[TR] Exfoliation Dome - Blueberry 9/13/2009

[mattp]

Trip: Exfoliation Dome - Blueberry

 

Date: 9/13/2009

 

Trip Report:

On Sunday, my buddy Mark and I went up the Blueberry route and added two pro bolts and two belay stations to the exit pitches above the west north end of the Blueberry Terrace. These are now going to be far more enjoyable for most parties than they used to be.

 

To go to the summit from Blueberry Terrace, do not head up the corners as shown in Smoot's book and the older Brooks/Whitelaw guide or you will end up climbing bushes and loose blocks and likely fighting your way through a thicket when you could be on clean slab and then a short heather slope.

 

Walk north along the Blueberry Terrace from any of the routes that end there to find the stainless steel chain at the top of Jacob's Ladder (I often take a tip-toe traverse maybe 20 feet above the lowest part of the terrace and bypass the JL anchor). From the chain, head up and left about a half rope length, with some blocky scrambling.

 

Belay from the highest point easily scrambled to -- a comfy ledge with a short 3/4" crack just below your feet and a bush reachable above. A bolt is visible 20 feet up. Climb up a seam, pass the bolt, move around a bush and then left and up and back right to a belay. This is a 30m pitch but stop at the chain.

 

For the second pitch, climb up a short crack and blocks, then up and left past a bolt into a vertical crack, soon heading left under a diagonal overhang and then up again on slab and corners to the 2nd belay. 50m.

 

Climb over a rock hump 15 feet up and left of the belay and down a corner system into the bowl above 23rd Psalm; leave the rope here, and walk to the summit and back or else take the rope to the top and descend the W. Slabs rappel route.

 

We met some climbers who were using my description of a now defunct combination of Dark Rhythm and West Buttress rappel route. From the Terrace it is now easier to take the old Chris Christenson rappel route from a heap of slings on a Pine at mid length or the Jacob's Ladder rappel route. I prefer the Jacob's Laddder rap route but the lower terrace is reached with one less rappel via the CC route. Christenson's rap route is very steep and since it does not even loosely follow a climb it would pose quite a problem if you got a rope stuck but the raps are pretty clean (after the start of the first one where you can easily kick a rock on your buddy) and I have never heard of anybody having a problem. It could also use some new bolts and chains at the stations.

[Dirtyleaf]

Cool. Thanks for the info. Been to the terrace more than a few times but as of yet to reach the summit.

[dbb]

To descend from the Terrace I prefer to: walk to the far climbers right on the terrace to its end (overlooking the west slabs). There is a slung tree that will allow you to rapp down onto the west slabs rappell route. one or two more tree anchors leads to chain anchors on the Westward Ho! route. You can also reach these rappells from the summit by rapping down there (though some from the summit are a bit brushy)

 

If you have climbed the west buttress the nice thing about this descent is that you're deposited right back to your shoes/packs. If you were climbing Dark Rhythm or Jacobs Ladder then rapping this new option & Jacobs ladder is probably best.

 

[mattp]

I often go the way that AlpineDave describes but it is a little messy getting from that tree on the Blueberry Terrace over to the Westward Ho route. One nice thing is that it avoids the equally messy traversing back to the base of the West Buttress or Dark Rhythm from where the rap routes I describe empty out.

 

If you know where to go, traversing back around is simple. After Subaru visited the area there was a nice path around the base. If you don't, it can be a bit of a nuisance.

 

There is a nice easy scramble from near the base of Rainman to the base of DarkRhythm, but it is not completely obvious. Alternatively, if you drop to the base of the apron slabs beneath the wall directly below Rainman rather than being tempted to stay high further toward where you want to go it is fairly easy to walk back around, with about a 30 foot climb back up just as you near the sidewalk. You may not find the best way your first time up there.

 

If climbing Dark Rhythm or the West Buttress and planning to descend this way, leave packs at the bivy site off to the left of the granite sidewalk, 3/4 of the way up.

Edited September 14, 2009 by mattp

[mountainsloth]

thanks matt, i appreciate your work. The nice old lady at the pizza place in town speaks highly of you as well!

[tradhead]

Matt - Thanks for the eforrt to upgrade the quality of this already worthy route.

 

I have climbed the W. Buttress to the top twice and found the climbing above the ledges of a much different character than the rest of the route. Probably 5.8(?) but don't fall! The ice on the slab last September added an extra spice that I wasn't looking for that day.

 

A few bolts and a good anchor at the top of the runout slabby section halfway between the ledges and the top should make that section of the climb much more fun and less dangerous for future parties.

 

Edited September 16, 2009 by tradhead

[Pilchuck71]

Right on and thanks Matt for the work. I will be heading up this weekend (weather permitting) with Smedley to give it a shot.

I have been to what I have always called "the Forest" a number of times but never gone the last ways to the top. I am looking forward to it.

 

 

[Otto]

Myself, I wouldn't miss going to the top. Both times I've been up there, after doing Dark Rythm with chucK, and the West Buttress, I've had a great time finding ways to the top with the gear on hand. There was no need for bolts either time. Where is the desire for adventure if not here? Why bolt it?

[mattp]

Otto:

I thought long and hard about this project for fifteen years. I have climbed that way at least 20 times without incident but the fact is that I have found it scary myself and nearly all parties who have not rehearsed those pitches have found them frightening. This includes climbers who climbed 5.11 rock to get to that point.

 

I held off on this for a long time for what I would guess is exactly the concern that you must feel. After a long deliberation my buddy and I decided that these few bolts would add more than they would detract. To have climbs that were relatively comfortable in terms of protection all of the sudden become scary and turn back the vast majority of parties two pitches short of the top just for the lack of literally two protection bolts on 5.7 rock did not make sense to me and the addition of two chain belays for two pitches of climbing did not seem excessive.

 

Pilchuck:

If you are headed up there with Smedley I'd like to go with you.

 

[Otto]

Thanks for the thoughtful work, Matt, and the reply. I'm hoping to climb a couple more routes up there next year, and will check it out!