This route is reason enough to visit Rock Springs Buttress.  The Exum Arete takes an improbable line up a stunning arete and does so a modest grade.  The climbing is fun, rock quality superb, belays fixed, and the protection plentiful.

Pitch 1 (5.7) - A relatively junky approach pitch.  Begin at a flat spot below a big tree, and yard away on roots and trees.  Continue up the crack and make a 5.7 move up and right to gain a huge, dirty ledge system.  Walk across this ledge system all the way to an obvious tower.  Climb up the left corner of this tower, place some gear, and then traverse out to the right and flop onto the top of the tower.  Fixed anchor on a big ledge.  Full rope length pitch. Expect lots of rope drag.

Pitch 2 (5.9+) - Climb the thin crack directly above the belay (small gear, I placed a small nut and red alien) and work left to the first bolt.  Good fun climbing. Continue up the bolts to a chain anchor at a semihanging stance.  Short pitch.

Pitch 3 (5.9) - Bolts lead up to a ledge and another fixed anchor.  Ignore this anchor and follow more bolts up the right arete.  Great finishing moves with beautiful exposure!  Another chain anchor.  Another short pitch.  This is a semihanging belay.

Pitch 4 (5.9+) - Take the left bolt line until the bolts run out.  Work up the thin crack with good, thin gear until you reach an awkward roof.  Reach high and right and clip a hidden bolt. Make the crux move (stemming and a right reach help) to clip another bolt below another roof.  Good holds above the roof and a little more gear gets you to the final chain anchor.  This pitch is awesome!

On a second trip up this climb, I comfortably linked pitches 2 and 3 listed above.  To do this, you'll pass TWO sets of chain anchors on the 2nd pitch and belay at the anchors near a big flake.  There was some rope drag, but nothing too serious.

Descent: Lots of bolted anchors makes for an easy rappel descent.  There are a number of different anchors, so use whichever ones make sense for your rope length.

Exum Arete

Do It For Doug

Munger Crack and Friends Pitch

Old Mountaineer's Route

Death from Above

Bolt it G

Open Project

Sky Lounge

Direct Start to Exum Arete

Go, For Gary !

Baby Cham Brings The Heat !

Air Raid

Clowns and Jokers

This climb from the Tram (is recommended for climbers with expert abilities only.)

Chant Down the Wicked

Hidden Gold

School Route

Desbandere

Ptarmigan Tower

Rainbow Country

Red, Gold and Green

Crucify the Dread

The Red Route

Gray Wall

Gothic Serpent

Giver' for Givens

Fun, safe, and steep line up Rock Springs Buttress.  The protection is excellent along the entire route and all belays are fixed.  The guide gives the route 11b, but it felt a touch soft to me....

To locate the route, look for a huge gnarled tree sitting in a crack about 30 feet high left of the prominent arete on the leftmost side of Rock Springs Buttress.  This tree marks the start of the first pitch.  The climb begins to the left of the most obvious arete system on the 2nd buttress, and has a nice flat area below the root system of the tree mentioned above.  Most of the first pitch is shared with

Exum Arete

.

Pitch lengths are estimates

Pitch 1 (5.7, 30m) - Head up the gully/corner system past the gnarled tree.  When the crack starts getting wide (#3 camalot), move up and right.  Continue past the first set of chains and walk along the dirty ledge system.  At the end of the ledge system you'll find a bolted belay on a large boulder.  This is your anchor.

Pitch 2 (5.8, 25m) - A line of bolts begins off the dirty ledge and climbs up the featured face.  Eventually you gain a nice handcrack for about 30 feet, and finally another bolt.  Belay at the first anchor (with chains) on the ledge.  You can leave your rack here, it is bolted above.  I placed a #1, #2, and #3 camalot and a big nut.

Pitch 3 (5.8, 20m) - Follow the bolts up and slighty right of the anchor.  The next set of chains is directly below the headwall and is semi-hanging.  There is an opportunity for a TCU (red alien size)midway up this pitch if you desire.

Pitch 4 (5.11-, 20m) - Head straight up the imposing headwall past many bolts.  Ample stemming helps keep the pump in check.  The first half of this pitch is steep and stemmy, the second section slabby and delicate.  Hanging belay at the chains.

Pitch 5 (5.11-, 20m) - Step left from the belay directly into thin, technical moves. Continue left past thin edges until gaining the big arete.  Follow the line of bolts up the arete, and onto the final headwall.

Linking - One can easily link pitches.  I would probably link pitches 2 and 3 if I were to do the route again.  One can link pitch 4 and 5, but you would need ALOT of quickdraws and it would be a long, engaging pitch.

Rappel Descent - We had a 70m and rapped as follows.  Top of the route to the chains at the base of the last pitch (it looked like the rope BARELY made the next anchor, but we didn't want to test it).   On the next rap we skipped the next anchor and JUST made the anchor on top of pitch 2.  Next rap was to the top of pitch 1.  Then to the ground.

