Blake

I don't think Sol is any better of an artist than I am, so we didn't think about drawing a topo. Here's a written description that should have more than enough info: The route begins significantly lower than the "West Face" route. All pitches are very well protected, and we are guessing it will go free (except the roof) at 5.11. Begin below the enormous roof. P1) Up and left into a R-Facing slabby corner, leading to a tree and steeper wall. From above the tree, belay at base of mossy corner. P2) Up the splitter cracks to the base of the roof. P3) Out the roof, second half is 2" sustained. One fixed cam at lip of roof. Up to 'Yin-Yang' ledge 15' above lip of the roof. P4) Move right on flakes and knobs into long corner, and up to the top. Will be a classic pitch when clean. P5) Up low 5th class ground to the base of vertical streaked headwall. P6) Up a R-Facing corner to a pillar top, then step out right and onto the wall. Climb into a cave and belay. P7-P8) We short-fixed these and ran them together. You are climbing a vertical wall, past one roof, and on splitter cracks. Everything from small offset nuts to #3 camalots can be used. It would also go as one pitch. Belay at the base of a flaring corner with smaller crack in the back. P9) Up the flare, then follow splitter L-Facing corner (.75") to a fixed-pin belay, supplemented by RPs. P10) Make the great escape by climbing up and right, and then back left through a little chimney to flatter ground. P11-14?) Follow blocky and easy terrain (steps of mid-fifth) up and to the summit ridge, where class 3 ground leads to the summit. We did this with headlamps and I can't recall a lot except for climbing up under a giant chockstone feature, and tunneling out the right side for an escape.

Darin, did you guys leave a #2 camalot on the summit? Complete East Ridge of Silver Star looks fun, especially if not getting snowed on.

Trip:Silver Horn - Playin' Not Sprayin' - III 5.10 Date: 8/31/2008 Trip Report: Armed with the prospect of cold and stormy weather on an August weekend, myself an David Trippett (AviTripp) headed east to a beautiful valley on the forgotten side of Silver Star Peak with thoughts of unclimbed granite and storm avoidance. The objective was a clean-looking spire known as The Silver Horn, an apt name given the white granite on its flanks. Red arrow marks the spot. We woke up on the morning of the 31st to ice and frosty conditions, a theme that would continue throughout the day. After some steep alpine travel to get the blood pumping, we reached the base of the wall. From the base we climbed 8 pitches of cracks, flakes, and corners, with the occasional loose funk. A ledge splits the face at mid-height. Below the ledge we were to the left of " The Chalice" (Berdinka/Thibault '05) and it looks like we started off the halfway ledge to the right of their climb. The finishes were certainly separate, but we may have shared some ground around p7. P1 Begins with a big clean flake, before moving right to the base of a long corner. P2 & P3 Follow the corner on nice cracks. P4 Avoids the chossy roof with flakes and splitters off to the right. Snow and ice began to fall on us during this pitch, and frosty white flakes continued for much of the day. P5 From the ledge, David drew the lead, and embarked on a really nice pitch sustained at 5.10. This involved some roofs, mantles, and a long corner crack. P6 Stayed through the corner, before moving out right to a pedestal belay. The man in black rockin' the white CiloGear Pack... P7 Began with some loose funkiness before a great stemming corner and steep crux moves. P8 We finished straight up the chimney to the summit. Pictures don't do it a whole lot of good, but the climbing was really fun, solid, and hard to the finish. From what felt like a cave in the middle of the summit, a frozen-fingered pullup and mantle move around a little roof landed us on the top of the spire. Overall this was a fun time in a beautiful and less-frequented corner of the Washington Pass. Thanks to Darin for the trip suggestion! Gear Notes: Doubles of cams and a set of nuts. Bring Rappel stuff or be prepared to use what was probably Fred Beckey's shoe string... Approach Notes: Up The Cedar Creek trail - turn right at the creek crossing draining the objective face.

