gavastik

Cool. We were just looking at Cutthroat from Liberty Bell yesterday.

Fair enough. But I didn't mean to complain. I said things like "nice traverse" and "fabulous day" in the OP. And I mean, it's not like I think anyone on this forum is in charge of the choss, so I'm lodging my complaint. Maybe think of it this way: my report supports the established opinion that it's a well-known chossy climb. For the next clueless not-yet-local who comes through. Cheers!

I can't help it if some people read my witty and honest assessment as whining, of course. ;-P I come from a place of love. But suggesting that I look for solid rock at the gym is pretty lame. There's wonderful, solid rock in the following places in the Cascades, klenke and kukuzka: Ingalls Peak, the Tooth, anything in Leavenworth, the granite domes of Darrington... And those are just the places I've personally climbed either in the three weeks I spent here 4 years ago, or in the 3 months I've been living here. Of course, if you prefer choss or the gym, that's your choice. Or maybe you put up this route, and I hurt your feelings? I'm sorry. FWIW, I loved the actual traverse pitch. And it's not your fault. And scottgg, you're right. I can't name another peak that fits the parameters. With this trip, I have discovered that sometimes I'd rather hike a bit further. We don't all have to love the same things. At least I won't be adding to any crowds knocking rocks on your head on this particular three-star destination.

Trip: Guye Peak (Alpental) - Improbable Choss Pile With A Nice Traverse Date: 10/13/2010 Trip Report: "So, you like this kind of stuff?", I ask Ed after the second pitch, a ginger tiptoe job over waterfall-covered loose rock with enormous rope-drag. (I likely went off-route, but it looked like the line of least choss.) Yeah, he says, it has this alpine feel. "So, you came back for this?", I keep probing after we get our money's worth on the "approach pitches" by belaying in unusual spots, and me failing to commit to the line suggested by an improbable-looking piton. Ed laughs and leads us to the Lunch Ledge. He's climbed that thing three times. He's crazy! And then he leads in style (tall-person variation) and I follow with a singing heart (no loose rock! fun moves! I'm glad I didn't have to trust my life to the second, moving piton!) the famous traverse, which is frankly the most probable thing on this entire mountain. I lead the fourth-class ramp by levitating over the scree and cutting steps in the pine needles. And finally we pitch out the improbable third class moves between walkable ledges, and yes, clip that piton that some young'uns were complaining about on this here forum earlier. The beginning of the descent is of course also quite technical, and apparently involves a rappel that's not mentioned in the Nelson & Potterfield book. All in all a fabulous, death-defying day on the most improbable choss pile I've ever climbed. The traverse is nice, though. I would not recommend Guye Peak to a friend. I have pictures, but they're on a disposable analog camera (long story), so I need to have them developed first. Anyone still doing that? Gear Notes: Second piton on the traverse moves in place. Approach Notes: Steep, loose boulder/scree field.

PM sent.

Hi Shawn Unfortunately I'm away this weekend. Can do stuff again starting Friday Sep 3. Will call you! Cheers Paulina

Well, we ended up going to Index for the day instead. And, to add to other good suggestions, the climber's left side of the Inner Walls at Index is in the shade and cool on a hot day.

Wow, great report and great adventure! Way to go despite the fuel setback. Also love the gear sorting scales!

Thanks for the er... advice, Drederek, but I'm married to a man, and he doesn't climb.

Thanks all! Lucky, you could always PM me. :-)

Was going to Leavenworth Mon-Tue before I checked the forecast. High of 97! Where would you go?

Where in Scotland will you be? Because if you're in the South of Scotland, you might want to make the 3-hr or so trip down to the Peak District in England. Stanage. Hard grit. You know. Even lots of easy and moderate, well-protected yet somehow still terrifying grit.

I'd love to do that if you don't mind a relative newbie/someone who's forgotten a lot and never knew that much in the first place. I did Spaceshot in Zion two years ago and attempted WFLT in Yosemite three years ago (bailed from the ledge). Would love to get back into it. Will pm both of you. Paulina

I'm pretty sure that in the end we were in the right spot, but we never made it to the snow in the upper basin. From across the valley though it really looked like there was only snow in the middle with scree on either side, and then scree under the East face of the Tooth itself and under Pineapple Pass. But I'll be able to say for sure next week. :-)

Well, we got totally lost (really? yes, really! :-) ) and lost a bunch of time and opted to come back next week, but. The snowfield looked really tiny and totally avoidable. I won't carry an axe next week.

Thanks, summitchaserCJB! That's what I wanted to hear.

Hi there! Could anyone comment on the conditions they encountered recently on the approach to the Tooth? How's the snow, if any? Thanks! Paulina

Jim, PM me your contact info. For everyone who'd like to know more before answering: I've been climbing for ~12-13 years, trad, sport, ice, snow, aid, ... All on easy/moderate grades. Getting back on rock after a few months' hiatus. Cheers, Paulina

Looking to climb in the 5- to 5.8 range at Leavenworth mid-week. Day or multi-day trips. Have rack, double ropes. Don't have a car and need a ride from Seattle. Will pay for gas. Other destinations with easy trad stuff are also cool. Any takers? I moved here a month ago. Anyone want to show me around? :-)

Hello! Just moved to Seattle from Cambridge MA by way of Edinburgh, Scotland. :-) Not new to climbing, but new-ish to the NorthWest (although I spent a few weeks here in the summer of 2006 and even climbed with some of you). Just wanted to re-introduce myself and say hello. I'll be posting in the "Partners" forum soon enough and often, looking to go climbing and skiing. Wishing everyone a great summer full of adventure! Cheers Paulina

Re: approaches in valleys with no snow... So what's the approx. snow line altitude in February then? Or is there a resource somewhere that can give that info (maybe ranger station in the NP I guess)? Are streams as swollen as they say in the valleys in that time of year? Or is that more in the spring?

Hey, that picture is from my album! And my friend, who's in it, just had the weirdest moment ever. That's what you get for image-googling for "quickdraw".

Anyone for a last-minute dash to anywhere (WA Pass? Index? Leavenworth? Darrington?) with multipitch trad in the 5.7-5.9 range? Tomorrow, Friday Sept 1st. I'll bring the rack if you bring the rope(s). I'm in Redmond and have a car. PM or email paulina at csail.mit.edu .

It's _possible_ to rap with one rope. Ross and I did it and it involved some zig-zagging across the face and rapping off some interesting twigs with old slings on them. Boy did I wish we had two ropes!

So, are you like this poster on Craigslist: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sea/128483320.html or just reprinting?