Sol

The cannonhole ridge is awesome, an area classic for sure. As far as ratings go, its mostly about 5.2. But, the memorable traverse goes at about 5.8. But its not like push your limits trying to lead this 5.8; its a good pitch of 5.8 for solid 5.10 climbers. It only takes a short half day from an area bivy.

Climb: Gunsight Range-Various Date of Climb: 8/7/2006 Trip Report: My good friend Martins Putelis and I spent Aug 1-8 in the fabled Gunsight Range. We spent the first couple days slogging our way up through Bachelor Creek and over to the Dome/Chickamin col with some pretty monstrous loads. We climbed Dome, and then traversed the Chickamin Glacier to an immaculate bivy on the nunatak directly beneath the W Face of the North Gunsight Pk. The Chickamin had a few thin bridges, and was gained via a sketchy downhill leap across a five-foot gap in a broken snowbridge. Near the summit of Dome: Tower of Babel Bivy: We gave the W Face of the North Pk. a shot on our first day. P1 went fine, but we had a hard time locating the line to pull the roof and access the prominent cracks above on P2. Figuring we had plenty of time we bailed off with intentions to return. With plenty of time left in the day we scoped a different line in the cirque and gave it a whirl. The first pitch lived up to everything we had heard about the range, splitter fingers on perfect, clean, well protected granite, it clocked in at about 9+. P2 was a differnt deal a loose yet fun 10a chimney we dubbed the Hall of Hollows: We rapped from the top of p2, stoked on an adventerous and fun first day in the range. Day 2 saw us traversing onto the Blue Glacier to see if this hook-em-dook-em about the top of the 1979 Skoog/Brill line on the E face of the Main pk. falling off was really true. Well, it was, its gone. Not wanting to waste the day, we looked to the right of the line onto the NE face to see if anything else would go. We spotted a few nice looking cracks that lead to a prominent flake breaking the headwall above. what the hell, lets do this. The climb couldn't have gone any better, splitter, mostly well-protected, onsight, and all free at 10c. FA: NE Face Main Gunsight Pk. III 5.10c Sol Wertkin and Martins Putelis August 7, 2006 P1: from the moat crossing at the very bottom of the face work left on ledges and ramps to the base of two prominent hand-sized cracks to the right of the 1979 line, just left of a dark corner 5.6 P2: Climb the twin hand cracks to a ledge, move just right and climb wild eroded out dyke fist crack, move left, mantle, and continue via face holds to a good belay 5.10b Martins getting ready to mantle: Looking up the twin cracks from the base: P3: Traverse right via prominent flake, mantle and continue up, look left around corner to perfect splitter, climb splitter to arete belay 5.10a. Martins seconding P3: P4. Work up thin corner on right, move left to prominent flake seen from below. Pull bulge on left-hand side of flake into mind blowing splitter in amazing position. Continue up to slab of E face and climb left via runouts to good belay on base of the SE ridge. A long pitch 5.10c Beginning of P4: Pulling into the splitter: P5: Continue up moderate and airy ridge to summit. 5.7 SE ridge with Sinister in the background: The next day we woke up late and climbed the unique and fun South Cannonhole Ridge on the S Gunsight Pk. Its a super fun ridge that besides the memorable traverse is quite easy. Martins starting the traverse: Myself contemplating the Cannonhole: Stoked, we bowed down to the Gunisight gods and thanked them for the great time. Gear Notes: NE Face: Glacier gear, double set of cams to #3,one #4. Double ropes. Cannonhole ridge: single set to #3, nuts, single rope. Approach Notes: just pm if you really want this stuff.

that would be moses and john.

Proabaly dragontail, a3+ direct start to green dragon, easily topropeable from anchors at base of p2.

I haven't climbed there since around 2001, so I am not sure of the condition. Some of the bolts in the pumphouse are definetly a bit questionable. The crux bolts on Go-Go and Superbad have been replaced. Most of the routes in the Pumphouse have fixed carabiners on the the anchors for lowering, i've replaced a few of these, but there are still a bunch of the creaky ass original biners up there which really suck to clip when your pumped out of your mind. I don't remember the name of it but i would defineltly recommend the steep arete that you stick clip, the guide says 12b but its not. Huge steep dynamic moves.

i'd say, fix it. whatever it takes to keep people climbing and cleaning the more obscure routes at Index. anybody know the condition of Apes and Ballerinas over there?

