Start where two thin cracks lead up to a bulge. Follow the crack up the right side of the bulge and past a roof, up to fixed anchors.

Water Dog

Pit Bull

Starless and Bible Black

Spring Break

Tie me Tightly

Cold September Corner

Aesop’s Arete

Mister Masters

Whipper

Mercedes

Gotham City

Van Allen Belt

Magellanic Cloud

Meteor

Shady Ladies

Hot August Night

Bad Day at Black Rocks

Blast From the Past

Whiplash

Adapt and Overcome

Mister Freeze's Face

Tarantula

Start at two thin cracks that lead up to a bulge/roof. Follow the left crack up past the roof, to fixed anchors (the same anchors as for Water Dog).

Starless and Bible Black starts up good varnished holds to a short left leaning seam and onto a ledge just below the crescent shaped corner.  Climb the corner and face to the right eventually joining the last 15 feet of Van Allen Belt to the communal anchor on the ledge.

 Starless and Bible Black offers fun moves on excellent rock with good pro. 

When hiking into Icebox pay attention to the north side of the canyon. You will pass several small caves and roofs before reaching varnished rock. Keep going - Spring Break lies slightly west of the Magellanic Cloud/Cold September Corner area on a rectangular face of dark rock immediately left of a huge right facing corner capped by chossy roofs. There is a ledge atop this face with a communal anchor at a large horizintal break where the rock becomes less neat and more cruddy.

 Spring Break ascends the center of the rectangular face following a thin crack system and horizontals.

 P1, .11+: A little grunt off of the deck will get you to an inviting horizontal crack/jug where you can assess exactly how far you might fall in the very near future. Proceed, following the thin vertical crack through the first roof, cramming gear wherever possible. More gear, more climbing lead you to a second roof, after which is a very much appreciated horizontal, rest and relaxation included. More climbing, more gear (trend to the right, back toward the middle of the face and straight up at the last thin crack), deep breath, clip anchors, rap with a rope, sit in the sun, have a snack or a drink of water. A nap is also acceptable.

 This can easily be TR'd by leading Mister Masters (9+) around the corner to the east.

 Technical, balancy, sustained, intriguing and all around enjoyable climbing on this one.

The crux is mid way a few moves above ledge in right slanting crack. Great exposure on steep varnished wall. Once at the top you can continue up and left to gain the anchors for Mercedes and top rope it. (if your so inclined)

Start in the corner to the right of the low roof which forms a cave in the middle of Sunnyside Crags.  Climb the corner crack up through a couple roofs to a anchor under another big roof. This route is very intimidating for the grade, but the moves are there and are very enjoyable.

Aesop’s Arete starts with a shallow right facing corner/flake.  The climbing continues up through large holds in chunky dark varnished rock and onto the face (crux) and the arete to the right.  It eventually joins the last 25 feet of Van Allen Belt to the communal anchor on the ledge.  The crux consists of balancy moves on small edges until reaching the larger holds of the upper arete.  There is a key pocket slightly left when pulling onto the face where you will want a gold totem or equivalent size cam (.4 bd) with a low profile head. A .4 C4 will not fit.  You will make a move or two above the .4 until reaching a larger pocket near the arete that takes a nice #3 C4.  

 This is a quality line on nice varnish that is a little bold through the crux and goes on all gear.  Not sure if there has been a previous ascent, so if anyone knows please speak up. 

Start just left of the obvious dihedral to the left of Mercedes and climb the steep crack with jugs till it slabs out. The anchors aren't visible from the ground nor the end of the steep climbing. You then break left on the very dark, polished face. You can toprope three other routes once you hit the anchors, which are Gothom City, Spring Break, and Tarantula. All of which are hard trad lines.

This route is a good line with a little bit of chunky rock. Climb up to the roof (moderate) through the roof (less moderate) and pull the lip of the roof (moderately difficult, crux) and then continue up the crack to the anchors. The protection is solid, but the crack is not very smooth. I did not tape and I ended up bloody. Tape up!

This is a mixed route unless you want to make a long runout in the beginning and at the finish of the climb; don't go up with just quickdraws! Start left on the face well below the first of the four protection bolts with easy moves. Then power up left past the roof into a shallow corner. Pull more exposed moves onto slab and climb straight up to a fixed anchor. Fun route with exciting climbing.

Start at a steep, pocketed face just behind a tree. The climb is steep and follow discontinuous cracks up the face. Once the angle kicks back, head up and left to the fixed anchors above Spring Break.

This is a decent route, but a somewhat tricky lead for the grade, with some loose rock.  

  Start in the very smooth, varnished dihedral about 40 feet left of the Shady Ladies corner, and 20 feet left of Magellanic Cloud. The initial moves are a little tricky, and there is no protection for about 20 feet or so, hence the serious rating. It's not really too bad. Later on, there potential for your rope to get stuck in a crack and cause SERIOUS drag, so watch for that. The last moves are on some crumbly rock with less-than-ideal protection. End at the communal belay ledge.

Start up the face just left of the Shady Ladies corner. Climb the left-facing, left-trending corner to a roof. Move right across face, then climb beautiful left-facing corners up to communal belay ledge. 

