W
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Posts posted by W
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i looked at that...got scared, went away...
how izzit?
protects well if you got a #6 camalot.
As for the climbing, it's aptly named: required a great deal of hunger to finish, and you feel like throwing up afterwards.
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Also put English Breakfast Crack on the list. Have fun!
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A good prep circuit for the Steck:
Ne butt of higher
gripper
entrance exam
midterm
rt. side of the cookie
ahab
wire these and Steck will seem easy. Sort of.
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Practice chimneys, flares, and fists. Not much true OW on the route.
For the narrows, practice the parking lot thing while having all you breath exhaled. Oof!
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Thanks so much for putting this up, Jay.
It's worth paraphrasing here the comments I made in the Supertopo forum- Jay and his friends were all over the AAJ's in the late 70's and early 80's with these amazing Alaska trips. Overland approaches and then many weeks spent climbing in the range, then a ski out too. Epitomizing the virtues of patience and respect for the weather, they gave themselves plenty of time, and they ended up climbing so many routes- not only first ascents, but radical repeats (like the climb above). Their journal reports were a huge inspiration and influence for me as I researched and planned during my early years climbing in Alaska back in the 1990's.
Would love to see more photos and stories, including of the overland approach routes (Traleika, Kanikula, etc.). Sweet big country!
Major appreciation for sharing these historical accounts!
Cheers,
MW
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Jay-
Mark W here. Welcome! Folks here will be very psyched to read your inspiring reports- by all means post them up!
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Cool photos.
I climbed it in 1998 with Puryear. We couldn't find anyone who had done it so we were a bit apprehensive for lack of first hand beta especially regarding the Beckey guide recommending knife blades for belays. Then on the approach, at 4 AM in the dark just below Colchuck lake we were catching up to a pair of climbers. Just before meeting them Joe joked "it's probably Matt Christensen (Boving's FA partner) going to retrobolt the Boving route...".
Turns out, it was Matt (who we had not met) and his 15 yr old son enroute to Prusik Peak! So there in the dark at the lake we got our beta.
I recall the end of the first pitch, and start of the second pitch, being a bit spooky if not fully runout, particularly because the first belay took a lot of work to make safe- the kb placements were filled with broken off blades, so I built a nest of small cams and brass nuts. The crux roof on p3 I recall having good enough pro but being a bouldery face crux over the roof on dirty holds. P4 would have been really fun but the crack was packed with dirt and I had to aid a bit so I could garden it out with a nut tool. Then the end dihedral was really sweet. Aside from some dirt, the rock quality was high, particularly for Dragontail.
I'd like to research Dragonscar, because for sur I remember everything after the fifth pitch being low fifth schwag that knocked at least one star off the overall quality rating, in my opinion anyway.
Nice work!
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Hey Chris,
I haven't been on South Seas but have done the full PO a few years back. Most likely things will be heavily fixed but my guess is the rack suggestion is conservative in case someone (or you...) has zippered a string of it out. There are definitely some very fixed gear dependent pitches above the junction of SS and PO, especially 15, 16, 17, and the pitch off the top of the black tower. Some pretty manky stuff too. P16 is where we placed our only head (a circle in fact) and it has lots of heads. Really watch the rope running above a sharp flake at the start of that pitch, also. Make sure you bivi on Island on the Sky. 5.8R off that ledge isn't bad. Illusion Chain is a sweet pitch, especially if there's already a pin pounded into the start of the expando flake. Finally...have fun hauling the bags up the last pitch...
As above poster mentioned, check ST for more current fixed gear beta, I'll bet you'll get an answer.
Have fun!
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Dane,
One of my regular partners climbed it in 2003, the same year 4 French did it. My friend bailed a few hundred feet above the crux gully, a few hundred feet of moderate terrain from the top. It was not clear if the French topped out either, I get the impression they did not, but they also climbed through the crux.
