Climb: Vantage-Chips and Dips, Oral Office, and others

Date of Climb: 10/25/2004

Trip Report:
We traveled to Frenchman's Coulee on Friday night and found the camping area remarkably clean thanks to the recent efforts of the volunteers. We heard a lot of giggling coming from two large tents nearby, which turned out to be ten high school age girls from Forest Ridge School in Seattle, there to climb at the Feathers. Their instructor was a young fellow from the school who was a member of Seattle Mountain Rescue. He'd taken several of the girls to Joshua Tree in April for ten days.

The wind was blowing, as it usually does, from the west as we set up the tent. Just as we were falling asleep, an almighty gust came out of nowhere and blew a cloud of dust into the tent through a slightly open window. We battened down the hatches and tried to sleep through the noise.

We awoke to quiet and discovered that both of the porta potties had both blown over. Fortunately, there was no mess, as they had recently been serviced. Tipped back up, they were good as new.

We met two friends who had never been to Vantage before and we warmed up on Chossmaster and Peaceful Warrior. I led Chips and Dips, 5.8, which was better than I predicted. It would probably see a lot more ascents if it had a chain anchor at the top of the crack and before the dirty alcove you have to tiptoe through to get to the mesa top. I think this route deserves a star in the guidebook, if someone would remove the dead bird carcass from the crack and scrub some of the excess quano.

On the other hand, Oral Office, 5.8, at Kotick Memorial, doesn't deserve a star. The only good thing about it is there is a convenient chain anchor from an adjacent sport route. The crack is so rotten you can't get many decent jams in it and it is tricky to protect because I didn't want to trust the soundness of the rock. I ended up using almost all face holds. If you are careful to pod your cams, it is safe enough, but if I want to do face climbing there are plenty of bolted routes.

There was rockfall sound going on the whole time, which it turns out was caused by some fellow cleaning a route on a heretofore undeveloped far right area of Kotick.

Saturday evening was cool but almost windless and pleasant with a full moon. We enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by dryad, which she calls a "cassoulet", which features this really good chicken-turkey pesto sausage from Trader Joe's. It wasn't really a true cassoulet, but needed a name.

The morning brought more high clouds but a bit more sun, but still pretty cold for climbing. The pancakes were tasty.

We ran into Leland Windham at the parking lot. It turns out he was the one doing the cleaning the previous day. We asked him for advice on sunny climbs of moderate difficulty and he suggested Riverview Columns, which I had being eying in the guidebook anyway, so off we went. Turns out he was the one who put up all those routes back in 1997. They were fun as it turned out. We warmed up on Red Hot Chili Peppers (Tomato Wall), which was cool, then did #s 1, 2, and 3 all with Windham-esque names, of course- high falutin' words like "crepuscular" and "aeolacrymation".

Route #3 had this thin crack as the only useable hold, just above the second bolt. I just couldn't get enough of my fat fingers into it to make it work and had to cheat my way around the move. Dryad, on the other hand, found the thin crack to her liking and pulled the move. For her this was a huge coup as it was the first time she'd pulled a move I couldn't do.

We moved back towards Tomato Wall to say hello to some people we knew there and I led the 5.10a fist crack to the left of Ten Bucks and a Sandwich, 5.9. The guidebook says "standard rack" WTF is that supposed to mean? I was a little short on big cams as it turned out, but I got by. The book should read "Friends to #4" or "Gear to 3-1/2 inches". Anyway the route is very soft at 5.10a because of abundant face holds and the adjacent arete. I'd give it a 5.9-. We finished up a fun weekend by top roping Ten Bucks and a Sandwich, PG-Rated (bolts plus gear) and decided I was glad I hadn't led it. Whoever put it up put the bolts in the middle of the face so you could go up either arete, but it just makes for difficult clips. They should have bolted for the right side which is much better.

Gear Notes:
1-3.5 inch cams

Approach Notes:
Gully #3 is the best approach for Riverview Columns

The pancakes were awesome!

My partner stuck his finger into that bird more then three weeks ago, he must be getting pretty stinky by now.

I think that bird is pretty dessicated/mummified by now. I was pretty careful not to touch it. Eeeeewwww!

CBS I am willing to buy and install anchors on any crack of value that you or any one will retro clean in the coulee.
Good TR

Small world.

