Welcome to Taylor Canyon - Sun Deck Area

City:	Gunnison	State:	US-Colorado
Size:	Months	Style:	Trad
Season:	Spring-Fall	Difficulty:	Intermediate

Overview

The left side of the first buttress is known as the Sun Deck area and has many interesting and easily accessable climbs on it. Many are accessed from the Sun Deck which can be reached by a walk up on the left side and some 4th class scrambling. This is a favorite hangout for climbers in the 5.10 range since Zig Zag is an exposed 5.9+ lead which then gives access to some harder top-roping possibilities. Also, by leading the easier Jackel, Zig Zag itself can be top-roped. There are also a couple of world class 5.12 test pieces which pull the very impressive roof as well as numerous bouldering problems at the base of Tourist Attraction.

Climbs Available

Taylor Canyon - Sun Deck Area

Corrections / New Routes

(1) Tourist Attraction (5.5) Trad - Climb starts in the obvious left facing corner/weakness. Forty feet up there's an obvious crack on the left that wraps back around. Taking the direct route brings you to "Hurtin For Certain". Ends on the Sun Deck. Length: 60'

(2) Hurtin for Certain (5.10c) Trad - Same start as Tourist Attraction. The crux begins where Tourist Attraction goes left. Layback a sloping left angled crack to gain easy climbing to the Sun Deck. Length: 60'

(3) Left Hand Mantel (5.8+) Trad - Follow the left facing wall up to a bulging overhang with a great hex placement. Do a mantel on your left arm on a ledge to pull the overhang and then continue easier climbing up to the Sun Deck. Length: 60'

(4) Awkward and Wide (5.9+) Trad - Same start as Left Hand Mantel, but at the overhang, go left to an off-width up to the Sun Deck. Length: 60'

(5) Crescent Crack (5.7+) Trad - To the right of Left Hand Mantel, climb the crack up to the Sun Deck. Length: 100'

(6) Jackel (5.6+) Trad - Climb starts at the Sun Deck. This is a great moderate route. Pitch: 1 (5.6+) Follow the crack to the left to chains 100 feet above. About half way up is a large rock in the crack that you want to stay to the right of despite what it looks like from below. Pitch: 2 (5.6+) Continue up the same crack system and top out.

(7) Inner Space (5.9) Trad - Same start as Jackel. Pitch: 1 (5.8) At the large rock where Jackal heads right, go left and climb crack/face up to a small ledge. Length: 100' Pitch: 2 (5.9) Follow a seam up to the right hand side of the roof. Traverse left and then up or continue up the off-width to the right of the roof. The route shown is the traverse option option if you don't have large gear. The offwidth can be protected with stacked hexes. Length: 80'

(8) Cake Walk (5.10cR) Trad - From the Sun Deck, go straight up the face to the chains. Protection can be had in the cracks on your left. Direct route all the way up is 5.10cR. Fading left in the crack around the blank area 50 feet up makes it 5.9+. Length: 100' FA: Tom Polaski, 19??

(9) Zig Zag (5.9) Trad - From the Sun Deck, traverse out and right a bit to gain the beginning of an obvious zig zagging crack. A 00 Metolious is useful to protect the first real move, it goes up to the right in a perfect seam. Follow the crack to the chains at the top of Jackel. Length: 100'

(10) Bourbon Street (5.11cR) Trad - Same start as Zig Zag. At the first Zig though, make delicate moves to gain the right crack. Jam finger all the way up. Hard to protect because you want to place gear where your fingers need to be. Tops out at chains. Length: 100' FA: Chris Begue Gear: Small cams and nuts

(11) On The Wagon (5.11dR) Trad - Starts to the right of Zig Zag, so traverse in. Follow very small finger crack system up to the top of Whiskey Crack first pitch. Chains have recently been added to the top of these pitches. Length: 100' FA: Chris Begue

(12) Whiskey Crack (5.10d) Trad - Classic Route on the main wall. Follows the obvious crack all the way up. Pitch: 1 (5.10d) Starts under the main roof on the left side. Work your way up and pull the roof, fun and actually reletively easy. The follow the obvious flaring crack up to a good belay. The Pro is difficult because it's flaring and somewhat rounded inside. Pitch: 2 (5.8+) Starts under the main roof on the left side. Work your way up and pull the roof, fun and actually reletively easy. The follow the obvious flaring crack up to a good belay. The Pro is difficult because it's flaring and somewhat rounded inside.

(13) Oh Mama Mama (5.10b) Trad - Same start as Whiskey crack to pull the roof. Then follow the right hand crack up 100 feet to chains, or continue to a ledge and downclimb to the right. The crack throws you out right, resist it if you can. Length: 100'

(14) Welcome to China (5.12a) Trad - Pitch: 1 (5.12a) Simple, pull the 15 foot roof through the left of two weaknesses. Length: 50 Pitch: 2 (5.9+) Follow the crack up to the sloping ledge and downclimb to the right. Length: 100 FA: Chuck Grossman

(15) Double Time at Sues's (5.12bR) Trad - Climb the ramp and pull the roof in the right of two weaknesses, traverse right and gain a crack to the sloping ledge. Length: 100' FA: Chuck Grossman

Taylor Canyon - Sun Deck Area right

Corrections / New Routes

(16) Kindergarten (5.4) Trad - Climb up the crack. This can be top-roped as well by walking up about 40 feet to the right. No chains, but great Pro at top. Length: 60'