Scrubbed Jungle Fun 10b, and the "5.8" approach pitch to Madsen's ledge on the UTW the other day. If you've never climbed Jungle Fun or Tempichuous go climb them, Tempichous is frickin incredible. Trying to scrub up Sisu as well. sol

ty's right, even the routes not listed in Cramer's or Cummins respective index guides as clean aid, now go clean. i don't think iron horse goes through the roofs clean, but don't nail it, its a freeclimb. want more clean aid at the ltw: ten percent meterological vinculation p1 c2, narrow arrow direct p1 c2/c3 p2-4 c1, narrow arrow overhang p1 c2, stern farmer p1 c2 p2 c3f, shirley p1 c3.

looking for a blue beanie and a parit of rei fleece glove at spindex, beers for info.

third pillar of dana = splifter chad climbing.

holy shit andrew, glad you're ok. i have also felt the post traumatic effects of placing mysekf in a hazardous climbing situation. i felt all dirty and didn't talk to anyone for like 2 days, and barely left my house for a week. don't worry though you'll get through it, for now, dont go climbing, just mellow out, spend some time drinking, or maybe a nice nature-hike. before long the bad mojo will shake off and you will return to being a wiser and more experienced climber. i've got one straight shaft black prophet that you can borrow as long as you like, just pm me. sol

go surfing.

i think the best thing to do on that route is link p2(the 5.9 roof) with p3(the 10a handcrack) with the "11a" extension for 110 ft 5.10c. jump on phone calls from the dead, that things about spot on for 5.11a.

thanks for the beta, see ya at index.

hey archenemy or mistermo, how's the weather in index right now? did it rain last night, any thoughts on climbing tomorrow? thanks alot for any beta guys.

yeah, what he said ya fucking wankers!

covered in tons of fresh snow and lots of windslabs.

by my calculations you would need a 81.9385783374823748374838738383847438 meter rope to climb the GD in two pitches

I rope-soloed the Green Dragon on friday the 3rd. Though normally climbed in 5 pitches i was able to link it together in 3 with a 70m rope: Pitch 1: rather than climb the original start to the dragon, i started with the first pitch of DH/LA, Town Crier. I traversed into the first pitch from the ledge system that starts just above the flat staging area to the left of the first pitch. from this initial anchor I was able to link this first pitch with the second pitch of the green dragon with about 15 ft of my 70m rope to spare. Pitch 2: linked 3 and 4 easily with 70m rope, could proably be done using a 60m. Pitch 3: climbed standard fifth pitch to anchors and topout. worth noting that because of rope drag it would be difficult to link the first two and the second two if not using a solo-system. also, the fixed pins on the traversing section of pitch 5 are gone, goes clean with small cams and gardening. all in all, an efficient way to experience what i think is the best moderate aid route on the upper town wall.

its hard to actually talk about routes that usually will be dry because the rock tends to dry in sections, with the lower pitches retaining their seepage for longer than the top pitches. p2 and 3 of davis holland , the top half of p1 of godzilla p2 of city park and slow children,breakfast of champions, p2 of thin fingers, dana's arch, sentry box, p3 heart of the country all dry the quickest. the wall routes on the upper town wall take quite a while to dry because of runoof from the waterfall but are all climable even in a downpour, it just depends on how much you are willing to suffer.

so are you asking what will be dry at index when it does not stop raining? nothing

thanks mister mo, any thoughts on the feasability of freeclimbing tomorrow?

anybody been to index lately?

expired passport is definetly not a go. you can renew your passport for $60, and then pay and additonal $60 to get it rushed, mine took about 2 weeks.

negative. san pedro is road accessed. fukin dumass stoner northwest weather got you down dickwad. maybe you haven´t heard about the hurricane that hit the area a couple a months ago. travel to san pedro from the south is not recommended as of 2 weeks ago because of unstable and missing roads. loser.