[TR] Corax Peak - North Face 07/05/2020

[tanstaafl]

Trip: Corax Peak - North Face

Trip Date: 07/05/2020

Trip Report:

 

Not a single TR for this route to be found anywhere; does everyone just do the scramble to tick off their Bulger lists?

 

Rolf and I climbed the NF of Corax Peak this weekend, 6 pitches of 5.7 starting from the left side of the chimney above the crescent shaped snowfield in the photo, going up to the ridge and thence to the summit.  Mostly fun blocky ridge climbing, though the first pitch was more "interesting" as Rolf would say, featuring lichen and some loose/suspect rock and excavation of placements and some thoughtful moves. 

It doesn't appear that it's gotten much traffic since Rick La Belle did the FA in 1991; though of course we could have been off route.  Stellar day out though and only saw three people at camp and maybe five on the trail. 

Gear Notes:
60 m rope, single rack to #3 Camalot

Approach Notes:
Libby Lake trail

Edited July 8, 2020 by tanstaafl

[Alisse]

I hadn't heard of this -- thanks for the TR! Glad you're getting out

[lunger]

Well that looks like fun in an out-of-the-way place.  Surprised that Rolf would climb something that actually looks reasonably good--you must've twisted his arm.

Is the rock granitic, or gneiss?

[tanstaafl]

Well, he did say the route reminded him of the route you two did on Cleator — was that Tubby Needs Cheese?  — so there's that!  And no arm twisting required; it was his idea in fact.  I can think of few activities I would find less rewarding than trying to convince R to do something he didn't want to do.

True we saw hardly any people back there; which was awesome. 

Seemed like granite to me, but I'm no geologist. 

[rat]

granitic rock of some stripe. it's the poor man's enchantments: shorter routes, more exfoliation, & more lichen but many fewer shitshow mountain athletes.

Edited July 13, 2020 by rat

[mountainsloth]

Cool looking Mtn. Thanks for sharing. I love learning of newish routes/places. 

[mountainsloth]

Are there other established routes out there? Looks like it has some potential. 

[tanstaafl]

Rick La Belle did another route on the NE Rib for sure; he appears to have climbed all over that area; he also has a 5.7 route up the north side of Hoodoo.

I also only have the second edition of Beckey, so there might be even more in the third edition plus whatever nobody bothered to report.