OF THE SEASON

Beta

ROUTE: Mousetrap Arete

GRADE: 5.10b

FIRST ASCENT: Daniel Forbes, James Barnett, Lance Kimball & Dean Fleming

LENGTH: 60'

ROCK TYPE: Granite

SEASON: Summer - Fall

STYLE: Single Pitch, Trad

RACK: Singles to 3", 4 bolts

LOCATION: Burst Rock, Sonora

APPROACH: 30:00

DESCENT: Lower off or rappel on fixed anchors

GUIDEBOOK: A Climber’s Guide to the Sonora Pass Highway 2nd Edition by Brad Young

DESCRIPTION

Toeing the line of the Central Sierra’s Emigrant Wilderness at a wind-sucking elevation of 8,500 feet, the colorful granite buttresses at Burst Rock have been a favorite mid-summer climbing destination for Sonora Pass locals since the early 1990s. Routes at Burst Rock mainly consist of elegant, very high quality granite traditional climbs that offer a mix of natural protection and bolt-protected face climbing. The short traditional route Mousetrap Arête (5.10b) [AKA Chutes and Ladders] is a quintessential Burst Rock classic set in an unusual and dramatic location. Mousetrap Arête starts in a beautiful, slightly overhanging thin hands and finger crack which quickly dissipates, forcing climbers out onto a steep and exposed arête that is littered with huge incut “thank God” jugs. To top off the experience, the anchors sit directly beneath a precariously positioned glacial erratic boulder. This interesting and somewhat terrifying feature was the inspiration for the formation’s namesake climb Mousetrap (5.11c) and the subsequently added Mousetrap Arête (5.10b).

@bluewaterropes -100% family owned, dedicated to crafting the finest quality ropes since 1969.

@bluewaterropes -100% family owned, dedicated to crafting the finest quality ropes since 1969.