layton

Wheeler Ibex: Nose Shadow 5.12c III

Trip: Wheeler Peak, NV. NE Face. FA "Siens et de la Biere" IV 5.9 R/X Layton/Waters Date: 9/20/2008 Trip Report: James Garret, Brian Waters, and I drove to bumf@ck Nevada, next to the Utah border in the extremely remote West Desert to check out the North East Face of Mount Wheeler. James had put up the NE Couloir which is supposedly a great late spring/ early summer alpine ice route (it was still "in"). Unfortunately, Jame was recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, so he was there for moral support. The NE face of Wheeler is 1800 feet tall, mostly vertical, and composed of bullet hard and super chossy (at the same time) Quartzite. This made it incredibly loose (loosest shit I've ever seen) and devoid of cracks. The only route up the face is called "stella by starlight" and was put up in a two day solo effort by Wade Mills in 1977. Robbins, Choinard, and a party in the 50's made have also climbed this same route. This route is on the left side of the face and follows gullies and ramps, and was done during mixed conditions which may have helped glue the face together and allow for better protection. We, however, were dumb enough to try and force a new line up the center steepest (overhanging) part of the face in Summer conditions. Our line started out well, albiet run-out and scary, but then nose dived into a rising traverse almost across the entire right side of the face! We kept looking for a way up, but were pretty well screwed without bolts to put in. The only way to make this go would be to do it in winter/spring conditions with some botls, or in summer with a very small rack and a shit ton of bolts, bits , and batteries. Since we weren't down with that and it wasn't winter, we did what we could to finally find a weakness up after traversing a ton. The traversing pitches were horrifically loose and awful, and finding gear for even the sketchiest belay took at least 45 minutes per pitch. It was freezing ass cold, very very windy, we were climbing between 11 and 13,000 feet, and it threatened rain all day- making the climb one of the more unpleasant days in the hills I can remember. Good times!!! For those interested, the road is closed until June...but the area offers some of the best spring and summer corn skiing imaginable. The hiking route to the top looks mind-numbingly boring. We weren't back in camp until dark. The next day we made up for it by climbing at Ibex. Expect a new guidebook for Ibex and the climbs in the West Desert in a few months. Ibex offers some of the best roped climbing (and bouldering) anywhere in North America. The golfing on the hardpan is bar none as well. Pics below. I'll add Brian's if he gets around to it.

Yeah, it's the big ridge just L. of the NE couloir. I don't have my guidebook handy (sadly it's packed for now). Was that ridge unclimbed prior to Erik and I? Very confusing part of the mountain for sure.

I saw that dihedral 10 years ago if that's what you mean by fresh

oh wait no, ours is one ridge up the hill

is this near where Erik and my "Der Dihedral" links in?

yeah, that's why I re-posted that other photo! crazy! Thanks off

Yo! I've got a TR to post and can't post photos.

Here's both lines (as best as I can recall). We cut left where Erik and Rolf went up as seen here. We had no idea that the summit was unclimbed...maybe we'd have done a summit bivy if we knew that, instead of rapping what later became "After Hours" well shit, after all this I can't upload a photo? It'll be sitting on my desktop until someone tells me where the upload photo link went to?? Until then, I think you can click it as an attachment on this post?

There's a giant diherdal just to the right of the down arrow on the mountain behind and to the right

Mox was Wolfe's 2nd alpine climb....can't be too hard, eh?

no, that's my little trick

Rolf inflates all his grades to show off.

Do laps on the concentric stone rings on campus. Drink beer and eat popcorn at the beaver. get fat and forget how to climb until summer.

someone may have been up there as well ... god damnit, what's his name?....grrr can't remember. climbs at vantage and newhalem a lot. older. wayne knows... Rolf, did we leave a long spool of red tat? Past that point I seem to recall that we ran out rather suddenly and may have "left" some? We only saw one buttonhead, nothing else. We placed that pin for backup. That joker is two or three pitches higher, up and to the left, of where you guys bivied. Speaking of joking, we finally agreed upon 5.11- r/x as the grade. The 5.9+ A2- rating was a joke.

Hell Yeah! Looks like we share a couple pitches midway - we did indeed hook a left at that photo. Way to push your route to the summit! Also glad to see y'all agreeing with the suffering on the approach and difficult climbing. Hell yeah! I'm glad erik and I didn't do that traverse and gully descent in the dark. We got a late start climbing on day one waiting for it to stop raining. Cold bivy, eh? And your welcome for clearing a nature trail with Eric's machette.

Awesome! Gene, it was so cool to run into you at the City with Craig and Suzanne.

Hell of a day!

haha! i'm having too much fun climbing every day of the week out here John. a much needed respite from cascade slogging...but I'm JEALOUS as shit for the route y'all have been doing. I may get a gig that's 7 on 7 off .... so maybe I'll log some freq. flier milage come out here and play in the fall

Sweet! I figured that ridge was gonna be a LOT easier. Cool, nice nab. How Mantis and the area look for wintertime activities?

Nice job TEAM!

Has this seen a repeat yet? I don't think so, but there looks like plenty of new route potential there and nearby

Judging by your questions, you're probably not ready.

Yes but then I'd have to read this thread vs. skimming it and making witty comments. fuck that I'm going bouldering in LCC

notice the grill guard for extra ramming power