Dane

Joe Lind from CdA posted this July 5 2012. I've added comments on the routes. "Went to Chimney today. As we arrived at the base I noticed a ton, probably hundreds of tons, of rock on the snowfield that seemed out of place. Looking up at the East Face I was shocked. The following routes no longer exist! Greystoke Magnum Force UNI White Lightning Kimmie Yahoody Pitch 2 of Cooper Hiser The following partial routes or routes still exist. East Face Direct Canary Legs Cooper Hiser pitch 1 Free Friends Tsunami Illusion/Eye of the Tiger Graymatter NE Face" No surprise really. New routes to do now!!! ...but likely you don't want to be there until things settle down some. ;-) Zach Turner's photos: A HUGE CAUTION here. Of the 3 major flake systems left intact (East Face Direct column, Free Friends Column and Eye of the Tiger Column) on the east face, only the 4th has come off in my life time climbing there (40+ years of climbing there and nothing had changed drastically since the 1930s that I know of) And while the Cooper/Hiser chimney was an obvious hazard to me for decades the rest of the route is now rubble in the valley. As are the ones I considered VERY solid... My point is none of the east face climbs are safe right now IMO.... Any one of those huge flake systems could just as easily fall off as Magnum Force and the rest did last week. I would suspect the thing to be rather unstable after a huge rock fall like this or any time after heavy rain of a melt freeze. Better to be careful and conservative here for a while! The climb pictured below, Yahoody, and all the climbs left of the climbs is gone!

Bummer? Sure, but no surprise really. New routes to do now!!! ...but likely you don't want to be there until things settle down some. ;-) Zach Turner's photos:

FYI. Sol is spot on. Lots of big snow banks still on the DT's face, and a ton of running water. I climbed a good bit yesterday totally soaked and very cold. Still water ice high on the face and a ton of frost shatter rock. More than I ever seem to remember. (G/S and Backbone this time) Very easy to see a slip on wet rock or a seeming solid hold come off in your hand right now or blow a foot. Because of the wet conditions we had signifigant rock fall most of the day with a sunrise start on the climb. The climbing will be a lot more fun after just a few weeks of good weather and sun shine. Please BECAREFUL out there! Again, our prayers for friends and family.

It is sad. Our hearts go out to family and friends. Pure speculation on my part but from where the body was found he could have been soloing the Gerber/Sink, Backbone, or may be even Serpentine (unlikely I would think) or been higher up and on the Fin itself. I would think a fall from the Fin the most likely from the description given and the difficulty of the Fin by comparison to the rest of the routes mentioned. Good look down at the ledge systems below the Fin. Sadly Dragontail has a long list of fatalities on this side of the face. (more than anywhere else in the range I believe)

Agreed..GREAT TR! But have to differ with you Nate on several counts. ;-) First one is Temple has some very good rock. Several 1000 feet of it if you are on the right line. The other? You are kidding right? 'Cuz aesthetically compared to a couple of other the longer routes on the face the G/J sucks in so many ways, including the line and rock quality. It is safer however. Good tip on Slawinski's website though. Topo of the G/J on Temple

Nice Andy! 1:34 to Muir and not having been on the mtn much is rock'in. As is the time to the summit and back. There are many much better routes to run up and down in skis. Nice to see you high light the game here! Not sure what all the prattle is about. Might simply be a zombie thing. Pays not to piss them off as you run by in a T-shirt ;-)

And a classic at that..winter or summer.

Here is a more recent piture and my old pair of Boreals looking down at Martin from the no hands rest mid way up the first pitch of FFs. You step into the right..hand crack.. from here and run it out to a good series of ledges higher up. The crack continues through the roof from there.

