Petit Grepon — South Face (III 5.8)
For such a famous and over-traveledclimb (ever read Fifty Classic Climbs?), the Petit has a murky history. The north face of the spire is a mere 100-foot wall and was likely climbed in the 1950s with little fanfare. The 800-foot south face, however, wasn’t climbed until 1961, when Bill Buckingham and Art Davidson did a variant along its left edge. But no one really knows who put up what would later become the classic.

The crown jewel of the Cathedral Spires, the Petit (12,100 feet) is regally situated, with a concave southern headwall towering over Sky Pond. Its neighbors — Sharkstooth, the Saber, and the Foil — are fantastic, too, but none have the grand finale of the Petit: a 10-by-30-foot summit plank, preceded by eight pitches of fantastic crack climbing. The three-hour approach weaves around striking lakes —

Loch Vale, Glass Lake, and Sky Pond — oblong pockets of crystalline blue where you’ll occasionally see a lone fisherman casting for trout in the placid morning waters.

The climb starts with 5.5 face and chimney climbing, but the first true hurdle comes on the third pitch, a jagged 5.7 scar that gobbles gear. Easier climbing sets up the 5.8 crux above: a thinner crack with stemming and perfect pockets, and slightly tricky pro. The final pitches wrap around the southeast face. Be warned: up yonder, the sheer verticality of the route suddenly makes mere 5.7 seem wild and unpredictable. If you summit with your gear, rap north into the Gash, making a long (read: nasty) slog down scree and talus to the Andrews Glacier Trail. Otherwise, follow bolted rappels on the climber’s right; use two 60m ropes and carefully scramble between the stations. This will land you where you started, just in time for a dip in Sky Pond.