[TR] Guye Peak - Improbable Traverse, another FFA (fez-free ascent) 7/2/2007

[glm]

Trip: Guye Peak - Improbable Traverse, another FFA (fez-free ascent)

 

Date: 7/2/2007

 

Trip Report:

Well, Ian_Wolfe and I decided on Guye Peak - it was on his to-do list and I've driven by this face since the 60's and have wondered what it would be like to be on the face looking down at the freeway (Yes, it's much better than being on the interstate looking up at the face).

 

We got a much more leisurely start than the FFA/FKA guys, hey, we were still buying breakfast when they hit the traverse.

 

Anyway, we were fully awake to take in the pleasures of the scree field, which accounts for about 40% of the total vertical gain of the climb - this part is so overlooked!

 

We roped up and headed up. Minor route-finding difficulties followed, which we solved by a mix of random dumb luck and actually reading the route description while on the route. We managed to miss the lunch ledge by a few feet, skipping some 5.7 lateral moves by doing a 5.8 or so lieback crack/flake thing. Oh, well, the berries aren't in season yet anyway. After spying the two knifeblade pitons protecting the traverse, we figured we were on route, but just a bit ahead of ourselves. As was stated recently on this forum, the improbable traverse does look improbable - it just sort of wanders off into nothing around the corner. It is balency, but not actually that hard, except that it is a LONG WAY UP and a bit slopey. This same section as a route in a climbing gym, 18" above the floor, would be trivial, but it's a bit more than 18" up. The first few moves onto the traverse do give one pause, but, once you get into it, it's a really cool pitch and the best part of the route. The end of the traverse is the bottom of the class 4 exit ramp. You may as well stay roped, it's a good bit down and pretty loose. The view at the top of the ramp is great!

 

Then the fun begins. There doesn't seem to be a clear way to the summit. We went up left, then right, then left, as we thought the guidebook suggests. A bunch of unroped class 4/low 5th later, we got to the top then wandered towards Mt. Snoqualmie looking for the climber's trail down, which we eventually found and cruised down to the car, and, shortly, to Baskin & Robbins for some much needed ice cream.

 

This route has 4 distinct parts, each very different from each other:

1. the scree approach.

2. a bunch of blocky face climbing on rock of questionable quality.

3. pseudo-random wandering around the top looking for the summit and climber's trail down.

4. a cool, airy traverse on very high quality rock with great exposure, balancy moves and that sense of anticipation of having no idea what comes next, because you can't see there from here. The great thing about following a traverse lead is that you are just as unprotected as the leader each time you clean a piece of pro so you get some of that leading fun, just sort of in reverse.

 

Ian, have you anything to add (great lead on the traverse!)?

 

A fine day out, to be sure.

 

Gear Notes:

basic rack, lunch (unless you get on the face really early, in which case, breakfast). Fezzes are not required if it's a perfect July day!

Wish list:

1. SUNSCREEN if you're going to be on the face after 11:00am or so. I wish I'd brought some!

2. A camera is a good idea (also forgot this, sorry, no pictures).

Finally, I wish I had printed out the photo from the previous report on this route because it would have confirmed we were in the right place to start the traverse (Thanks, guys.).

 

Approach Notes:

Approach: I-90, Alpental Road, Ober Strasse, Scree.

[jared_j]

I'm hitting this route on Saturday for the first time. How long does it take to approach, i.e. from the car to the top of the scree field (approximately)?