[TR] WA Pass - First Amendment 7/27/2014

[Rafe1234]

Trip: WA Pass - First Amendment

 

Date: 7/27/2014

 

Trip Report:

I'd been enticed by First Amendment since buying the Wa Pass guidebook this spring and driving by it so many times. It's a pretty cool looking face, from the road. The idea of getting off "the beaten path" was kind of exciting too. One of the things that struck me as interesting is that there is no other trip report or firsthand beta available other than Ian Nicholsons from his blog and a short review in the 2009 AAJ (which suggested bringing KB's and LA's ).

 

The guidebook is spot on with it's approach description. It details not to follow the lower sucker trail off left to early and not to start to ascend on easy ledges too early on the traverse to the base of the route. I think there is really pretty much only one way to get to the base. It's steep vegetation with a middle area of walkable'ish area, and rock face above. There is no discernable climbers path or trail.

 

The first "pitch" is low fifth and scrambles easily, and the climbing begins in earnest on a big ledge marked by a bright white wall and some trees.

 

The topo for this route is pretty spot on too and marks easily identifiable features. As well, this route has seen some traffic and has areas where the paths and sequences are fairly obvious due to usage scrub from ascents.

 

We did the 5.10 direct start, mainly because it's obvious, and direct, and I'm not sure why you would elect go the other way.

 

 

Although it has obviously seen some traffic, the route is still pretty dirty.

 

 

The changing corners pitch is the crux of the route in my opinion. It's just kinda dirty and a little bit cryptic, but takes good gear and certainly doesn't require knifeblades. I didn't have a topo handy could have swore I was supposed to continue right through all the corners, thus created a different variation, harder than .10c that I'm not sure I would recommend...

 

 

 

The "5.11" pitch is pretttyyyyy soft.. Either I unlocked some magic wizard super beta, which I doubt, or it's not very hard.

 

There is some loose rock on this sucker though. On the pitch entering Spontaneity arete I stepped on a rock the size of a file cabinet, that appeared to be a solid part of a corner, and dislodged it with maybe half of my body weight. I'd never seen a rock that big come off of a wall. The rock got wrapped up in my rope for just a second and veered off to the right a few feet from my belayer, mangling my rope pretty well in the process. I couldn't see it, but the sound of that thing tumbling down the wall and crashing into the talus below was pretty amazing. That said, the warnings of loose rock in the book are correct. There are a couple more huge blocks perched on that route that, if, or when they go, are gonna be gnarly.

 

Corner cleaned and safe for future parties!

 

As well, The "Goldie Crack" finishing on Spontaneity Arete has a ledge midway with a bunch of pretty huge loose loose blocks on it too.

 

All in all, adventurous short outing. Needs a lot of cleaning, and isn't very hard. The guidebook suggests it as a good route for aspiring 5.11 climbers to break into the grade. Bad news, you'll have a rude awakening if you climb First Amendment and expect it to be a gauge for difficulty in the grade.

 

Because of the shortish approach, I would barely recommend this one, mainly because I think if it got 10 more years of decent traffic it could be OK.

 

 

Gear Notes:

doubles .3-2 c4

singles in 3 and 4 (didn't place #4)

triples #0 (green c3, purple metolius, blue alien etc.. placed 3 in corners pitch)

 

 

 

Approach Notes:

Approach per guidebook description, it's spot on.

 

Descend via gully, following cairns near the base of Spontaneity arete back down the slabs into the forest.