Summerlin Peak with AZ Buds and (More) Feeling

Pics by Harlan W S
March 20 and 27, 2021

Matt Hinds and I tried this peak in 1999, when there weren't houses lapping up to the mountains, and we didn't know it had a name. At about 400' below the summit, Matt decided it was time to call it a day, and he was right; there were no cairns, and I really couldn't guarantee the route ahead. In years since, I've almost always been leading a group up the peak, and have opted for the more sedate class 1-2 route.

This year I saw a video by Chris G., and decided to try the south side with buds from AZ, for a very pleasant change (this route was first used by Gary Fike before 2009). Then I went back and finished the route Matt and I started in 1999.
Note these are NOT the normal cl 1-2 route up the north side of Summerlin Peak. The first route definitely has some low cl 5, the second is cl 3+ at the arete (harder depending on your feelings about exposure).

0map0
The route with Walt
and Kelly is in red;
my later retrace of
1999 route is blue.
 0mapzoom
The first time with my
AZ buds, we climbed
the low cl 5 cliffs, but
followed cairns to skirt
part of arete. Later
I avoided the cl 5, but
went directly up arete.
 1map1
Context.
20210320_101549
View ~east as we
start the SE ridge.
The area behind Kelly
was desert until ~2007,
when it was graded.
Actual house-building
started about 2016.
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Walt is almost knocked
over by the wind.
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View ~SW to Damsel/
Pincushion Peaks
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View ~NW to the
start of 30-40' cl 5
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The red is the route
I took. Note catclaw.
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Now the same cliff,
but looking straight
past catclaw, to
show steepness.
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I planned to offer
a belay, but my
buds were so fast
the rope was just
a handline. Kelly
in blue-green hat.
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There is short benign
section, till one starts
the arete.
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20210320_105453 20210320_105654 20210320_105810
20210320_110038 20210320_114148
At the summit, the
view W is a whole
different world.
La Madre in back.
Next we will run
L to R on the "Woody"
ridge in foreground.
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On Woody ridge,
someone has put
in bolts for a rap
over the cliffs. This
is a wilderness area,
and bolting has been
illegal since at least
2005.
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Walking near the
edge. At R is a
100' cliff.
 20210320_120152 20210320_122058
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The last dryfall
of the day.
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So a week later,
I went back solo
to finish the route
Matt and I started
22 years before.
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An important note:
make sure you turn R
from the main drainage,
else you will end up
below the cl 5 cliff.
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View down
subsidiary gully.
Cheyenne Mt
in back.
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View up-drainage
to start of arete
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View back down to
Cheyenne Mt
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The 1999 trip
ended ~at the
red dot.
 20210327_122051 20210327_122148
Above the red dot
2 pics back, one
can follow cairns
for a more protected
climb, or go up the
very sticky rock on
the mid-arete.
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Looking up,
the route
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View back down
mid-arete
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At L, the cairned
route joins the
arete again.
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My one photo
from the summit: a
gastropod fossil.
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I started down the
normal ascent route,
which would go down
the ridge at L... but
chose instead...
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...to head down a
ridge W of the
normal descent.
From here it looks
totally benign...
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...except there are
some peaklets
that are about 50'
above the ridge.
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View N from top
of previous peaklet,
somewhat hairy
edge between.
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And yet another
peaklet. After climbing
this one, I backed up
and went down at R.
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Route down.
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Before the wilderness
closure, one could
drive to these
climbing walls.
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View back at
lumpy ridge, so
benign on maps.