Nice write-up Sol! This was a blast... totally wild climbing. What a treat to be able to alpine climb in those conditions. Sol was a speedy aid rope-gun and the route will be a classic free climb, even if you aid through the "Colchuck Reality" roof.

Darin, it's not my fault that you and Matt are old and slow. Dan and I went from the creek to blue glacier camp in 5 hours. I think it took John and I a similar time. Just cause you are twice as old, doesn't mean it should take twice as long! There was seriously no attempt to sandbag, sorry if it ended up that way. :-) In July, I think there would be lots of time to climb Sol's East Face route on the day you get to camp. (We did the E face of the South Peak). Given the shorter days of September, it would be a lot more difficult. Climb the Cannonhole route on the day you get there. The way John and I started is via a really fun diehedral and face climbing pitch. Sol, I'll give you the beta this weekend. Also, just check your email.

http://www.squamishclimbing.com/squamish_climbing_bb/viewtopic.php?t=1954

Right on Eric, looks like a fun climb.

Gram, I sent you a Personal Message.

Nice job Matt. Not a bad way to 'salvage' the trip. Now that you know the descent, I think the Megalodon is calling your name even louder.

Finger of Fate or in that neighborhood.

Great TR rad. You and Brandon had the right idea about waiting until the afternoon to climb this thing. It is cold up there an doesn't get much sun at all, especially not until late afternoon.

If anyone has 5-8 days free, or knows someone who does, there is an 'experience and prolific' NW climber looking for a partner. Rockies, selkirks, or somewhere dry in the NW.

Way to go Leor, that is awesome work. What kind of shoes did you wear? How about Colin?

Thanks, but it was Darin Berdinka who told me how good the rock was out there, and Peter who did half the leading on it.

Pete was a great partner, except he kept trying to drop stuff (like ice tools) on my head from above. A few more photos and route description, as well as I can remember it. The beautiful approach and camp Castle Peak North Face – Middle Buttress The “Colorado Route” generally follows the buttress crest, the climb Peter and I did was off to the left side of the wall. The glacial moat may be an obstacle late in the year. Two snow patches above the glacier may block parts of the route. All Lengths and grades are approximate. Clouds giving way to sun in the morning P1. Begin in the blocky line just left of the gulley/chimney on the left edge of the buttress. Toward the end there is a wide crack, most of the pitch is low 5th. 70m 5.8 P2. Climb up and right to the top of the snow, aim for the clean wall below a L-Facing corner. 20m Low 5th P3. Up unprotected face climbing to the corner, which has good gear (fixed LA piton in place). From the top of the crack, hard 5.10 face climbing leads to a ledge. 30m 5.10+ P4. Face climb left from the belay, then up the perfect flakes and cracks to the pedestal above. 40m 5.10- P5. Move down and left from the belay to a hidden corner, and work your way back up and right to a spot above the belay. 30m 5.7 P6. Left and up to the bottom of a long seam/ finger crack. Move left at the base of the crack, and up around a series of corners and roofs. We belayed down near the chimney. 45m 5.10 P7. Up the featured arête to the right of the chimney/gulley, then up a perfectly white shallow dihedral, undercling right, and belay. Small TCUs usefull. Some may find this pitch runout. 5.10 30m P8. Climb left and pull into fantastic hidden finger crack in left-facing corner. Move right at the top. 40m 5.10- P9. Traverse right along a ledge and pull up in a long corner/dihedral with two trees in it. The cracks here became mossier but good flakes and edges abound. 75m 5.7 p.10 Move left into a corner choked with moss. Follow this upward ~10m until you can move left onto the amazing golden stripe of quartz. 75m 5.8 p.11 Follow the golden stripe upward and leftward, near the gulley/chimney again. End at a ledge and amphitheatre below many overhanging walls. 80m 5.8 P.12 The best option would be to move left up a finger crack/corner to the crest on the left, and follow it to the top. We went up the gulley, across snow, then up a weird V1 boulder overhang and rightward to the top. 80m 5.7 The scenic de-proach Gear to 3” with small cams and pins (knifeblade, Lost Arrows) useful. Descent is down the E. Ridge to snow slopes.

