KaskadskyjKozak

hey cool. When we walked up at first, I bet you were thinking... "great - 4 people going to be queued behind us...". ;-) Thanks for the DEET - I sprayed my arms and saw not one tick the whole day!

Trip: Snow Creek Wall - Champagne Date: 5/12/2012 Trip Report: My first attempt on this route a couple of years ago involved being off-route for the top half, and included a descent with my partner with one headlamp in the rain and dark. This time around things went more smoothly, although we did headlamp it out from the base of Outer Space. Snow Creek Wall from the Trail (I need to add the route location - will do it later): We headed up Snow Creek Trail at 8 am and were roped up and headed up pitch zero (the gully to Easter Tower) by 10:30. The first chockstone was manky as before, and the pull over was definitely not a four-star move. :-) The rest of the pitch was dry with some loose stuff and my partner, PG, knocked down one rock that glanced off my shoulder and almost ended the day before it started. Our other 2 partners (AC and LC), were leading ahead of us, and I listened and watched with consternation as LC led the first pitch (5.7) and complained about it being the "worst climb she has ever done". This was, of course, at the crux. When my turn came, my sails were a bit deflated, but I headed up nevertheless. View up the first pitch: The pitch starts on climber's right with a weird broken left-facing corner that seems to push you away, while you smear with your left foot. Then you come to a ledge, traverse left, and start up the worst part - a dirty crack. It took me a bit to get up this, which included heavy use of my wire brush and chock tool to perform extensive gardening, along with a stream of profanity and expressions of doubt about making this pitch. At the top of this crack there is a bolt, which I gratefully gripped and hung on for a rest. Next you smear right a few feet to a crack and the footing was, well, not so solid. Seeing how LC had struggled here a bit, and feeling off-put, I wankered out and kept hanging to place a cam, then hung on this until I got my nerve up, and finally headed up a steep series of cracks and chicken heads to the top of the pitch. View from top of pitch 1. Outer Space is in the background and we saw about 6 climbers spread out on it from this vantage point. PG lead pitch 2 up a thin crack, runout on chickenheads, a gully, and more runout on chicken heads. I am happy to report that no falcons dive-bombed us here as they did last time. The start of pitch 2: Here we were clearly below a chimney, and I wondered how we could have missed this last time as it is very obvious. I got the honors on this pitch, which turned out to be the most enjoyable of the day (although pitches 2 and 5 were very fun too). The chimney appears easier (and less vertical) from below than it actually is. It's definitely sustained with sparse pro in the upper half requiring you to work your way up and earn every inch of gain. The crux of this was a bulge, which I opted to move out and around (requiring more concentrated stemming) rather than try to squeeze my fat ass through from below. The anchor for pitch 3, which we nicknamed the "Double D Anchor": AC starts up pitch 3: AC working the chimney: Pitch 4 was the easiest, but quite shitty. It's very low 5th, with lots of loose sand and crappy footing even on the rock. Looking up pitch 4: I led on pitch 5 which was a fun low- to mid-5th class pitch up a left-trending gully. The moves were easy, but it was exposed from off the deck - as most of the pitches are. Pro was where you needed it, but required some creativity to place. The pitch ends on the ridge top of Snow Creek Wall, on its northern end, and high point. PG tops out on pitch 5: The final "pitch" involved a short, airy, low 5-th class traverse to an awkward rappel station. My hand at the top of pitch 5 showing wear and tear from the day's efforts: The final ridge traverse: We did three rappels down to scrambling terrain. We all had decided to return via the Orbit walk-off, so we fought our way uphill over dead fall and loose sidehilling to get there. We then stumbled downslope until we hit the obvious walk-off trail, which led us back to our packs at the start of Outer Space. it was dusk, so we donned head-lamps and started out, getting to our cars well after dark. Not quite as epic at last time but still late enough (speaking of epic...we saw headlamps high on Orbit as we walked out...hope all is well with that party). As for this way out versus the Pearly Gates walk-off I did last time... I'd say it's a wash as to which is better. At Gear Notes: Mid-size rack up to 3". Double-up on small cams to make the first pitch more sane. We placed a BD #10 hex several times on the route.

i'll bet you'd find that hot. sicko.

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nonsense. are you a kook about EVERYTHING?

because you don't. weather is nice out here... road trip out and let's climb!

Wonder bread is as awful as whole wheat bread.

yeah, it even drove Sobo to enlist! :lmao: Now that's fuq'n funny, I don' care who y'are! Glad you liked it! Here's to you over in the 'stan!

pound cake

Anyone been up Jeff recently? I'm curious how it's looking and if there's any hope for the rime to melt off the top by Memorial Day.

I agree that 3 is a bit young. Started mine at 5, 5, and 4. Tried the youngest at 3 and it did not work well. YMMV, of course. Good luck!

Less people to deal with on the Emmons as well...

but then how would he post on spray? and shit... how would he climb in Tieton, without companies making luxury items like cams and slings for something useless like climbing while people are starving?

but then how would he post on spray?

Well, certainly many of them deserve it. Esp. M$oft execs!

Why do you need to learn to ski? When they start they don't last long on the snow, you can snowboard during their class, and afterwards do a couple runs with them on the beginning groomers. "look at me dad/mom!" In a few years you can switch to snowboards for them, possibly with private instructors (or teaching yourself) if they are too young for group lessons.

It's more fun to have rich people to hate and be jealous of.

I got a policy long before I started climbing. :-)

I thought you stopped caring?

I quit giving a shit. [video:youtube]wIQWRHJq_kE&ob=av2e

Eye of the Hurricane, eh?

Uncle Tricky's partner can accommodate that request. Probably Ed can too.

Solyent Green!

Take Ed up on his offer to climb in Squamish. He can fill you in.

Indeed. Forget Spray... there's not even many TRs.