Good suggestions. But I'd like to offer a differing opinion. Although I can't think of a bad route there, having done all of the free routes several times over. Cooper/Hiser is a little loose and not getting any better over time. These are two of the best at the grades you are asking about I think. The best route on Chimney...almost all hand crack and super sharp edged laybacks is Free Friends. East face and every bit is amazing crack climbing on perfect rock with plug in pro darn near any where. Only the roof (easy under cling actually) is a little harder and not much unless you try to lay back the entire thing out of the roof. If you can climb .10a hand cracks start on the first pitch and see how you fair. If that short pitch is too much, easy to get off from the upper ledge on that pitch. The adventure and climbing will be worth every second either way. It is one of the best crack climbs I have done anywhere..as in anywhere! It is also THE line on Chimney Rock among many. The west face? West Face Direct. Pro could be better on the crux corner shown below. But it is only 5.8. You'll want to be solid on 5.8. I wasn't my first trip up the climb. But it was "easy" enough. The 2nd ascent of Yahoody also on the east face...another spectacular line. And the 1st ascent of Fun Roof on the west face

I've been to 11K 7 or 8 times....never had a consensus and very few communal cups of joe there.

I want a nice BIG hut with radiant heated floors, heated sit down toilets with showers, a good view and a espresso stand @ 1700 Free Internet woudl eb appreciated too. Then they can close Mortorcycle hill any time they want so they can fill in those pesky crevasses that show up when it is not so avi prone.

I have, but not enough. Reminds me of the original Trango Extreme which I liked a lot. Almost a rock shoe but not quite...at least in the modern sense and this generation of climbers. Toe is like the original RD of 40 years ago from Galibier...all in sticky rubber and able to take a crampon of course. Warm, water proof and comfy.....as well as LIGHT weight! A modern RR? There could be worse comparisons. As a regular summer alpine boot for rocky persuits...it is going to be hard to beat. Although Salewa's Raven is right there as well and a little warmer I think. I really like this genre of mtn boot for summer use. Original Trangos Extremes.. Weight per boot in my size 46 is 1# 12oz. They seem to run a little tight and a little small, as a true technical (rock) shoe versions I think. I'm working on a review of all of them currently that will eventually be up at C/T. Easily half a dozen boots and more now out there in this catagory, give or take literally only an ounce or two for weight. The Salewa Raven I mentioned previous, the Trango Evo, North Face's new boot and the Zamberlan. The Zamberlan and the Rebel are more the "rock" shoe versions. These are my Rebel's when they were still new:

and they are very cool boots to BOOT ;-)

I've never taken them, never said I couldn't use a pair a time or two But decent sunglasses will get you buy 98% or the time. A good set of photochromic mtn glasses will do it 99.9% in the summer if you do what DPS suggests. The Julbo's are hip if you have the extra coin to spare. http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3781746&emssrcid=GoogleBase:PS3781746 But man good point on the sun block and chap stick...must haves or you will be sorry no matter what the weather. The other things I ALWAYS take on the volcanos are tums, advil and aspirin.

1st pitch is .11- fingers and well protected. Smaller the fingers the easier it is. Other than the roof and obvious aid just above it the other crux's I remember as easy 10. The topo seems to be what I remember.

FWIW I have never taken goggles on any of the NW volcanos...in summer or fall. Your Oakleys will be fine and a lot less hassle to pack around.

Anyone been up the Teanaway Road and on to Ingalls Pass lately? Curious how the approach to Staurt is from that side right now. thanks

This will be a real treat!

Oakleys will work fine if they are wrap arounds.

Short notice but anyone what to ski the Emmons tomorrow or Thur/Friday while the sun is out? My plan is to be at the WR trail head tomorrow leaving from Issaquah...but I have some flexibility on that for time or day. Send me a PM if you are interested.

Bob thanks for the great stories about Ron. Ron and Thom had more influence on where I took my own free climbing than anyone I met climbing besides yourself. They did some amazing cracks together here on the west side, the Stauart rance/Enchantments, at Chimney and Mini. Ron was one of the physically strongest climbers I had ever seen. MJ? I did it back in the late 70's with Jim Donini. I backed off the crux thinking I might die. Jim lead it with little effort, while laughing at my cowardice and giving me a good lashing. I was just embarrassed. I went back to MJ a couple of times but by then I thought it was great climbing...after that original run on a top rope and pretty thrilled to eventually find those little hidden flake incuts My vote would be BOLT AWAY!

I had Randy make two new ones..one for climbing and one for skiing. And a third one yet to be sewn up by Randy that is a bit bigger. Just trying to pass on some CCW goodness My new favorite alpine pack below. Same as the old ones but made sans a lid or the lid attachment points.

there ya go..

Jim...that IS an actual picture of the actual pack I am selling.

.....