[TR] Mt Garfield- Infinite Bliss 5/1/2004

[colt45]

Climb: Mt Garfield-Infinite Bliss

 

Date of Climb: 5/1/2004

 

Trip Report:

on Saturday, Yuko and I made an attempt on Mt Garfield's Infinite Bliss route.

 

The first 14 pitches are AWESOME. Super fun climbing on bomber granite. There is an easily bypassed wet section due to a small waterfall on pitch 6 or so. Instead of following the bolts through the waterfall, we traversed past it and went up an easy gully to the left. After belaying at a tree, we traversed back right above the waterfall to rejoin the route.

 

Due to a misunderstanding on the beta regarding a "pitch 12" traverse (or because we did not count the pitches correctly), we considered traversing and/or attempted to traverse to the right on pitches 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. In every case, that was incorrect and the right way was basically straight UP. Regardless we made it up the first 14 pitches in about 5 hours (simuled most of it).

 

Pitch 15: we found ourselves at the base of an enormous chossy slab. It was about 300 feet wide and 600 feet tall. And it was possible to climb up it basically anywhere along the entire width of the slab. So, we got totally lost and wandered around for a couple of hours. After some sketchy down-climbing, simuling, and rappelling off a questionable group of bushes we tried again and found the right way. The beta is to just go straight up the choss, instead of traversing. (ie, this isn't the traverse pitch either). Interestingly, the bush we had rappelled from was within 15 feet of the anchors! It's really hard to spot the chains among the choss. At least I was able to traverse over to the bush and get my cordelette back.

 

Pitch 16: Another loose, chossy, unprotected pitch. This seemed to be the 'traverse beta' pitch. I wandered around on this one for a couple of hours. There was no pro anywhere (rock quality was terrible) and I couldn't find the next set of anchors. Eventually I gave up and downclimbed 200 feet back to the belay which was not super fun. Then we simul-rappelled the route (took 2 hours) and went back to Seattle.

 

The first 14 pitches are super fun and very high quality. The bolting is reasonably safe (although mostly not "sport climbing"). The pitch 11 crux is super well bolted, including a few places where you could probably clip more than one bolt from the same stance. Pitches 15 and 16 are extremely loose with basically no pro. Since there is no feature or bolts to follow, finding the arbitrarily placed bolt anchor at the top of pitch 16 is not easy. The cc.com beta said to traverse 120' right to a bush, then go up. But there is no bush 120' to the right. And I tried climbing up from both bushes that were in this area, plus up 'about' 120' over from the belay, but to no avail.

 

On the first 14 pitches, there are loose rocks laying on the climb although the route itself is solid. 15 & 16 are extremely loose.

 

Since the climbing on the first two-thirds of the route is quite good, I may return...IF I can get better beta on where to go for p16, and IF the climbing after p16 is supposed to be good. All in all though, a fun experience.

 

Yuko follows pitch 9 (?), an awesome, solid groove. A party of 3 is visible below, at the top of pitch ~5.

 

Yuko way off-route on pitch 15. There is no pro, and no way to know whether you are on route.

 

looking up after rapping the route. The arrow points to a party of 3 (barely visible) on their way down, at the top of pitch ~10. They couldn't find the right way on pitch 16 either.

 

Gear Notes:

Quickdraws, two 60m ropes (you definitely need 60m!), helmet.

 

Approach Notes:

Drive 1.0 miles from Taylor Creek junction to the parking area. Start of trail is vague, but well-defined higher up.

[rock-ice]

Thanks for the beta. Good write up. Definitely anwsered some question.

[Stefan]

Wowie!!!

[sportdave]

I was in the party of 3 that day. Nice TR. The only thing I would add is to definitely bring a helmut! There is a lot of loose rock lying around precariously and if you are behind another party there will likely be rockfall. Rockfall is a significant hazard, but other than that it is a fine climb (we got lost on pitch 16 as well.)

[dbb]

We stopped at the begining of the low angle madness too. I liked p11, but it seemed like you could deck into that little tree if you fell at the second clip.

 

Mattp? anyone? know why Weiland/Steve hasn't released a topo or "finished" the approach as it was?

[slaphappy]

Mattp? anyone? know why Weiland/Steve hasn't released a topo or "finished" the approach as it was?

