The SABER

Other routes I've climbed on The Saber:

Kor Route (5.9-, 8p) • Southeast Corner (5.10, 7p) • Southwest Corner (5.10, 8p)

Category: Colorado (RMNP)Summit Elev: 12,300 ftRock Type: Gneiss & Biotite Schist
Date: June 8, 2021 (Tue)Trip Report #: 467Partner: Michael Underwood

Route: Kor Route (5.9-, 8p)

Kicking off the alpine climbing season with a classic alpine adventure route on the Saber.

Intro

Michael and I decided it was high time to get into the alpine. I had climbed the Southwest Corner of the Saber a few years previous and found it excellent, so I was eager to return and climb another route. So to the Saber we went.

Originally called The Saber, the Kor Route has gained popularity because at 5.8 it is the easiest line on the south buttress of The Saber. The route is long and steep, and has some sections of really good 5.7-5.8 climbing along with a fair bit of choss on the upper pitches. A classic alpine adventure route. Although Michael and I had a fun day climbing the Kor Route, in my opinion both the Southwest Corner and the Southeast Corner (which I climbed the following week) are far superior (but also harder) routes.

Although the weather was absolutely perfect (no wind and comfortable in t-shirts), due to the fact it was a Tuesday and still late spring conditions on the approach, we were the only party climbing The Saber that day. And we only saw one party on the Petit Grepon. It was rather special to have the entire rock to ourselves.

This page gives a trip report and photos from our climb of the Kor Route.

Time Stats

Glacier Gorge Trailhead to base of route (some snow): 2 hours 40 minutes
Climb route (includes about 1 hour attempting Pitch 2 of SE Corner and backing off): 5 hours 25 minutes
Descend via East Face Rappel Route: 45 minutes
Hike back to trailhead: 2 hours 25 minutes
Total car-to-car (includes breaks): 12 hours

Route Overlay

(Also shows overlay for the Southwest Corner, which I climbed in 2018 and 2022 and the Southeast Corner, which I climbed a week after the Kor Route in 2021.)

Pitch-by-Pitch Photos

Approach

trail + talus

From Glacier Gorge Trailhead, hike the Loch Vale Trail to Sky Pond, then hike up talus and to the top of the gully to climbers' right of the Saber.

Some icy late-spring snow just below the Sky Pond area. Spikes were useful here.

The Petit Grepon, The Saber, and The Foil.

Michael ascending the snowfield up the gully alongside The Saber.

Approach Pitches

5.6-5.8, 2 pitches

From the grassy area at the very top of the gully, climb up and left along a ramp, belay at end of ramp. Then climb straight up to base of route. We did this in 2 pitches. Several variations possible.

This is where we started up the approach pitches. This is a different start than I used when I climbed the Southwest Corner in 2018. There are various options for the approach pitches.

Higher on our first approach pitch.

Our second approach pitch. This was also my second approach pitch in 2018.

Higher on our second approach pitch. This section seemed to be about 5.8 so there may be easier ways to go.

Pitch 1

5.8, 100'

Climb the dihedral to where it fades and continue up to a small roof. Pull left and follow a shorter left-facing dihedral to a good ledge. This is one of the better pitches on the route.

The Pitch 1 corner.

Looking up the corner.

An old piton. Perhaps one of Kor's?

Pitch 2

5.6

Traverse right to a pedestal at the ledge of the face, then climb an easy dihedral to a long, grassy ledge.

Michael disappearing around the pedestal.

Another view of the start of the pitch from the belay anchor. I don't dare post this photo on mountainproject or the biner-locking-police are sure to come after me. Hey, at least the orange carabiner is locked.

The Foil in the background. Someday I want to climb to that narrow summit.

A violet green swallow posed for me near the belay for awhile.

Pitch 3

5.7, 150'

Climb the corner to a nice belay spot behind a detached block. This is one of the better pitches on the route.

Pitch 3 climbs the left corner, not the wide crack. Although I did detour to the wide crack for a few moves higher up.

Michael nearing the top of the pitch.

Pitch 4

5.7, 150'

Continue up the dihedral and keep going to the higher of two grassy ledges.

Michael starting up Pitch 4.

Pitch 5

5.6, 140'

Climb up and somewhat right over steep and nebulous terrain. Be aware of loose rocks.

The definition of nebulous terrain.

More nebulous terrain. Be careful what you pull on here.

Pitch 6

5.6, 150'

Climb straight up through a bulge and a v-slot to a sharp notch on the ridge crest. Climb the left side of the notch to do the East Face rappels or climb the right side of the notch to continue to the summit.

This is where I started the pitch, just right of the jutting rocks. It fit the description of pulling a bulge.

The v-slot.

Nearing the end of the pitch.

Looking down from the top of the small summit spire.

Top!

12,300'

The route ends on a little summit above a notch. This is where we stopped. The true summit requires a downlclimb and a bit of 5.5 to get there. Someday I will have to tag the true summit.

Climbers on the Petit Grepon.

Michael on the top of the little summit where we finished the route. This is also the start of the East Face Rappel Route.

Descent

5 rappels

Either downclimb off the true summit (this requires climbing to the true summit which we did not) or take the East Face Rappel Route from the subsummit where the route officially ends. As of July 2020, the East Face Rappel Route has bolted rap stations that are very close to the original slung block locations I had used when I climbed the Saber in 2018. This involved 5 double-rope rappels as follows.

Rap 1 (120 feet). Start behind the summit block on the initial sub summit, and rappel trending about 30 feet to the right.
Rap 2 (120 feet). The bolts are on a left-facing slab close to the edge of the ledge.
Rap 3 (150 feet). Continue down to a ledge system.
Rap 4 (200 feet). Do a rope stretcher rappel to a huge, sloping ledge/chockstone.
Rap 5 (180 feet). Rappel free hanging down to the grassy or snowy approach gully.

Note that climbers have reported to have rappelled the East Face Rappel route with a single 70. However, this would involve several non-bolted intermediate anchors and some scrambling. We were pretty satisfied with our choice to use double ropes, since the rappel descent went without a hitch, and easy rope pulls, and only took us 45 minutes to get back to our packs at the base. I did not spot the intermediate anchor for the final hanging 180 foot rappel.

Nice new bolted rap anchors. Installed the previous summer.

Rappelling.

The fourth rap is a bit of a rope-stretcher. This photo shows the tails of our 2x60 ropes just when I met the ground. Probably best not to do this rap route with 2x50 (although there was a tattered intermediate anchor midway through the rappel).