoulder, climb up an easy ramp onto the South Face, then continue more or less level across this face on a well-defined ledge. This eventually peters out. (Possible new routes lead off above and to the right from this point.) Take a short rappel into the "spacious scooped out place" on the South Face described under the Awful Buttress descent and descend as there.