Solarium, 5.3-5.11b

Overview/Approach

Solarium, as the name implies, is one of the warmest walls in the Echo Tee/Rock area if not in all of Jtree.  There is a group of formations lying behind Echo Rock that is labeled the Candy Bar.  One of these is a long formation named Little Hunk.  Little Hunk has a broad south facing wall, the right side of which is named the Solarium.  The left side is named the west face although most of the routes at this left end receive more south facing sun exposure than west facing.

The Solarium is a popular destination for sport climbers during the winter.  It allows relatively easy access and is baked in the sun and most of the climbs are fully bolted.  However, Uppercut, 5.10c*, is an outstanding mixed route that traverses below a roof via a fun and physical hand rail.  It starts out the Solarium wall on the left side.  In the middle are two popular sport climbs:  Remembering Marina, 5.10a*, and Tim’s Valentine, 5.7*.  On the right side is a collection of shorter sport routes lined up side by side, the most interesting of which is Witness Stand, 5.11a*.  Witness Stand climbs the broad arête on the left side of this shorter wall via slab moves at the grade.  All of these routes sit above a long ledge system located about 40’ off the desert floor. You can easily walk along this ledge to any of the routes.  There is an abundance of fixed raps at the top of the formation that can be descended with a single 50m rope.

Park at the large Echo Rock parking area.  Head around the right side (east) of Echo Rock and straight for Solarium which is the face on Little Hunk that hides behind a formation named the Mounds. Stay to the left of the Mounds and scramble up to an obvious ledge system below a vast, bolted and sun baked, face.  It is easy to pick out Uppercut’s arching roof on the left and Exhibit A’s seam on the right, with six bolted routes located in between.

Route Descriptions, Listed Left to Right When Facing this South Face

Uppercut- 75’-5.10c*/ A fun route.  Climb through two bolts on the short face out left of the other routes in this area.  Then run up the perfect hands right facing short corner.  The climbing at the grade is the stacked rail hand traverse up and right for 25’.  The first part is hands and can protect with a C4#4 or #3 if you brought it.  The rest protects with fingers to medium.  Traverse right via solid hands but little to any feet.  Then you switch to the next horizontal up, which is more fingers.  The crux is reaching up to a third horizontal and swinging your legs right to a toe ledge.   Definitely the crux move and a bit blind, but once you know that is how to do it, it becomes much easier on any repeat.  Then finish up via a mantle through a wide crack.  Single from C#4 .4 to #4.  Slings for extension on the traverse.  A few draws for the bolts.  Cold shuts at the end of the traverse for lowering.  Dow

Name Unknown- 80’-5.3*/ I normally do not count such crap, but had time so ran up it in my approach shoes and down climbed a chimney to the west. This route is opposite of Uppercut on the right side of a steep gully.  Not sure why Miramonte gave it a (*) in his guide as there is not much to it.  Scramble up a hand crack at the left side of a flake and climb it to 5th class slab scoops at most.  Appears to have its own rap anchor.  Dow 

Broken Hearted- 80’-5.10d/

Remembering Marina- 60’-5.10a*/ Fully bolted to shared fixed rap.  The crux is a meter long shallow corner mid height.  Climb the right side of it.  Then up slab above and to the left and back right to the shared rap with Tim’s Valentine.  Dow

Tim’s Valentine- 60’-5.7*/ Fully bolted route. Secure to solo compared with many 5.7 slab climbs in Jtree.  Not much if anything really at the grade.  Stem up top and then back left to finish at the shared rap.  Dow 

Witness Stand- 45’-5.11a*/ Make a few fun 5.10a moves up to where the varnish stops and pure steep slab begins.  The crux is mid height.  Traversing left and trying to switch feet on the lone edge/bump.  It is a meter or two of figuring out a hard to make sequence.  Shared fixed rap.  Dow

Alibi- 40’-5.11b*/

Out of Order- 40’-5.10b*/ Fully bolted to shared rap anchor.  This is an interesting route requiring three mantles, two of which are at the grade.  They involve balancey stand up moves without much for fingers.  Short and sweet but a fun challenge for the grade.  Dow

Exhibit A- 35’-5.10a/ Needs another bolt to be a safe climb.  One bolt as of 2018.  Place a finger piece that protects a layback move to reach a bolt.  Continue up the shallow corner with no solid pro and traverse out right a meter and pull the top of the wall.  An exposed move as it sits currently.  Shared rap.  Dow