Note: With a 60m rope would you need to use ALL anchors on rappel.

Awesome new addition up the main portion of Rock Springs Buttress.  After the first easy pitch, the climbing is characterized by steep (vertical to slightly overhanging) climbing on excellent stone with thoughtful cruxes.  The cruxes are brief, but the steep nature keeps you working.

P1 (5.8) The first bolt is about 30' up on a headwall left of an obvious corner.  Follow the line of bolts up (it goes way right at one point in time) to the fixed anchor (30m)

P2 (10a/b) Awesome stemming up the dihedral leads to a step right onto an arete.  Continue up to the fixed anchors (25m)

P3 (10b) Cool moves up a right facing corner, lead to an undercling and then a steep and challenging headwall.  Hanging Belay.  Short Pitch (15-20m)

P4 (10b/c) More awesome, steep edging up the headwall (25m)

1 of the best 5.10a Trad pitches followed by a decent 5.9 trad pitch and a good 5.10b sport pitch. 7 bolts 2 bolt anchor.

#1 5.10a ** find start by locating small overhang 5m up with new bolt at lip. Climb with full set of cams up vertical crack with a left step and rattly section to 2 bolt belay on good ledge.

#2 5.9-PG step right climb exfoliated blocks and inwardly flaring, cutter cracks to good ledge with bolt anchor.

#3 5.10b *** follow lead placed bolts straight up to anchor.

#4 Rappel on 1 rope or top out in loose, easy.

The marquis "Red Crack" (p:3)

P:1 Monkey Buckets 5.10d ***

Pitch 2: is a fragile steep left facing corner, like 5.10b*-

P:3 Red Crack; 5.10a***

P:4? “finish” with a crack line through a buldge. This jangest last pitch has never been sent, incomplete pile of skank.

Named after the Starship Troopers' Airborne motto. Start up 2nd pitch of Air Raid. At the ledge traverse after 3 or 4 bolts, go up bolts left instead of right. A (red) #1 BD C3 protects at 1st roof. Then up bolts through big roof to chains. Lower off. 35M rope.

A classic and intimidating mixed climb on a beautiful face. The FA (listed in the Guide book)was named Bolt it for Doug (11c), and was done without bolts by starting up a crack slightly left of the anchor. The much needed bolts were put in by G. and kept to a minimum to preserve the routes adventurous quality.

Originally partially bolted by Todd Turecki?? 4/5 bolts to unfinished wall. Bolted to finish by M. Abbey. 1st Pitch 12d to 2 bolt anchor. 2nd pitch open project.

Clips on original bolts are sketchy. Highly recommend to stick clip 2nd or 3rd bolt to avoid ledge fall. 2nd pitch could be good..

New 3 pitch sport route on left side of the main wall.  Great climbing on all three pitches.  They go at 11b, 10c, and 10a.  We found out about this route here:

climbingwyoming.com/wp-cont…

The 10.c crux is between the 6th and 7th bolt.

5.7 trad corner on pitch 1 is followed by the marquis new pitch 2, of 5.10b*** mixed. Then a sport pitch of 'Ptarmigan Tower' 5.9** and the last pitch of 'Sky Lounge' 5.10b***sport.

Pitch 2 description: from bolted belay, traverse right and down 1 m. clip 3 bolts, then trad climb up nice left facing corner. Metolius Red and Black cams are very nice. Then clip 5 bolts up crux headwall to bolted belay.

Overhanging thin crack then corner between Grand Central and Do It For Doug.

The excellent pro and possibilities to down climb has led to several flashes and an onsight.

11 + mixed gear/bolts first pitch follows thin crack to bulge with bolts then more gear. set of cams to #2BD, small stoppers. extra .5 BD is handy.

second pitch almost all bolts 1 or two small to mid size cams at the start then all bolts through stemming then foot traverse right, cool moves through double overlap roof to a beautiful red face above. 35m pitch, lower back to P1 belay. Pitch 2 is as good as any at RSB

Excellent sport climb. Pitches of 5.10a, 5.12b, 5.11b, 5.11c, 5.9 and (5.6 trad)

Pitch 1: Crucify the Dread 5.11b*** or Gray Wall 5.10a **

Pitch 2: crux, from end of ledge chains, warm up with cryptic 5.10b, to crucify ledge, then step left into crack with lb’s and mono, to rattly hand jam in undercling, crux to rest/no hands, pop up and left to stamina cruxes, chain draw, crux, to easier 5.10 rock to belay. 5.12 b/c ***

Pitch 3: 5.11b*** classic well protected corner with distinct crux at top.

Pitch 4: 5.11c *** steep face with slopers at crux.

Pitch 5: 5.9 ** right to short wall on crest.

