Trip: Beacon Rawk - FA/FWA Hibernal Hi-Jinx 5.7C2

Date: 1/23/2009

Trip Report:

toyed w/ calling it "it takes a village" in reference to the number of folks over a long time that made contributions - maybe should call it "hibernal hijacking" though as ole'geoff seemed like he'd been abducted on occasion anyhow, it's a fine aid-nasty way to finish off to the trail direct from the land of the little people ledge

full on winter conditions at beacon this, the end of the first month of the hibernian season - mid 30s, blustery - a cruel wind all day - so sad that we're about to be evicted in favor of the peregins, who were AWOL all day

after chipping away at the route over the better part of 2 months, it finally went - we left larry's pin anchor midway, in part 'cuz it was so goddamn windy stopping to try to untie it would have been nuts - the wind had wrapped the slings endlessly around themselves - sure glad i brought the #6 and #5 as the pod is pretty nuts w/o them

we approached via right gull - i led the first pitch in boots and it was dry enough i only placed 2 pieces



geoff slayed the second pitch, but left me some tidbits for a short third pitch, which ended up being a french fest - i got the last pitch of right gull too, which was a motherfucker in current conditions

we made it to the party ledge a bit after 1 - took 2 hours to aid the new line to the anchors - woulda been faster but spent a lot of time fighting the wind, blowing around like a gate on a post

recently i'd cleaned these giant blocks on rap - they revealed nice thin cracks


fun, icy conditions a few weeks ago


not often you get to post-hole on the approach trail at the big b



the roof exit from the anchor - up and then right takes you to the gully above the rap anchor down to the lolp ledge

geoff cleaning the pitch - don't think he likes jugging thin lines

early development


Gear Notes:
a large hook is the only aid widget required (well, that and 2 thin aid nuts)
a #5 & 6 tame the pod (plus give you an reason for actually owning the damn things)
X3 yellow, red aliens
X2 green aliens, .75, #1, 2
X1 #3, blue alien
1 set of nuts

Ivan and Geoff, good going - looks like a cold day out there! I'm looking forward to giving it another free go this coming year now that you guys have done the hard work.

But where exactly was it the rocks you cleaned out come from - above the ledge, below it, or where?

great picture of the land of the little people. Here is another shot taken in 1997 from a different view.

they came from above the ledge, about 80 feet up, just past a very old fixed pin that, w/ its ancient runner and rusted biner, marked the mysterious old-timers high point - its easy to see why they turned around - more than a thousand pounds of stone, right above your head and rope, all stacked up so that if one went, they'd all go, and you'd have to aid right through them (or free - it's actually only about 5.7 there, if only any of the holds weren't dangerously portable ) - as it stands,there's still a giant, highly levered block that's critical to topping out (so levered that a #3 fits behind it) but i wailed on it w/ everythng but a pry-bar, and it held my wieght yday, so i reckon it's good enough?

I think I know where you mean; there was a dubious looking bunch of rock up there from what I recall from one rap or another. My only real concern, for myself or anyone else trundling anything significant, is the railroad tracks. That far west you're relatively clean, but you should go down and check the tracks if there's ever any question at all about just where something went, bounced, or landed. Officially, we're technically not supposed to trundle anything big without talking to the BRSP first, but given it's this time of year and you folks have worked the pre-open cleanups I don't have too much concern. Please do keep it in mind in the future, though, particularly for anything on lines East of that one.

Also, I do have a large, heavy tree planting dibble which will move large rocks if you know something that really is dangerous, but needs a nudge during this upcoming pre-open session.

bill and kyle played lookout the day we trundled - one of the blocks made it all way to the rail-bed and made a wonderous clanging sound when it struck metal

Ah, very good to hear that guys - way to go about it. The powers that be are pretty damn sensitive about this topic more than all the others combined. Really glad to hear you had a posse out for the drop! In general, we should work with the BRSP on drops that can potentially reach the tracks and they're usually pretty accomodating on coming down to help out with the lookout / verification duties. If anything were to ever damage the track and they didn't get a heads up on a deliberate drop that would likely be the end of days...

Next tahm ah ketchu boyz up'ere Ah'monna sheute yore assis offa thar with mah 50 cal. Yue damn near took mah rear transaxle off with onena them fuhkin' astroids yue sent down mah way.

Nice work.

ah, fickle fate - was supposed to go escort add-a-bolt-ben up the final pitch of abraxas today but instead the furies decided i had best return to the scene of the beacon-crime for a last serving of south-side love till the fornicating falcons get their fuck-on

so...what to do on so damp a day? ah, yes, the village route - so hawt last winter but on the outs this year - it needed the last pitch put in - luckily, i soused out that kyle n' geoff were intending on doing it w/o me, so when ben called in sick (mercifuly reprieve that was, given the family fuck-up i committed last night in gettin home too late and the extreme likilihood of being stupid late a second night in a row) i was eager to head out w/ the Brothers Grouchy and steal me FA back!

woke late out of the drug-stupor to find a 6 year old blonde where my wife should be - this led to an intersting q'n'a that resulted in wandering downstairs for an hour of scooby-doo n' eggs n' coffee n' stategery that ended in me at the camas park n' ride for the Big Rendezvous

slimy n' damp at the B, but at least not poring rain - hoofed it up the trail to the fine strains of public enemy, surveying the recent shrapnel carnage sloughed off by the n face down to the ledge of the little'uns, leaving the last rap line fixed for the Return Trip

the second pitch seals the deal - the first is c1, as is the second, but the lower one freed is probably the crux at 5.11/5.11+, the 2nd, off the anchor is 5.10+ but then quickly goes to 5.8/9 if only its dry - the requisite gear is all cleaned out now

ends up at scramble off trail below the duck-blind - a slugn block and sketchy cam in another block, backed up to a tied off shrub and another loose block means all is kosher right? one tiny rap on larry's scary shrub and back to the good one and the little-crew, recently fled down the dutchman

not that anyone's ever gonna go back and do it, but if you're of the pdx crowd and want to enjoy the B on a rainy day in winter, this is the route for you - the little people cower under their tarps doing fuck-knows-what - you n' your boy get in 2 pitches (so overhung theyr'e pretty much entirely dry), then ride the rap right back down to where you started - you might want to avoid geoff's added trick of lowering down on the other end of the fixed line from the hanging belay, chopping the rope in the process when you jug back up

everybody likes purty pictures...

emerging from the brith canal










and video porn!

dave done took some pix too

lok at all the meat puppets!

"down off the fog-banks, through the cloud-murk, god-cursed grendel came greedily loping"


geoff at the hanging belay, me exiting on the horizon




dood! nigga has a panaroma setting on his camera!

You want pano...

niggas a racist and an aid climber...

i thought aid climbers just hated everybody equally?

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/500/medium/1-30-2010_17_1.JPG[/img][img]

jim opdyck - moon-base warrior!

hey kyle, you forgot to share your story of jim brow-beating you to jug on a line fixed to aluminium rap-rings!

when the hell did geoff get my line attached to him?