Sharp on Both Ends follows an obvious right-facing dihedral on Chasm View Wall (a wall of sunny granite just right of the Diamond in Chasm Lake Cirque). This dihedral forms the sustained and strenuous crux pitch. I had gazed longingly at this dihedral pitch when I passed by on a climb Indirectissima (5.9, 4-6p) earlier in the summer, and vowed someday to climb it.

That someday came later that summer. September had arrived, and I was hoping to eek out a couple of more alpine climbs before the summer drew to a close. Especially since weather had finally (after quite a wet summer) stabilized. The sunny Chasm View Wall sounded like a good place to head. I had been in touch with a new climbing partner Carolyn, who knew my sister Jenny. Carolyn was psyched to climb Sharp on Both Ends. Like me, she relishes the opportunity to be up in the Chasm Lake Cirque area.

The route has six pitches of good to great climbing, but the meat of the route are the back-to-back 11d pitches (Pitches 4 and 5). Pitch 4 features a steep and sustained fingers dihedral while Pitch 5 features a bouldery problem at a bolt and a wild hand traverse across the steep face. Pitch 4 was awesome: Carolyn on-sighted this strenuous lead in style, while I followed (also with no falls or hangs) with a grin plastered on my face. Pitch 5 was awesome as well, but proved to be a bit more of a challenge for us: I started off the lead, but couldn't bring myself to fully commit to the bouldery 5.11d crux at the bolt, falling a few times before backing off; Carolyn took the sharp end, and figured the tricky boulder problem out (again on-sight) and then launched into the wild journey across the steep face; I followed with the pack, finally out the boulder problem on toprope, and then also enjoying the wild journey across the steep face. The finish via the crux final pitch of Directissima was a blast as always.

Carolyn and I had a great day. The following page provides a trip report for our climb of Sharp on Both Ends. Enjoy!