 

Leland does have a topo although I don't have a copy. No clue what you mean about "finishing the approach as it was"

[ken4ord]

Since the cat is out and everybody and their mother already knows about it, here is some clarifications.

 

Getting past the chossy slab. From the anchors at the start of the chossy slab solo (trees on your left, bushes on your right) do a right rising traverse for about 250 feet to the anchors 30 feet left of the bush on the chossy slab (the one with bandana bits tied to it) shoot straight up, its a rope streching 55m pitch no bolts. Then then bolt line starts again.

I'll second the helmet thing, when we were climbing we sent shit down with our rope running against loose shit. Sorry dudes who were 7-10 pitches behind us, didn't see any blood or cracasses on the way down so I am assuming your ok.

No hitting the deck. Also, someone was complaining about hitting the little tree on the earlier crux if they came off, problem solved, just climb past the chains and belay at the base of the wall and there really isn't much possibility of decking.

Rope length. 55m ropes work just fine, 60m are better, but not necessary.

Kudos to the guys who set it up, really a lot of fun, don't publish a topo, it really isn't necessary. With all the beta that is here you should have no problems, if you can't figure it out you probably shouldn't be there.

 

IMO it was a very safe and fun route. I know I will make it a spring training alpine line for myself. I sort of wish there were more of those 10b pitches, cause that was the best climbing, the rest is pretty much "hiking". I had put my rock shoes on for only 7 pitches.

 

BTW Be prepared for a long day. Granted I was with a newbie (7th time out on real rock), we ended up climbing it in 16.5 hours, four of them were rappeling.

[colt45]

Thanks for the beta!!!

 

So, to clarify: there is 50+ feet of mandatory simul-climbing? And the point to start climbing UP from the vague right-rising ramp system is when you are below and about 30' left of the obvious bush? Then up to a bolted anchor immediately level with the bush. Next pitch: straight up more choss for a ropelength to another bolted anchor.

 

Also, if it's 250'...how do you get back down? Is it mandatory to down-solo the pitch?

 

I want to be certain that I have this right because it was frustrating to get lost, it seems somewhat unusual to put mandatory loose simul-climbing on a mostly unprotected section of climbing with difficult route-finding, and this beta is completely different from what has been posted previously on this site.

 

I don't see why a topo should not be posted. I agree that it isn't that difficult to find the right way lower down, but it would be nice to have solid beta. If I can actually stay on route and finish the the thing next time, I would be strongly tempted to make my own topo and post it somewhere unless the FA did not want this to occur for some reason. Given the amount of time, money, and effort required to place all those bolts you would think they would put forth more effort to make information available for people to enjoy their creation.

Edited May 4, 2004 by colt45

[ken4ord]

Colt yep it weird that there is a maditory soloing section that high up. The way I see if you can climb 10b then you should have no problem soloing that 4th class section. What I did was sit on the ledge up there and butt belayed my partner and then continued on though she wasn't to keen on the idea of not being anchored in and that her ass was to act as a anchor if anything happened.

[chucK]

this beta is completely different from what has been posted previously on this site.

 

I'm curious. What is completely different from what's previously been posted?

[ken4ord]

this beta is completely different from what has been posted previously on this site.

 

I'm curious. What is completely different from what's previously been posted?

 

Well there is "the" lone bush up there. That may have made things confusing.

[chucK]

this beta is completely different from what has been posted previously on this site.

 

I'm curious. What is completely different from what's previously been posted?

 

Well there is "the" lone bush up there. That may have made things confusing.

 

Nope. I just checked. No reference to "the" bush or "lone" bush on that other thread.

[shapp]

the question remains then on the descent do you have to down climb that section? Something seems amiss here to me that someone would go through so much trouble to drill so many bolts and include mandatory soloing in the middle of the route.

[ken4ord]

It's 4th class. So it not that big of deal, just don't slip.

[colt45]

this beta is completely different from what has been posted previously on this site.

 

I'm curious. What is completely different from what's previously been posted?

 

Well there is "the" lone bush up there. That may have made things confusing.

 

Nope. I just checked. No reference to "the" bush or "lone" bush on that other thread.

 

Here is the post I am referring to:

 

ScottP: "Chuck, did you and Matt have a topo when you went up to do it?"