My friend (Walsh, with Semple) said of the crux pitch, the last hard one, that he might have backed off it if it wasn't so high on the route. He said it was a burly, runout chimney with a roof pull high above his last piece. There is also a dodgy aid pitch about 2/3 height where they aided off tied off stubbies in small patches of ice, then runout drytooling to aid off kb's. Apparently John Stoddard broke an ankle here in the 80's.
Generally the route is very thin ice and s'nice throughout. I made an attempt with Dan Aylward in 2004 that made it about halfway. We found even moderate ground to be tenuous and poorly protected, the rock is very compact. In 12 pitches we placed one ice screw. More than once we were simul climbing with a single knife blade for pro while climbing 70-80 degree snow/s'nice. Walsh had firmer conditions down low than we did, it made things too slow for us, but we also had bad spindrift and I was struck in the shoulders by a large random piece of ice which also helped send us down. I had a look at the route the next two years for another attempt but it was looking way too lean. Still hoping to go back some time, it is a cool line. Beware that the start is actually quite dangerous due to seracs from both sides. As we skied away from the schrund we were also knocked over by a good sized snow avy from the route itself- thankfully we were not still in the gully for it.
The last complete ascent I can confirm was Benoit Grison in 1984, which I think was the 3rd ascent.
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I just received word from New Zealand that renowned mountain guide Gottlieb Braun-Elwert has passed away from a heart attack. He was on a ski trip with the New Zealand prime minister, Helen Clark, who along with several others attempted to revive him, but to no avail.
I met Gottlieb on his trips to the Alaska Range in 2002 and 2006, and continued to correspond with him through the years. I feel privileged to have known him, he was a kind and true gentleman, one of the finest men I've met, and he carried an attitude that for me defined the true spirit of mountaineering. His 2002 climb of Denali's Muldrow Glacier with Colin Montieth and 2 others concluded with these 4 fifty-something climbers helping the NPS with a SAR at 14 camp, before casually completing their traverse of the mountain and descending to basecamp. 2 years ago he returned to Alaska; finding his objective in poor shape, he and his partner moved their basecamp over to a beautiful location on the Kahiltna, just southeast of Mt. Foraker, and spent about 10 days ski mountaineering on nearby small ridges and peaks, and taking photos. When he flew out, we met at the West Rib Pub for beers; the joy of his adventure was evident in his face, it didn't matter that they went nowhere near their intended line; as always, he looked like he'd found exactly what he was looking for. We talked of meeting sometime in New Zealand and he would show me his favorite spots in the NZ alps. I regret that this meeting will now never be realized.
"Climbing a mountain is like life in general. When you make a decision, you must put up with the outcome - good or bad. I would say that, if you are able to pull off a climb on a mountain, you will see personal difficulties from a distant perspective. Fewer and fewer pursuits in life are as creative, as personally challenging, and as satisfying as being in the mountains."For more about this amazing person read on:
So long, old friend. Respect and admiration for a life well lived!
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I'm sure you've listed it somewhere else, but what camera are you using? Your pictures are always 5 stars.
Thanks for this excellent TR.
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I don't trust ratings one bit once they obtain a + or a "offwidth" classification. We need to switch to the euro (severity) scale!
In Yosemite the words to fear are "squeeze" and "slot"
Ericandlucie thanks for the beta/report. Were the bugs bad?
And in the Sierras, for anything that says "4th class", you might do well to expect climbing up to 5.9! And in the Rockies, the new "5.9/A2" is "WI5/M6", or, anything that says "interesting mixed climbing".
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Maybe my memory is failing me on the Prusik chimney... I don't remember much trouble getting established into the CBR chimney. I think I used a hand jam in the flake, then grabbed the top edge of the flake, then probably jammed the crack in the back? I am tall (6'4"), which may make it easier for me to reach in to the jams...
The handjam does help, but not as much as you expect it to, as it's still ridiculously awkward trying to get your foot onto the projecting flake. I do remember thinking a tall person would have an advantage. I think it feels harder and more insecure than trying to get established inside the "Narrows" on the Steck Salathe in Yosemite.
