Proverbs of Hell

South East Arete

Lucifer's Litany

While not the first route to the summit, this pioneering route has become the trade route for summitting Squaretop. The start is airy and beautiful. While the Ingraham Guide calls this "High 4th," I felt that a 5th class rating was more appropriate. The first few moves to establish onto the arete are exposed and difficult to reverse. The crux is a tricky and exposed move required to pass a small overhang on the right and bump up onto the arete. (See photo.)  

  Above that you can follow the clean crack on the left or an easier but less esthetic crack system on the right. In either case, good cracks lead the rest of the way to the rap sling located just short of the summit. The summit proper is easily accessible.

Squaretop is a distinctive square cog sticking out from the north ridge-line of the Little Squaretop Massif complex. While technically not its own mountain, it is distinctly separated from the Little Squaretop summit and its striking profile make it a worthwhile destination for any Organ Mountain climber. Routes are classic Organ Mountain scrambling with a little bit of 5th class climbing mixed in. As with many other Organ Mountain peaks, there are plenty of untapped steep walls along the way, and even some killer steep lines on the summit block itself. Despite these eye-catching walls, it's more probable that Squaretop will appeal to the peak-bagging scrambler type climber than the serious 5th class expert. The standard routes have a full mix of everything that make the Organs great, long technical scrambles, heavy bush-whacking, and just enough summit exposure to thrill.

Description

Location

Protection

Routes in Squaretop