Toast
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Posts posted by Toast
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So something catches on the trigger end of the rope as you descend, then you get down real quick
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I've never been to K&K, but it's close enough I can crawl home.
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Playing around in the shop, they felt ever so wobbley. I didn't like that. Also, from what I understand they place quite differently. How do they feel to place?
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Snugtop, is it really your birthday?
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I dunno, Shizzy, I probably wouldn't have ventured out to Goose Egg Mountain without Yoder's beta. We drove out there Friday morning, climbed lots of routes at RC and the Oasis, Rode the Lightning on Saturday, and got bit by Ed's rope eating crack at the Bend today. Had to cut off about 12' from a nearly brand new Mammut bi-weave sixty
But all in all it was good. In fact, it was great. The weather was perfect, we only ran into one climbing party all weekend, and to top it off, all the routes were new to me.I give Crackima
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Nice TR by the way
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Um, if I remember correctly, you're a Mountaineer
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I am interested--especially if it is somewhere with pool tables.
The Sloop!
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We didn't have any problems with crevasses, but that was a month ago now. There are lots of options on where to bivy, but there was a nice spot near the second col that drops you down to where you'd start.
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What a hottie!
I'm curious though, what's that in the left pocket? Looks like a little package of...
American Spirits of course
Happy Birthday Snugtop
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Nice! Sorry I missed out. I took my nieces out fishing to Potholes and caught my first Bass.
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How much should I tip my RMI guide on my summit climb this week?
Or another way of saying it:
How grateful should I be to my guide for helping to haul my sorry ass up the side of a big-ass mountain?
You might want to think of this more in terms of how grateful you'll be if he/she saves your ass from getting hurt. I'm met a few guides, and most know their shit and have been very helpful even though I wasn't a client. In general, they don't get paid very well, and they do it because they love their sport and sharing that love with a newb like you. Keep in mind the guide outfit gets most of the fees you pay. My $0.02, I wouldn't feel bad about tipping them well.
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Can somebody hook me up with a committee level contact in the WAC? PM me or send me an email to ttsuboi at oz dot net.
Thanks,
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I think we had a 60. It wasn't my rope though.
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I met him in Ouray this year. He almost squeezed my hand off
He's a strong muthaphucker. Glad he made it out alive. -
I didn't realize this beforehand, but it's helpful to have a second rope for a double rope rappel off the first pitch of this route. There is an intermediary rap station to the left about 25 meters down, but for a number of reasons I really didn't like it.
Anyway, a heads up.
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Yeah, but you guys are hardcore
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I'm seriously thinking about picking up the Shadow 55 for use as a summer and winter mountaineering pack.
Does the 3300 cui hold enough for 2 or three overnighters (summer and winter)? I have a habit of packing as possible so I would assume so.
Also, is the fabric strong enough to take scrapes and rubs from rock and tools? Had any problem with rips or punctures?
I used the 55 this week for a three day trip up to Dorado Needle and Eldorado(rock/glacier.) It was just big enough for me. I stuffed a rope inside but had to strap my helmet on the outside. I had space to spare, though. I could have overpacked a few things, used the spindrift collar and extended up the top lid if I needed to. For winter, though, that might be tough (more food, more clothes, bottle of booze...)
I have a few pin pricks showing and a scuff or two, but burlier material = more weight. For the most part, I really like the Shadow 55.
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So's you can post 'em same day
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Klenke, we gotta get you a digital camera. Nice pix, though
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is the obvious col in this picture
(at base of the snow arete) the access gulley to the NW Couloir? No, it'll be more obvious if you look at a topo map. I think it's the same approach we made, but you'll end up traversing the unnamed glacier way left (i.e. south.) Nelson and Potterfield call it the Marble Creek Glacier, but it's unnamed on my map.
The col is due north about a mile from the tip of rock rib that runs east from Eldorado Peak. I think Nelson/Potterfield call it Dean Deak, but it's listed on USGS quads as Tepeh Towers. Note, it's labeled Tepeh in two places, the obvious col is between these two. That'll drop you onto the McAllister Glacier. From there, traverse down and left (due west) to a gap that will drop you onto the unnamed glacier that sits between Dorado Needle and Eldorado. You might PM PMS for verification. Hope that helps.
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Climb: Dorado Needle-SW Buttress
Date of Climb: 8/3/2005
Trip Report:
Erin, Kevork and I climbed Dorado Needle on Wednesday. We started out Tuesday morning, made camp at the base of Eldorado, and did a quick recon from the summit of Eldorado Peak.