 

MattP: "No, we did not. And we wasted some time as a result. Onmce you get started, you will probably do OK without a topo up to the top of pith 12, a full-length pitch with perhaps 4-6 bolts in it. However, from here you mave to move right to a bush (120 feet, no bolts), and then start upward again. A topo would help, but is probably not needed if you have this beta. Copy your friend's copy of R&I and you will do fine."

 

This is the only post I have seen with route-finding beta.

 

Here are a few reasons why I found the new beta to be completely different:

 

(1) The section in question is after pitch 15, not pitch 12.

(2) Pitch 15 has 2 bolts in 60m, not 4-6 bolts.

(3) It's 250' to the bush, not 120'.

(4) The bush is quite a ways UP and right, not directly right. There are numerous small patches of plants directly to the right which could be mistaken for a bush.

(5) It sounds like the anchor is not at the bush, but 30 feet left of the bush.

 

etc...

 

anyway the difference in beta was significant enough that I spent 2 hours on the pitch and could not find the way, and the other party spent a reasonable amount of time looking (with identical beta) and could not find it either.

[Dru]

if you believe any beta from this site verbatim you are in for an adventure

[chucK]

Matt's bush is not 250' out. The next set of bolt anchors is. Matt's advice is to go to a bush then up. His post does not say bolt anchors at the bush. In fact, it says "no bolts".

[colt45]

hmm...could this be a different bush?

 

One possibility is that the bush Matt is referring to is now gone (eg due to an avalanche over the winter), and this OTHER bush happens to be another convenient landmark.

 

I looked REALLY carefully for a bush 120' over and could not find it.

 

In any case, was it about 250' for you and Matt to get to the anchor: 120' over, then 130' or more up, with mandatory simuling? Anchor 30' left of a bush?

 

From there ~200' straight up to the next anchor? And did you guys unrope to srcamble back over for the descent?

 

Since two different people are giving two different sets of beta for a critical section of the climb, it would be cool to sort this out.

[chucK]

Yes it sounds like Ken's and Matt's bushes are possibly not the same. One is below the anchors, Ken's sounds like it is to the side. Perhaps some triangulation could solve this mystery?

 

The reason we chose our bush was that it was the only and closest probable anchor/pro that we could see from the belay. Also, I think we had some vague beta saying, "go right".

 

Our bush was approximately 120' up and right (mind's eye says, "bush at 2 o'clock", where midnight is straight up the fall-line). We anchored at that bush; i.e., used the bush as an anchor. There were zero bolts there.

 

Then we went straight up and found a bolt anchor. I don't know how far, but it was not a full ropelength. Call that anchor "anchor A". On our way back down when rapping from anchor A, neither of us were able to find another bolt anchor within reach of our doubled 60m ropes (at least Matt told me they were 60m ).

 

We set up a scary little garden of tinypro in that flaky choss, and did the downclimb thing back to the anchors below and (climber's) left of the grassy bushy patch. Those anchors were the top of our pitch 12. How you got there in 15 pitches while simuling is an interesting question ).

 

Disclaimer: all this information comes from recollections of an event 6 months in the past. Please keep in consideration that some specific parameters may be altered in the physical world and/or in the transient thoughts of a very imperfect individual.

[colt45]

Cool! Thanks for the beta.

 

We actually got there in 4 simul-pitches, but I thought it was the top of pitch 15 from counting anchors as we passed. Additionally the R&I blurb calls the crux pitch as #11 (which was 4 anchors earlier) and the other party seemed to have a pitch-by-pitch typed description of the route calling the traverse pitch #16. Not that it really matters, except for knowing how far you have to go after conquering the choss! Now to wait for some more good weather...

[shapp]

I would be interested to know if there is any oportunity to fix some pins in that middle section for a belay?

[colt45]

the poor rock quality in the vicinity probably would not allow for pitons...bolts should work though...

[Juan]

After reading this, I think the bush you are talking about died and fell out of its nook after getting a whiff of ChucK's BO. I mean, that is serious stuff!

 

Sharp

[chucK]

I was straddling that thing

[j_b]

for those who don't like rappelling anymore than they absolutely have to, it's a couple of rappels down the backside, then a descent through old growth (little undercover) which ends up near the taylor river bridge. I'll bet it's faster than rappelling the entire route.