I told the Alpinist guy to hold off, as my photos weren't much, and on a postage-stamp sized screen Peter's looked better. But Peter doesn't have the interweb at his house, I went to utah for 8 days on work and dropped off the map, the mailman evidently went on strike, yada yada yada. I'll describe the route topo and more pics in the morning pending receipt of said photo CD from Pete. I think it's worthy of a repeat. The area is beautiful at least and worth the hike in on its own.

that's about the worst place for them i can image. Did you fall onto that upside down piton at the roof?

This formula was developed by Gore for restoring DWR to clothes with Gore-Tex.

The criteria for my list is similar to the one Wayne described. Routes that look good, enjoyable, and not too much chossy death climbing. Also, they must be overlooked or fairly new, and hence not included in Selected Climbs. (Some I have done, others look really good). I'm sure i'm missing several winter climbs. There are some great TRs with good writing, etc that I didn't list because the route itself sounded scary or not too fun. (Navigator Wall and Mox Peak come to mind...) Les Cornes - Springbok Arete Back of Beyond Buttress - SW BC Cathedral Peak - SE Buttress (and Ampitheatre mtn) Mt. Shuksan - NW Arayete South Twin Sister - Mythic Wall Spectre Peak - Haunted Wall White Chuck - East Face Couloir Forbidden - NW Face South Early Winter - The Passenger Gunsight Range - Gunrunner Gunsight Range - West Face ( Free ) ( Mere Mortals Edition ) Gunsight Range - East Face WA Pass - Billygoat Buttress - Easy Getaway Chiwawa Mtn - Intravenous Salish Peak and Roan Wall - South Faces Three Fingers - NE Face Dragontail - Dragons of Eden Asguard Pass Prusik Peak - Solid Gold Snow Creek Wall - Northern Dihedral Direct Baron Falls Tower - Carpal Tunnel

You can climb up the rock to the left if there is no snow. There are several options, nothing harder than mid 5th class.

Name that route or mountain

It's a big steep chossy wall. I did the FA of the East Ridge/skyline a few years ago and explored at the base of the wall the day before, in addition to climbing across the top of it. We heard a few instances of spontaneuous rockfall, so I'd suggest sticking to the most prominent ribs and sheltered areas when possible. Winter may have less of this, but the face gets almost no sun, and doesn't really form any ice to speak of. However, the approach isn't too bad (although probably involves 5,000'+ of elevation gain). If you go in the winter, bring your skis and plan on a ski trip with some possible climbing. You can see the Stehekin Bakery from the summit, and if you get up there without some celebratory cookies or cinnamon rolls in your pack, you will regret it.

Bump... who else is going?

Are you really trying to claim that CM cyclists follow traffic laws? They claim they're trying to raise awareness, but all they're doing is pissing people off and acting like punks. I mostly agree with FW here. I ride my bike all around Bellingham, have done longer groups rides that share the road, and fully support cycling in urban areas. However, my one critical mass experience was enough for me, and i left halfway through. It struck me as an excuse to let mob mentality take control and basically do whatever you wanted to, because you were now part of a big gang of bike riders who could control the flow of traffic. Instead of picking roads with 2 lanes in each direction, bike lanes, etc, etc, they just rode VERY slowly in a loud mob on downtown roads where they could not be passed. It was more a spectacle to see what they could get away with, and how much of a distrurbance they could cause, almost taunting the drivers to try and 'deal with this!' I felt bad for the working mom trying to get home after work on friday to her family, or the elderly couple stuck behind this uncooperative group of riders going 5mph for blocks at a time. My distinct impression was that most drivers who witness Critical Mass would come away from the experience LESS likely to respect/appreciate bikers, or bike themselves in the future.

The best route on Forbidden is the NW face. Don't consider your forbidden experience complete without it. It's one of the best climbs in the Cascades.