Unfortunately, the route description managed to somehow vanish from it's hiding spot, and none of us had a duplicate. Our alpine climb suddenly turned into an adventure climb at this point. Good thing I stopped by Jim's shop the week before. He gave me a helpful pointer - the starting point of the route outlined in the photo on page 153 of Selected Climbs Vol. II is INCORRECT. Jim was good enough to point out the correct route, and I burned a mental image of it. This would prove to be super helpful later. From our vantage point, we could clearly see our start. From there we'd have to wing it. As best I can tell, this is the route we took.
We woke the next morning about 4:30 to a beautiful sunrise.
After a quick bite to eat and a blue bag we were on our way. The snow was crisp and firm. This was gonna be a great day. The crossing over the Inspiration Glacier was uneventful, but we did zig zag our way through a field of several crevasses.
There are two cols to pass, one between the Inspiration and the McAllister glaciers, the other between the McAllister and an unnamed glacier that sits between Dorado Needle and Eldorado Peak. I didn't realize this was actually a glacier till I passed a crevase. Kevork gave me a dim glare. At that point I promptly slowed down and stopped plunge stepping to catch up to him.
The start of the SW Buttress route begins in a large alcove hidden by the prominent ridge that runs southwest.
Behind it, there was a long finger of snow that lead all the way up to the start gulley. I cut off a few minutes by scrambling over a quick Class 4 bulge on the ridge and ascended slabby rock till it ran out.
At that point, any savings I'd made was lost in strapping my crampons back on for 100' of bulletproof, steep snow that would lead us to the start gulley (we skipped the white slabs mentioned in the route descriptions.)
We simul-climbed the whole route in four leads. Kevork took the first two and suffered the worst of the routefinding puzzles. The belay station at the start gulley was absolutely horrible. Erin and I crouched the whole time ducking barrages of choss and pebbles. We lost a little time in going up a few dead ends. Howver, from what I could tell, there are plenty of other folks who've had their own route finding issues. Just remember, when you get up to the slabs, do not get sucked back in towards the gulley to the right - stay left.
It was my lead next. I was pretty sure we were way too far off to the left till somebody mentioned the word gendarme - it was right in front of me. Bingo, I suddenly remembered reading about a gendarme. At this point we were pretty sure we were on route. From there I descended benches to the left and headed up one of several gullies that pointed up toward the ridge. When Erin came up, she said she recalled reading about a black dike. I had passed several dikes of dark grey rock sandwiched between the granite. At this point we knew we were on track. Erin led up to the ridge and got the glory pitch to the summit.
We basked in the sun for a while then downclimbed the very exposed traverse back to the rap station. One double rope rap will get you onto the snow and into the safety of the glacier moat.
This was one of the most fun and adventure filled climbs I've done. No doubt, it is absolutely chossy, and the pro on the lower half of the climb is sketch, but the climbing is fun and varied with a whole lot of awesome exposure and killer views.
A quick snapshot of the full North Face of Eldorado.
Here's a pic of the NW Ridge which is also the descent route.
To my climbing partners, Erin and Kevork, thanks for the super fun outing!
Gear Notes:
Ice axe, crampons, set of nuts, cams (three smallest TCU's, 0.5 - 3.0 Camalots, doubles in a few sizes,)lots and lots of double slings.
Approach Notes:
Approach via standard route to Eldorado Peak. We did not hit snow till the Eldorado Glacier. Proceed north across the Inspiration Glacier to a col that leads to the McAllister Glacier. Descend to an obvious col that leads to SW Buttress route. Pass the long ridge of rock that hides the alcove mentioned in the guide books. Start in the dirty gulley to the LEFT of the chimney.
See CAG Vol. II, Second Edition, page 284 and/or Selected Climbs in the Cascades Volume II, pages 151 - 157 (note error in route depicted on page 153 - see warning above.)
Right now the snow is bullet proof hard and steep in some places. Running water is scarce but was found at the toe of the Eldorado Glacier, along the rock edge of the Eldorado East Ridge, and near the long rock ridge that hides the start of the SW Buttress route.
Rappel trick - Save a cam?
in Climber's Board
Posted · Edited by Toast
I think I'd be less concerned about the cam and more concerned about the biner. The biner is stiff all around and is probably going to take hard impacts all the way down. The cam has lots of springy/bendy stuff. It'd have to impact in just the right orientation for it to take the same hard impact.
Guys in Yosemite make a business collecting pro at the bottom of cliffs and peddling it at Camp 4. I might buy a cam for cheap cheap, but I don't think I'd buy a biner.