Trip: Le Petit Cheval - Spontaneity Arete
Date: 9/1/2007
Trip Report:
Last Saturday, Larry Rafferty and I did the Spontaneity Arete on Le Petit Cheval. We got to the TH at 9:30am, and by 10:45 we were at the top of the first static hand line. We were unable to locate the second hand line, so we headed left and up, eventually having to do a "pitch 0" to get over the rock band.
The Spontaneity Arete
Once above the rock band, we spotted the overhanging roof marking the start of the second pitch, and made our way to the base of the climb, getting there around noon. I led the first pitch up a nice crack, but the pitch quickly flattened out. Larry led the second pitch, placing a couple of #1 cams and then scrambling the rest of the way.
We got to the start of the 3rd pitch, and as a consolation prize for the lack of quality climbing on the second pitch, Larry led that one as well, combining it with the fourth. The quality of climbing greatly improved.
I combined the fifth and sixth pitches into one lead. Rather than going directly up the corner crack of the left-facing dihedral on pitch 5, I took a crack to the right and then did a slightly spicy (for me) traverse at the top to a sawed-off tree. The crack in the dihedral looked like it needs some serious gardening to clean it out.
Me on the fifth pitch
There was a party of three ahead of us on the route. As I was leading pitch 6, they were waiting to rap down. Pitch 7 is a scramble, and we topped out at 6:30.
Larry scrambling to the summit on the seventh pitch
We spend a few minutes at the summit, then rapped down to the gully and scrambled down to the base of the climb. Larry caught up with the three climbers, who had just finished rapping the entire route. Seems like the gully is the faster descent, even if there is no snow.
Me on the summit
We made it out to the cars by headlamp a little before 9pm. We lost the trail a little before crossing Early Winters Creek, and had to bushwhack from the creek back to the TH.
Seems like you'd do fine to skip the first two pitches, hiking up the gully instead and picking up the route at the base of pitch 3. There's a lot of black lichen on the rock, and a few portable hand holds.
Gear Notes:
Cams up to #0.5-4, doubles in #1 and #2, nuts, hexes including the #11 BD cowbell.
Approach Notes:
The start of the second hand line is almost straight up from the end of the first hand line, above some steep blocks. Otherwise, the trail is pretty easy to spot and well marked with cairns.