The Prusik chimney is not bad if you stay left side in, and don't go too high. Right when it seems to be getting too tight, moving to the outside of the chimney and using a stemming maneuver that allows you to turn to right side in enables you to reach big face holds out left- more intimidating than difficult.
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The chimney was painful, but I don't think it is as bad as reported by many. Lucie followed this free with a pack on (though she took it off for the second section). Clearly harder than 5.8 but maybe not 5.10 either. I remember the chimney on Prusik, for example, as harder than this (and it is rated 5.9). Just don't want people to fear this route because of that pitch.
Sounds like you either you found a secret way to get established in the CBR chimney (or you're 8 feet tall?
), or you went the wrong way in on the Prusik chimney. I've done both routes twice (Prusik three times actually) and for me it's no contest, that Prusik chimney is a cruise by comparison. I do think once established in the CBR chimney that it really is 5.8. But I've always wondered if something at the entrance to it broke off, because that start move has felt like solid 5.10 both times, and awkward to boot. Anyway, nice work and thanks for the report 
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"Oh, shit !" — Jim Madsen when he rappelled off the end of his rope on El Cap's Dihedral Wall in 1968.
Why would this be a "favorite"?
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Thanks for the responses everyone, that should keep us busy and sated!
Rudy- I've been here for a month already. Working til end of August.
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I have heard a lot of debate about what the "logical" developmental progression should be for new climbers. There are those that believe you should learn in small steps: gym bouldering to top rope plastic to gym leading... and finally trad. Then others believe the apprentice method is best: trad second for long enough to figure it out, then trad lead.
Gym climbing has unquestionable value in terms of developing face climbing technique, as well as fitness and strength. But there is over 100 years of alpine climbing (i.e. – trad) history that was played out before the existence of indoor gyms. While starting one’s climbing apprenticeship in the gym is certainly one way to go, I’m not sure why anyone would be dogmatic about this approach. Safe rope management and belaying skills can be learned anywhere. If alpine climbing is at the heart of one’s interest, why not start by going straight to the mountains, and immediately shape the gym in your mind into what it really is- a place for physical training. The gym otherwise conditions your mind in a number of ways, some of which may require “unlearning” when you shift to the mountains. Gym climbing and sport climbing focus almost solely on the technical difficulties and mechanics of climbing; these are important aspects of climbing but they are often secondary in alpine climbing. Among other things, gym climbing does little to develop situational awareness.
While there are great reasons for each thoughtful approach, one thing still vexes me: Every year, it seems like there are more and more folks at crags that know just enough to get themselves killed, and they are "teaching" other people to climb.This shouldn’t come as a surprise. The old school approach of yesterday was that the older climbers would mentor the younger climbers, and the knowledge of the mountains was passed down from one generation to the next; that style is largely vanishing. The trend in climbing over the past few decades has been towards individualism- teach yourself, then (maybe) teach others. The advent of commercialism in guided expeditions has further helped to stigmatize the idea of hiring a guide to learn the ropes, and the proliferation of detailed guidebooks removes some of the mystery that otherwise would prompt a greater level of preparedness, while leaving all of the hazards; ego and ambition, while certainly not new to climbing, have become all too prominent tools for measuring one’s readiness for the next challenge. The “apprenticeship” in alpine climbing if it exists has to an extent become a function of surviving these forces and, hopefully, a delayed development of humility and respect for the mountains and a more realistic assessment of one’s strengths and weaknesses. All of this gives potential for a more dangerous learning curve, as well as creating an armada of self-taught “instructors” who probably don’t even realize they are teaching unsafe methods.
I don't mean to overgeneralize as there are plenty of exceptions to the above, nor do I intend to convey cynicism. The above trends just tend to speak louder when they are observed in practice.
