The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970s. The rock itself may have changed since that time. The rating system certainly has. You will want to add at least a point to it. For comparison, the Normal Route, considered by many to be seriously sandbagged at 5.6, is listed in the same document as 5.5, the West Face as 5.6. So please treat what follows as a rough guide to an adventure, not as a solid and current info. If you do climb the route, sharing of what you learn would be appreciated. 

  "This spectacular route goes up the NW Face in the gigantic open book below and to the right of the Church Key. From the NRE-MRE saddle climb third class to the top of a mossy rocked shoulder. Rope up and climb either the vertical chimney straight ahead or the steep rock to its left. Soon free climbing peters out. Place a pendulum pin as high as possible and pendulum right into the crack below an overhanging step, around and behind with you force your way. Then up a great ramp to the Second Overhang, where the Church Key itself abuts on the vertical North Face. Go far back into this great chimney and climb out through some holes above. Then friction climb the extensive ramp which forms the west side of the Church Key to level ground. A short easy chimney leads to the summit.  

  "A variation (Harry Earle and Bernard Topp) is to traverse across the sheer North Face at the level of the shoulder on the West Face route (next route), then rappel into the great open book above the First Overhang, and below the Second Overhang. Finish as above. (The West Face was reached by an easy traverse from the large mossy shoulder.)"

Church Key

South Face Cutoff

East Ridge

West Face

North Face Gullies

Three's the Charm

Normal Route (South Corner)

Great Expectations

Gubbins

South Face Central

The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970s. The rock itself may have changed since that time. The rating system certainly has. You will want to add at least a point to it. For comparison, the Normal Route, considered by many to be seriously sandbagged at 5.6, is listed in the same document as 5.5, the West Face as 5.6. So please treat what follows as a rough guide to an adventure, not as a solid and current info. If you do climb the route, sharing of what you learn would be appreciated. 

  "A fine route, really, up steep rock on the true North Face of the MRE, bypassing the Churck Key Buttress as closely as possible on the left. However, it is rotten in spots. Drop down the MRE-NRE bully on the East Side and little way and take to as obvious third class ramp leading up onto the North Face more or less below the looming Church Key Buttress. Once there, you see a viable narrow ledge snaking along behind sometimes rotten flakes above and disappearing around the skyline to the left. But to get on it, go way to the right and traverse back across a steep small holds slab and to the top of a rotten pillar. Then proceed ahead (east) on this narrow ledge, getting to an airy spot at the corner where (thank Gerch) a fine little traverse leads to a good belay spot 10 feet above.  

  "Next pitch goes up a steep gully directly above and steps across a barish wall to a belay below a roof. Then go around to the left and up steep, rotten rock, quite steep, but with good holds. You next see a steep crack turning into a smoothish dihedral above a bush about half way up. Above the bush its best to jam with left foot in the crack and keep the right foot on the scant holds on the slab. Eventually a left handhold above helps to get you out of this predicament. Then continue on up on easier rock heading for the top of the Church Key. Finish the climb with a pretty steep slab directly above this."

The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970s. The rock itself may have changed since that time. The rating system certainly has. You will want to add at least a point to it. For comparison, the Normal Route, considered by many to be seriously sandbagged at 5.6, is listed in the same document as 5.5, the West Face as 5.6. So please treat what follows as a rough guide to an adventure, not as a solid and current info. If you do climb the route, sharing of what you learn would be appreciated. 

  "Descend the SRE-MRE gully on the east side quite far until an obvious way leads into the great bowl of this little-visited face. This is about at the level of the first pitch on the East Ridge, not higher. Wind through heavy brush well to the right, then up easy broken rock, then back left over a fairly steep pitch (5.4) to the center of the face. At this point about 3 possible ways open up. A steep chimney system to the left has not been explored to date. Directly in the middle, a steep, water-smoothed dihedral leads up all the way to the summit (see South Face Central). To the right, a dihedral starting vertical then sloping off, leads over to the upper part of the East Ridge. Go up this, using a sling or two in the good crack. Then scamper up forth class rock on the East Ridge to the summit."

The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970s. The rock itself may have changed since that time. The rating system certainly has. You will want to add at least a point to it. For comparison, the Normal Route, considered by many to be seriously sandbagged at 5.6, is listed in the same document as 5.5, the West Face as 5.6. So please treat what follows as a rough guide to an adventure, not as a solid and current info. If you do climb the route, sharing of what you learn would be appreciated. 