Pitch 6: 3rd class ridge to short wall w 5.4 w fixed pin

Can be combined with:

Do it For Doug, via Gee Dubble Connection: II 5.11c *** sport

Big Man on Campus, via Gee Dubble Connection: II 5.12a **sport

Upper pitches of Big Wally, via Gee Dubble Connection: 5.11b *** 1 set trad gear

The 1st pitch of Cruxify the Dread makes an excellent alternative start; 5.11a/b** sport

A pitch 3 variation is sweet: Big Man on Campus: 5.12a hanging arete' left of belay. sport.

Rappel from top to the ledge with 1 bolt and crack belay. Alternatively, climb up from top of P2 of Chucks Rd. to Thailand or traverse over from P2 of Clowns and Jokers. 1 long pitch to top. The name was taken from the JHMR tram brief the day of the first ascent. The climb was accessed by skis from the top down…

3 good sport pitches, 5.11c***, 5.10b**, 5.12a**

pitch 1; red striped wall following incipient crack, crank up to ledge, then start man-handling crack and crimps out left to a brief pause before crux-ing out left on to lower angle rock to comfy ledge.

pitch 2: sport chimney ? yep, and fun too.

pitch 3: a roof with a stalagtite ? yup...

Old but good trad route in shallow, left facing corners and line of weakness, 11m right of Munger Crack and Friends, and 11m left of XM Arete. High quality, red stone on the 1st two pitches gives way to lower quality rock up high.

Central RSB left most. 1st pitch crux is trad crack, then easier bolted face pitches.

This route is shown as a 6 pitch route here:

climbingwyoming.com/wp-cont…

however it is easy to bypass the first two easy pitches by scrambling in from the left. We did only part of the first hard pitch as an alternate start to Sky-Lounge. Adding this here in hopes others will add info on the upper pitches.  And they did!  See second comment below.  Thanks Dave, hope to finish your route someday!

An alternative to pitch 2 of Gray Wall

Excellent sport climb to and up an Arete' with a high crux.

This is an excellent sport pitch with a kind rating. Between Big Wally and Gray Wall. 1 pitch alternative to Gray Wall. Thin corner above new anchors, 3m left of Gray Wall. Liebacks, crimps, stemming, fat stainless steel bolts.

This is a 3 pitch sport route up the steepest part of the GrandCentral

Pitch 1; 5.11a ** fixed angle then steep bolts, to big ledge with bolt anchor.

Pitch 2; 5.12b *** steep corner and roof.

Pitch 3; 5.13b *** 3 roof boulder problems. Then left into Grand Central.

This is the best of the three mixed routes. Realistically it is a rock climb with ice and frozen turf here and there. The route would feel a grade harder if climbed while covered with fresh snow.  It has excellent climbing, good gear, very hookable, steep and not too hard. Would not be as classic in the summer. (Lots of moss etc.) The first four pitches make a super, well protected M6 trad route.

Not likely a totally new route. We found one shitty pin on pitch 2. Probably an old Andy Carson route.

Pitch 1: 28 meters of M6 with 12-15' of 5.9+ hand crack. Some climbable hollow flakes at the end of the pitch should be given quarter.

Pitch 2: 25 meters of amazing, perfect hooking including about 20' of good ice and frozen moss. M6 with good gear. The plastic ice of dry-tooling. Go five feet right from anchor to start the pitch.

Pitch 3: 22 meters up dihedral under and behind the chock stone. Good ice, moss and some 4/5 Camalot offwidthing. M6 (5.8-ish OW<vert)

Pitch 4: 25 meters of frozen moss, good stemming, some steep hand crack with good stemming and great gear. M5+

Pitch 5: 20 meters. Climb the overhanging and featured OW/hand crack with a series of thuggish hook moves and a few hand jams. Pitch over hangs about 12'. M7

Pitch 5 alternative: climb around final obstacle to the right. Overhanging M6 with good gear and water ice sticks. (Climbed after rapping off top due to a "Doh" of leaving the rack on top.

Big, Steep, Trad Wall, with bolted anchors and 2 of 7 sport pitches.

p1; 5.9 *** warm up slab with bolts, sport

p2; 5.11c/d *** lead established sport pitch, with fixed chain draw at crux.

p3; 2 bolts into trad corner with crux at the top 5.10a ** trad

p4; 5.10d ** trad into and exiting steep corner.

p5; 5.10b *** bolts to start then easy trad. Cool stemming.

p6; 5.9 * with bolts to ridge crest.

p7 5.5 trad ridge with short finish, fixed pin.

Climb the first 2 pitches of Do it for Doug or Baby Cham brings the Heat to the big belay ledge. P1: Climb the obvious right facing dihedral (5.11c) off the far left side of the ledge. Finish at 2 bolt anchor. P2: Move the belay to fixed pin anchor (may need a back-up). Look left to find the first bolt under the big bulge. Climb bulge on bolts (12a). Give’er! Continue up arete on bolts and gear. A #2 Camalot is helpful. Finish at 2 bolt anchor. Descent: Rappel route with 1 60m rope. The face above has also been climbed to the top.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in (b) Central Sector