  Wonderful climbing on great rock.

This climb start in the cave just to the right of Cold September Corner.  Start on some jugs on a flake and work your way up into the downward flaring slot.  From here some jams and wriggling will get you to the stem rest.  A few more grunty moves see you to the lip where the climbing eases.  Climb a few more feet to the rap anchor.  From here there is a seldom done second pitch, which goes at 5.9.

Begin in the left facing corner that is located about 20 feet left of the low roof which forms a cave in the center of Sunnyside Crags. Climb the corner most of the way up, then move left onto the face.  An easy hand traverse on loose holds takes you left to a ledge and a communla anchor. This is a good beginners lead, plus gives you the opportunity to top rope the excellent Magellanic Cloud.

This route is just left of Cold September Corner and almost certainly has been top-roped before, at least in part.  However, we climbed an entire line on lead, sharing only 2 meters of climbing with the nearby Cold September Corner.    A few meters left of that route there is a HUGE horizontal flake about 2.4 meters off of the ground; a man of average height should be able to just grab this while stretching.   Clasp this flake and pull onto it, then up into a big pocket, then up and left further to a bit of crack. This crack, about 3meters up, will take a 2-2.5" cam placement as your first gear. Jam this and pull to upright above the first overhang (bouldery 5.10). From there place more gear and continue straight up on intermittent crack systems to reach a blank face just below the main roof of Cold September Corner. Place gear and climb the thin moves to intercept the left side of the huge roof/slot (5.10, PG13) then climb out the left side of the roof (only 5.8) and continue up above on more cracks.    The crux of the route comes at a 3rd roof, which is small and pulls through on some semi-positive holds, albeit on small holds. Get under the roof to an amazing under-cling pocket and protect the next few moves with a .5 to .75 cam. Then reach high and right for a nickel-sized, diamond shaped hold and crimp ,then pull up and over the roof on a positive but strange pinch. Sequence will matter. (5.11, good gear). Finish directly upward to level with the Cold September anchors, then traverse to the right to reach them and lower off.

This is a fun route. It's a bit of a one-move wonder - the crux is a short boulder problem - but the moves are fun. 

  Start below two bolts low on the face left of an arete. Climb up the black face on small holds past the bolts (crux), then continue with easier moves up the face to a chain anchor (the same anchor as for Tie Me Tightly).  

  According to the Brock-McMillen guide, one can climb a second 5.8 pitch to the top of the cliff.

The route is obvious and easily approached but w/o further info, its hard to know whether its been climbed before. So, I listed this route as a "first recorded ascent." The F.A. info can always be changed if someone feels they got to this one first.  

  The climbing starts under a roof by ascending a 15 foot tall v-slot with semi rotten but juggy holds. No worthwhile protection in this section but the climbing is easy. You're now at a good stance from which you can place finger sized gear in a roof crack that is comprised of great rock. Pull the crux roof. After the crux, the climbing is no harder than 5.5. Follow the easy crack as it angles up and slightly left to a big ledge (Some rattle-y rock can be found in this section but its easy to avoid. It could be cleaned up nicely by a follower on subsequent ascents). Continue up through edges and horizontals, gradually aiming leftward towards the arete and left edge of a small overlap. You're now at a leftward traversing ledge system. Follow it for 15-20 feet to a nice seat/stance at a vertical crack in which to build the anchor. Walk off.

Way better climbing than it first appears. No joke.  Climb the vertical crack by the tree up to the roof.  Climb left out the roof, past a bolt on steep terrain to gain the short left leaning crack system.

Shares the anchors with Shady Ladies, Van Allen Belt and Magellenic Cloud and combines pieces of all three. Our intent was to avoid the unprotectable start of Van Allen Belt, and bring the R rating down to a PG13. Start is the same as Shady Ladies, get a piece of pro and then begin climbing up and to the left (instead of continuing up Shady Ladies crack) onto Magellenic Cloud, at the bulge in the middle of MC go left instead of right to put yourself onto Van Allen Belt, work around the corner and up to the same ledge/anchor. PG13 rating is due to tricky pro at the top (same as V.A.B.), and because the route works around a corner, and the potential to get the rope stuck is high (as I did while run out above a C3 0.2 on the FA). Go light on pro and extend just about everything.

The face just to the right of Shady Ladies sports a single bolt. The climb starts off heady and gets headier as you go, with some marginal and difficult to place protection guarding 5.10 moves in various places, including up top, where you have already suffered most of the route and may be 'done.'  No less, it is a good route and is worth climbing. The Swain guide rated this "5.10?" I thought it would be about 5.11c going belly to the bolts, but we found a sequence going right after the bolt that was 5.10+.

Start as for Spring Break and climb left at the first horizontal.  Climb the discontinuous cracks and the arete left of Spring Break.

Sunnyside is a nice trad crag with a very short approach. Although there are more difficult lines here, this area is mostly popular for it's moderate lines. Unfortunately, the dimensions of Icebox Canyon limit the best season of the crag, as it is mostly sunny in the summer and mostly shady in the winter. The best routes include Magellanic Cloud and the Cold September Corner.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Sunnyside Crags