  "A popular intermediate route. Go down the NRE-MRE gully on the east side for about 300 to 400 feet loss of altitude to where you can traverse right on easy rock onto the NE Face. Traverse this all the way to the Ridge itself. The first pitch squeezes up a crack and narrow chimney about 60 feet. Go on up the ridge on easy rock for a pitch. Then it turns into a steep slab split by some parallel cracks with rotten rock a plenty. Mount this, the crux pitch, by starting on the left-hand crack and then stepping across to the right one about 60 feet up. Above this is a steep little chimney maneuver. Then run out the rope on easy fifth and forth class ridge for four pitches at least to the summit."

Depending on your level of comfort, you can scramble fairy high up the skirts of the west face, but it likely wont change the location of Pitch 1 belay.  

  P1 (150 ft): Looking up, locate an obvious buttress in lower part of the face. Pitch 1 belay will be on top of it. Notice a horizontal shelf going left from the foot of the buttress. Head up the slabby terrain toward the left end of this shelf, climb up onto it, and traverse right to the base of the buttress. (Do not get seduced by the corner on the left. Its about 5.10 and not protectable higher up.) Once all the way to the right, climb up into the left-facing corner and follow it. When there is an opening to the right on a steep and fractured rock, take it to a comfortable ledge. There should be a rap sling around one of the boulders, but a better anchor is in a crack which takes 0.4 to 0.5 cams.  

  P2 (100 ft): Looking up and to the left, you will see three green, lichen-covered, boulder-like projections one above the other. The route goes to the right of the first one, left of the second, and right of the third. The crux of the pitch is the slab below the first "boulder." To avoid stuck ropes, protecting is best done on the outside of the first boulder rather than in the corner to the right of it. Once past the third boulder, you should see a tree to your right. 

  P3 (170 ft): Go up the easy draw above you, left along a pair of parallel cracks/seams, right along a thin crack. The rest of the pitch heads left, mostly up easy slabs, all the way to where the head wall reaches the north face of Middle Rabbit Ear with the impressive Church Key clearly visible. You have arrived when you see a chest-high piton testifying that you are indeed on the old route.  

  P4 (80 ft): Start up the ridge line. After about 20 feet you encounter another piton. With your feet just barely above it, start to traverse right for a very short distance until you encounter a bulge on the outside of the crack you are following. Step up onto the bulge. (This awkward move is the crux of the route.) Directly above you will see a well-defined corner with some small bushes inside it. Go up the corner to its end, then exist up its steep right wall. Cross the gully you find yourself in and continue right to a good ledge.  

  P5 (90 ft:) Step up onto the slab on the right. Go up past another comfy ledge then sharply left all the way to a short, steep, right-facing corner. Go up the corner (takes #3) and then a bit right to a nice and shady belay spot.  

  P6 (80 ft): Traverse right on a trivial ledge. (Protect it anyway, to avoid having ropes stuck below it.) When you can, head up the slab to a third class terrain.

The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970s. The rock itself may have changed since that time. The rating system certainly has. You will want to add at least a point to it. For comparison, the Normal Route, considered by many to be seriously sandbagged at 5.6, is listed in the same document as 5.5, the West Face as 5.6. So please treat what follows as a rough guide to an adventure, not as a solid and current info. If you do climb the route, sharing of what you learn would be appreciated. 

  "This route starts by paralleling the East Ridge to its right and below. It mounts veering constantly to the right toward the North Face. At the top a hard crack is found. This may be the hard crack on Gubbins (see next route) but only Paul (the goat) Wohlt probably remembers for sure."

The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970s. The original rating was "Hard 5 and A2." Modern rating was provided by Karl Kiser for a free ascent he has done with Jim Graham.  

  "From the saddle between the South and Middle Rabbit Ears head 50 yards downhill to the west. A non-descript crack starts here. Up above, the crack becomes more distinct and runs straight up through a few overhangs.  

  "Pitch 1: Climb up this rack to where it overhangs. A couple of pins of aid gets you to a sloping ledge. Belay from this ledge.  

  "Pitch 2: Continue to follow the same crack system to a rather large overhanging section. The overhang is surmounted with some strenuous aid. The first few pins are in rotten rock which tends to make one nervous. Continue mixed aid and free until under a large overhanging block. Again surmount this overhang with some strenuous aid. Belay from a nice little ledge about 15 to 20 feet above the block. (Hint: It may be necessary to belay at the block because of all the rope friction.)  

  "Pitch 3: Finish the climb up the same crack system. This pitch is all free up and nice medium class 5 crack."

This route is probably the simplest way to summit the Middle Rabbit Ear, and follows the descent route pretty closely. While the climbing isn't all that spectacular, the fact that it was originally done in 1946 gives you some respect for the route. 