Do we let Darwin do his work? How do you approach complete strangers about safety issues without being the-dick-who-knows-everything?I think if you don’t take someone’s ignorance personally, then the attitude you convey will be of genuine concern and respect, and they will listen to what you have to say.
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My wife and I are going to the Needles (CA) in September; it'll be our first time there. I have all the downloadable info from Clint Cummins' site and one other site,, it's good but it doesn't say much about quality ratings (although I'm guessing there is much that is good by any measure). Can anyone well acquainted with this area recommend a "must-do" list for a 6-8 day stay? We're going there for the crack climbing primarily, and will get plenty of face in elsewhere; looking for everything worthwhile from 5.7 up to 5.11.
Thanks in advance-
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Mantling out of my aiders onto Anchorage Ledge on Mescalito, feeling the onset of the calming, decompressive flow that comes with the conclusion of a long lead...
...with effort I rose to my feet...to find myself face to face with Korean porn that had been taped to the wall next to the anchor by the Korean team a half dozen pitches above us. All their bivi sites from there on were similarly adorned. The only downer was it was the kind with the strategically placed black dot.
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The ridge itself took about 5 1/2 hours, overall we were 9 1/2 hrs car to car. We never stopped anywhere for very long, it was continuous.
The hardest climbing was a short steep step just before the dramatic knife edge ridge; at the step, climb up and off to the right, passing an ancient fixed friend. It felt like maybe 5.7; solid rock and good gear. Most of the route is 3rd and 4th class, but there's lots of low 5th class moves and steps throughout.
Enjoy!
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Indeed, that Beckey quote is what enticed us to go have a look.
We simuled the entire route with a set of cams to 2", set of stoppers, and lots of long slings. There were many sections of the route that did not require a rope but the exposure alternated frequently enough that we just left the rope on the whole time.
Was it really that bad? Depends, I suppose...by comparison, I thought the Index Traverse was "enjoyable"; this climb was one that by 1/3 of the way up, we were just wishing it was over. To be fair, the rock itself is actually quite solid throughout the climb (better than Mt. Index rock), with good angular holds and very few loose sections. The knife edge section gains the route a couple of points back but not nearly enough to steer the climb into the "recommended" category. The ridge is actually quite long, and it also starts to feel rather committing up high. All in all, a very blue collar experience!
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Was up there today. From the basin atop the switchbacks, under Sperry's east face, it is all snow from there. I would recommend crampons for Headlee Pass. Lake is still frozen over and it's snow from there to the top of Vesper. North Face appeared largely dry but there were still some big detaching pieces of snow slab near the top of the right side of the face. It was hard to evaluate from where we were but it might be worth waiting awhile longer just to be sure.
We climbed NE ridge of Sperry and descended the normal way. If anyone's interested, this route is a strong contender for the worst route I have done in the Cascades. Apart from a stimulating and exposed knife edge at 2/3 height, it is otherwise thousands of feet of vertical bushwhacking, pine needle-coated vertical dirt, and tree climbing- think Mt. Index, but on steroids. Ugh!
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This is Dragonfly:
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Outstanding, Sol, thanks for the report, and way to giv'er. Looks worthwhile even for the dirty rock. As discussed in the other thread, nearby Dragonfly has similar issues with grainy/crumbly cracks that surely would be improved with more traffic. 'Eden' certainly takes the steepest and most badass line up the headwall.
Sounds like this one is worth a go!
all the things being equal...
in Climber's Board
Posted
Hey Rudy!
My thoughts:
a) sport climbing is cool but for a month trip I'd want more variety.
b) endless endless alpine rock options but beyond that, like dru said, if summer the bouldering and sport climbing in the Owens might be untenable given the heat.
c) a sure fire winner with lots of variety
Having said that the other thing that comes to mind is, why limit yourself to one place with a month to play in the summer? Think about 2 weeks in Squamish and the rest in the high Sierra, tuolumne, etc.
In any case- have fun!!!!