LUCKY, YOU JUST LIKE WORKING THAT DREMIL TOOL OF YOURS.
IF I CLEAN THE ROUTE, DO YOU STILL BOLT IT WITH "lucky" HANGARS?

SHIT, JAKE. YOU SHOULD PROBABLY STOP CLIMBING. I MEAN, IF YOU NEVER BUY PEOPLE WHO SAVE YOUR ASS BEERS, SOONER OR LATER, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET GEAR BACK.

Yo JETT all I am talking about is if someone will put out the effort to clean some of the dirty cracks at Vantage and turn them into classics I will buy and install the anchors and if you put out a little blood and sweat you can put your name on them.

Please remember that there are many "classic" climbs at Vantage without chain anchors. Sinsemilla, Stems and Seeds, Tangled up in Blue, and Seven Virgins and a Mule to just name a few. It is very rewarding to finish a difficult route, top out, and belay from the pillar top - looking out at the surrounding coulee. It is a very pretty area, one of my favorite places to climb. There are also many potential "classic" climbs in the area, but I don't think chain anchors are the answer. It's not a good idea to put up chain anchors on exisiting traditional routes, but I do think it is a good idea to make established area rapel points. The anchors above Bob's Your Uncle should be replaced with chain anchors. Be responsible.

Nice post.

How about bolts on the tops of the pillars to belay from? This would allow toproping of some of the harder routes, but leaders can still top out. I agree that chain anchors at the top of every crack would diminish the experience of the climbing at the Coulee. I've noticed that Stems and Seeds already has bolts on the column top, but the hangers have been removed. I'll bring some new ones and a way to keep them from being removed the next time I go out there.

Pillar top bolting too requires discretion. For example, Middle East Wall has tons of loose rubble on top. It is a nightmare to top out there. Chain anchors are better. Good routes like Crazy Fingers would clean up and see much more attention that way.

A strong experienced climber that I've climbed with out there expressed a concern about bolting all of the tops. He thought that would diminish the experience, and that you should follow the harder cracks until you can lead them. That is definately old school, but I think that argument has some merit. I personally would like to be able to easily toprope routes like Stems and Seeds, when I'm not climbing with a stronger climber. The TR off Hakuna Matata sucks because it pulls you to the left as you go up.

Any other thoughts?

Like I previously said, it is very rewarding belaying from pillar tops. Sometimes it reminds me of a picture that should be in a magazine. Use your own discretion, but don’t establish anchors unless there absolutely necessary. Established rappel stations would be better. I write what I do because I care. Regardless of what others think, Frenchman Coulee is a very special place. It is where I learned to climb and where I will continue to climb for years to come. From September through November I was fortunate enough to visit the Coulee on average of three to four times a week. During that time I had the opportunity to meet and discuss Vantage issues with many climbers who are older, better, and more experienced then me (including Martin). Not only did this delete stereotypes which I previously had, but it allowed me to better understand the issues at hand. I strongly agree that some climbs end with hellish exits and that chains would make them more aesthetic. However, for the most part I support that popular climbs be left as is. Also, like Martin says, there are old school extremist. It is not important to agree with them, but to understand them. One of them once said, "Love me, hate me, squeeze me, please me, but do get involved. The biggest thing I've learned over the past year is that you can make a difference." There is nothing that I could agree with more. Lets here what others have to say.

I agree it is cool belaying from column tops, but it isn't always practical. These things have to be considered on a case by case basis. In the example of Chips and Dips there is a very rubble-filled cleft at the top of the crack that you have to chimney up before you get to the column top. It isn't very good climbing at that point and it only risks dumping rocks on other climbers below. In my opinion, the chain anchors would be for safety and not just convenience. I'd have to look at it again. It might be possible, with a great deal of trundling, to clean up that cleft to make it safer.

I prefer not to touch anything old or take from the natural usless it's a trail,DANGER from rock fall or overuse thing at the top and I useually have to be ask and I only use less visual ring anchors. If you want anchors on something hash it out here. Every route should be considered separately.
You can count me in for some good karma PR work
I am really getting out there with this post....scary

I have climbed almost every traditional route on Sunshine Wall and think they are all fine the way they are. Loose rock, dead birds, and pigion shit are all part of the climbing experience. The only thing that needs fixed is the shoe string anchor above Bob's Your Uncle.

We reinforced the rap anchor for Steel Grill (next to Bob's) last Saturday. Some of the cord was eaten thru.