Edge of Time Arete

Edge of Time follows the northeast arete and is long and sustained. It offers classic alpine climbing in a superb setting. A major issue in climbing this route is crossing the Kings River. If you go too early the river may not be crossable.

Find the start by looking up for the big tree at the top of pitch 3. There is a left facing dihedral at the bottom that you will have to do a few moves to get into. Start down and about 10 feet right of that dihedral depending on snow level. We had no snow.

P1 Go about 150 feet. If the climbing gets thin and hard you have gone up the dihedral too far. Belay in a small alcove about 15 feet below a small dike traverse right. The traverse is right below the flake system that you will take on pitch 2. Maybe 5.8

P2. Few moves right pro with a yellow alien or similar size. Up flakes to big ledge/gully that angles up and right. 5.8 and fun.

P3. Go right up the gully to the end, and climb the flake system above. Trend back left to the big pine tree on the ledge. Maybe 5.8

P3.5. Move belay up and left to a small tree about 60 feet away, directly under the obvious 10a roof section, which is about 120 feet below the big roof.

P4. Climb the 10a pitch. Fun and solid and sustained after the first 30 feet. Belay after you get through the thin greasy part over the small roof. This pitch is the start of the real business in this climb, and the rest of the pitches are very sustained.

P5. Nobody comments on this pitch, but it is quite sustained and a little sketchy. Boulder move off the belay with small gear, but gear is bomber after first 10 feet. Great moves. Belay about 15 feet under the big roof.

P6. The 5.8 traverse right around the arete is not hard, but there is no pro. It feels very sketchy until you can get some gear up by where the roof meets the arete. A whipper here would not be good. Continue up great crack climbing for 40 or 50 more feet, then traverse left to a sloping ledge. Anchor gear here is all small stuff in a horizontal crack, and not great. If you don't like that, then set the hanging belay at the top of the crack before you traverse left to the ledge.

P7. We went down about 10 feet and left off the ledge to get around the arete. Then up for 200 feet trending slightly left over a loose roof block section. I missed the dike/flake traverse back right that is described in other descriptions. We belayed at a big alcove at the bottom of a right facing dihedral, with the crux roof about 50 feet up and right of us. We thought this was better than the description of the standard way, which has a hanging belay around loose blocks.

P8. Up and right across an improbably looking dike. Pro in the middle with a small piece. Reach right to the 5.8 crack system, and head up through the awesome roof.

P9. 5.9 seems like a sandbag for the start of this pitch through the roof traverse. The pro is sparse and small, and it is thin and full of lichen. The actual traverse under the roof felt about 10b. The climbing up the left facing dihedral after that was great and sustained at maybe 5.8 or 5.9. Belay at the sloping ledge.

P10. Go 7 feet up to the small ledge above the sloping ledge and set pro, Then step down and right around the corner to a small alcove. Trouser wetting moves. Climb the crack on the right side of the alcove and it turns into a dihedral. Awesome pitch of sustained climbing. Could be 5.9, but felt like 10a through some of the bulges.

P11. It starts to break up here. We had a 70m rope, so we tried to make these last pitches long. Stay on the right side of the arete through some broken up climbing until you reach a notch looking down a giant face on the left.

P12. Go a little right to a green dihedral on the right side of the arete. Climb up that, and move out right at the top of it. Then left back to the arete. Continue up just on the right side of the arete through some very fun 5.7 or 5.8. Get a little taste of wide crack on the big flake. We belayed under the small roof after the wide crack flake.

P13. Short pitch. Up over the roof at maybe 5.6 or 5.7 and continue up to the top.

Scramble over to the summit about 300 feet away. Then go down past the small bivy spot, then right and down into the loose crappy gully. Trend down and left, then over a small ridge and continue down and left. Come to a rib that cliffs out.. Rap down one or two raps into the left gully and scramble down to the river below the lake.

This route is on The Citadel's north face and follows the left most arete (northeast arete).

No bolts, No pitons. Trad gear from small to 3.5"

Double set from small alien to yellow camalot. Single 3 and 4 cam. Offset nuts useful. 70m rope was useful too. Dozen sling draws and a couple double length runners.