[TR] Challenger, Crowder, N Despair - Eiley Wiley to Thornton Lakes 08/09/2020

[ewhack]

Trip: Challenger, Crowder, N Despair - Eiley Wiley to Thornton Lakes

Trip Date: 08/09/2020

Trip Report:

This trip was an apex experience preceded by years of planning and dreaming. We took nine days.

Thanks to Steph, Tom, and Jason for all the trip reports. Thanks to Eric and Jason for the beta.

My climbing partner conceived the idea of our abbreviated traverse. The plan seemed favorable, but included two major unknowns. The first was our plan to climb over Crowder. Others had descended our climbing route (in general) and reported it as not recommended. The second was the descent from N Despair.

Climbing Crowder was adventurous, loose, and included a couple pitches of 70 degree heather/moss climbing. Perhaps there is a deluxe solid line we did not find. We took the path of least resistance. I would not repeat it.

The descent form N Despair was much less difficult than we imagined. Downclimb to the first notch south. One short rap, downclimb rock, then snow. Any less snow in gully would probably make it more tricky.

South side of Challenger

 

Southern Pickets and Crowder

 

Crowder

 

Spectre!

 

Departing Jasper Pass for North Despair

 

Triumph!

Gear Notes:
(2) 30m 8mil

Approach Notes:
Oof!

[Rad]

Great shots of a great adventure! 

Looks like you missed the quintessential wet weather of the Pickets! 

[ewhack]

Thanks!

We were fortunate to have fair weather. It was unseasonably cold, but to our benefit.

-Ethan

[olyclimber]

Great pictures!  thanks for sharing.

[JasonG]

Oh yes!!  The long awaited TR, thanks for sharing!  I can imagine that Crowder was unpleasant, I do not think you missed the obvious solid line.  That is probably the most scenic part of a very scenic range.  Definitely one of the harder traverses to pull off as well.  I remember being quite tired each day.  I will have to look how you exited via Thorton....that is an interesting variation.

[JasonG]

5 hours ago, ewhack said:

Departing Jasper Pass for North Despair

You know, the funny thing is I don't think I have a photo looking this way from Jasper Pass.  D'oh!  I guess we were so fixated on looking ahead to figure out our way around Pioneer Ridge.

 Thanks for the photo,  I am not sure if I will make it back to look south.

[JasonG]

oh, and did you see anyone?  We didn't for 7 days and that alone was so great!

But really, hats off to you guys for embarking on a trip with TWO major unknowns.  That alone is pretty unusual.  Way to commit!!

[ewhack]

Thanks Jason!

We saw one guy near Thornton Lakes on our last day. Other than that, we had it to ourselves.

I know what you mean by mostly looking ahead. I tried to be mindful of taking in where I'd been. The view from Crowder is outstanding.

Getting around Pioneer Ridge from the top was tricky.

-Ethan

 

[manninjo]

Awesome trip, thanks for posting. Dig the quality photos. Sounds like a full value traverse!

[JasonG]

6 hours ago, ewhack said:

We saw one guy near Thornton Lakes on our last day

I meant that we didn't see anyone on the off trail portion of our trip, sounds the same for you.  So great!

[Trent]

A rarely done traverse! Looks to be a fun adventure!

I thought the N ridge on North Despair was a classic!

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Excellent photos.  The views from N Despair with the Pickets laid out in a panorama are some of the most scenic views I think you'll find in the range.

I don't think there's an easy way up Crowder from Pickell Pass.  The other way I've descended in the past was a better descent, but would be a more difficult climb.  Another remarkable Roger Jung solo excursion.

Thanks for the memories.

[Otto]

That shot just below the Crowder photo, a fang against the red sunset, was mighty good. Thanks for posting.

[ewhack]

Thanks for the feedback.

Tom, your trips provided great inspiration. I agree on the N Despair views. I am contemplating various routes to Jasper Pass to climb it again. Jim Nelson said he came up Bald Eagle Creek, but it doesn't look trivial.

I think I read in the Crowder register that Roger came up the N rib as well and wrote something like "no rope, no problem". I might be confusing that with another summit, but regardless, he did some incredible trips.