Highlander

Climbed the Grand Wall on Saturday and my body is still feeling it. A great day on the wall!

Go climb J-Berg, you know you want to. Short approch and no need for the helo.

I am there, I love a good flail fest.

quote: Originally posted by iain: Might want to mention that's on the Eliot. I assumed he meant ice cragging on the elliot.

Just above the first icefall is pretty good. the higher you go the bigger the slots.

Texplorer used duct tape to strap his crampons onto his running shoes, while crossing a pocket of death glacier.

Here is another long boring gapeward TR Texplorer and I planned to climb the NE Buttress of Slesse on 8/30/02 in a one day push, instead we climbed a new route. We started hiking by 3:45 A.M. and quickly reached the memorial plaque. Neither of us had been in the area before, and the cloud layer left us with very poor visability. We followed Beckey's advice and dropped down into the basin below (mistake #1). We should have followed the ridge up to the propellar cairn. We continued up the moraine and scambled up to a snow field to the left and below a glacier. We assumed this was the notorius pocket glacier we needed to cross to get to the bypass variation (mistake #2). Little did we know toe of the NE Buttress was just to our left. We climbed a steep wet slab 5.7 to gain the glacier. We crossed the glacier midway making a rightward traverse. Huge seracs and the heavily broken glacier made for some challeging climbing with my alluminum crampons and running shoes. Large blocks were breaking off below us, reafirming that this was a volatile place to be. We made it safely accross and decided we were not going back accross the pocket of death glacier no matter what. We spotted a buttess with a large shelf below it and assumed it was the start of the NE Buttress (mistake #3). The clouds began to lift and we got a view of the true route across from us. We decided to continue on. We bagan on the right side of the buttress, after some scrambing the climbing turned into 5.8 tree climbing for a couple of pitches. We made a left ward traverse to escape the steepening ridge (and vegitaion) out onto the face. Most of the climbing for the next 1000ft was 4th class to mid fifth class with the occasional 5.8 step. The rock was clean, solid granite and quite enjoyable. Not a lot protection options as there were few cracks. The climbing consisted of a mix of nice holds to friction climbing. We simul climbed til we came to a steep headwall. We chose to start up the wall to our left. The climbing became steeper and a little dirty and vegitated. After 1 or 2 pitches we came to the crux. A steep wall containing a bulge with vegitated cracks for pro. Karsten led this pitch in fine form. I would rate it 5.10+ and very strenous, sustained and runout. If cleaned it would protect. A couple more scary pitches with climbing up to 5.8 led us to cross over ridge. The descened down to the New Slesse Creek trail, where we discovered our bike was stolen(it was now 9:00 PM). Luckily I caught a ride back to the truck with some drunken teenagers. Thought I might be killed by the way this guy drove. We bivied at the parking area eating the last of our horsecock, and were harrased by snafflehounds in the night. The route starts up the Prominent Buttress north of the Fraser Ribber and out onto the face, 2000ft of rock climbing (Grade IV 5.10). I would not reccomend the route, although it does contain some fun climbing. Bring pitons or enjoy the runouts as we did. Reccomend the crossover decent, wish we had used it.

If your fit do it in a day, so you do not have to carry extra weight. Go super light. take crampons, watch the weather closely. Its a major slog, enjoy.

quote: Originally posted by Dru: quote:Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: Yeah but you did a new route what fun. The "Big Bitch" aint going anywhere last I heard. You'll send it and now you got a ood idea what it's like in there. I think you should walk up to the propellar cairn and then across the ER Notch next time so you dont get "holy lostness batman!" Also that way there is less ice to fall on you. You guys see the big chunk of landing gear in the lower bowl? We saw the landing gear and plane parts everywhere. There was ice coming down to right of us as we ascended a steep polished slab (5.7) to gain the glacier. Pretty Intense

I was thinking of naming it "Bamboozled", because we got screwed due to clouds and poor visability. Guess I have to go back and climb the "Big Bitch" next year.

Cool. Tex made some bold leads on runout 5.10 overhanging vegitated cracks. Another fun epic in the alpine. I will submit a TR later. I am still trying to find out exactly what we climbed. Does that face have a name?

maybe I should take a cell phone just in case.

quote: Originally posted by texplorer: Sless-E, Sless-E, Sless-E I can hardly wait. Do you ever get so worked up your slobbering at the mouth. Probably not ya sporty wankers. Breakin the law, breakin the law Hopefully you will have that same level of excitement while riding on the bike by headlamp.

If you guys happen upon us on the death march out of there, and offer a ride. We will deffinatly buy you a beer. Cheers and good climbing this weekend!

I think I'll pack a lightsaber instead of an axe. Still planning on not bivying. Tex did score a bike, but its probably a kids bike he stole with training wheels still attached.

Anybody out there done the cross over decent, or have any good beta?

quote: Originally posted by TimL: Didn't get caught on Sunday but did on Saturday! Nice thunder and lightning. Its only the 2nd time this year I've been stuck under a boulder waiting for the skies to clear. Although this time we were descending from the top instead of retreating. Anybody know if there was bad weather in Leavenworth this weekend or was it just around WA Pass. Did the NR of Stuart on Saturday, brief shower while we were on the upper 1/4. It was thundering and lightening in the distance. We stayed on the summitt for about 30 seconds and left because we thought it was heading our way, but the heavy stuff never made over stuart.

quote: Originally posted by freeclimb9: quote:Originally posted by sexual chocolate: [QBWhat is "fairly well", as far as pay goes? I'm just curious....I've had thoughts of teaching.... $40/day here in The Prophet's country. Starting salary for a certified teacher is about $16,000/year. Now West Coast . . . A single day's pay in L.A. for a subsitute teacher can go as high as $250. My Uncle subs in the San Luis Obispo area for $100/day. What it be in Oregon and Washington?[/QB] 115-130 a day and most offer bonus for number of days worked.

FS: what time? place?

just use the loose 4th class gully to the left of the couloir. It has rap slings all over the place, but its fairly easy to down climb. Watch out for rock fall if your below your partner.

check your pm. I need to a partner thursday for some cragging at Index

quote: Originally posted by Greg W: Ice axe as nut tool, when your partner takes off on the next lead carrying the only nut tool. I forgot about that Greg.

Spend 1 day at Castle Rock. You can start practically from your car on the lower rock going to the upper rock with the Fault 5.6, catapult, 5.8, the Bone 5.9. Routes to do on the upper rock: Saber 5.4, Midway 5.5, Canary 5.8+, South Face 5.8+, Damnation Crack 5.9, Angel 5.10, Crack of Doom 5.10. In the Icicle: Orbit and Outer Space are always fun. Trundle Dome has a couple of good routes: Flake Fest 5.9 and Sonic Boom 5.10. The regular route on Careno crago is really good. (4 pitches) Givelers Dome: Givlers Crack 5.8, and Bo Derek 5.10

Beware the start of Canary on Castle Rock. I recall being off the ground quite aways before I could put in my first piece of pro. Poor landing. Just a couple of factors to keep in mind.[/QB] I saw a visiter of the site take a grounder on Canary.

Put a big X on your helmet to give the mountaineers a better target.