  The first pitch goes up an easy corner for about 25 ft to an old 1/4" bolt. Step right on a few slab moves past the bolt (5.5) and continue up the easy corner to tree at the base of a 30ft high corner crack. The corner crack is roughly fist sized and there is a bolt anchor at the top which is a good spot to set up the belay. 

  The second pitch walks across the large ledge system to its end (~100 ft) and then down-climbs (exposed 4rth class) to a tree at the base of another fist-sized corner crack. The descent route drops down directly to the middle of this longe ledge and there are variations that go straight up from the large ledge on various small crack systems and slab climbing. 

  The last pitch climbs the fist-crack. A narrow seam adjacent to the fist crack provides some small gear protection including an old shaky knife-blade. Past the fist crack is a broad ledge with a rock in the shape of someone giving you a "number 1" sign. Continue to stay right in corner crack systems for another 40 ft. From here one can easily walk over to the rappel tree about 100 ft to the left, or scramble up to the summit which is about 400 ft higher. 

  There were lots of ants on this route (October) especially around the rappel tree and in the shallow cracks for the direct variation.

The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970s. The rock itself may have changed since that time. The rating system certainly has. You will want to add at least a point to it. For comparison, the Normal Route, considered by many to be seriously sandbagged at 5.6, is listed in the same document as 5.5, the West Face as 5.6. So please treat what follows as a rough guide to an adventure, not as a solid and current info. If you do climb the route, sharing of what you learn would be appreciated. 

  This fine route, the only alternative to the great Vest Face Route in the whole West Face, started out to be a separate line up the West Face staying well to the right of it. However, after five beautiful pitches, it was unable to force the passage upward. Hence the name Great Expectations. As of now, this route can be considered a major variation of West Face, in which 3 beautiful pitches are substituted for the first two pitches of West Face. 

  Start on the west face of Middle Rabbit Ear at a point where an obvious traverse left over a busy ledge begins. (From the point you normally get onto the West Face to third class up to the first belay spot on West Face, go up along the west face some 200 to 300 feet.)  

  First Pitch: Traverse left on this busy ledge, dropping down where it becomes difficult, then up to a prominent little perch.  

  Second Pitch: This is the crux. A steep smooth face above. Go straight up a shallow crack directly above the belay for about 20 feet to the overhang. Then ooze right on minimal footholds with practically no handholds some 15 feet to a reasonable stance. Here you can put your first protection in (#4 stopper). An alternative way to do this pitch is to hand traverse right some 20 feet from the belay spot, then go up to a point just below an overhanging nose which forces you off, then ooze leftward under and around the nose for about 10 feet by good delicate balance technique (first led by Doug Roberts).   From the good stance, take heart  what lies above is easier. Go up and slightly to the right on holds which get progressively better some 25 feet. Get in protection and traverse left about 30 feet on easy rock to the belay stance.  

  Third Pitch: get as high as possible and mantle onto a good stance to the left. Go up about 30 bare feet on small holds, bearing let. Then a few easy moves lands you on the great concave place of the West Face description. Finish the climb as in West Face.  

  On the first ascent attempt of Great Expectations, we went one pitch farther, bearing to the right and then a pretty down-sloping traverse. You end up in a comfortable large region on the SW Face. However, above here the angle becomes severe and the protection seems a real problem. 

The description below, found in NMSU archives, was created by the legendary Southwest Mountaineers. It is at a minimum twenty years old, but likely dates as far back as 1970s. The rock itself may have changed since that time. The rating system certainly has. You will want to add at least a point to it. For comparison, the Normal Route, considered by many to be seriously sandbagged at 5.6, is listed in the same document as 5.5, the West Face as 5.6. So please treat what follows as a rough guide to an adventure, not as a solid and current info. If you do climb the route, sharing of what you learn would be appreciated. 

  Go as in South Face Cutoff about 2 roped pitches to the middle of the great concave bowl of a face (hot in the summer). Go straight up the smooth dihedral in the middle for about 120 feet where a possible belay spot opens up. The next pitch continues straight up the dihedral which is now more broken up but quite steep in spots. Then easier climbing leads up to the summit.

The middle peak of the Rabbit Ears group. The west face has some beautiful lines, and there is hard-route potential on the north side where a steep series of roofs dubbed the ChurchKey is found. You're not likely to run into other climbers up here, but you will find great 3-4 pitch routes. If you time your ascent right, you can climb in either the sun or shade. Even in July, you can comfortably climb here, although the approach/descent begin to get stifling.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Middle Rabbit Ear