[TR] Squire Creek Wall, 6p, 5.8+, FA - Miracle Ramps 08/29/2024

[Otto]

Trip: Squire Creek Wall, 6p, 5.8+, FA - Miracle Ramps

Trip Date: 08/29/2024

Trip Report:

 

Miracle Ramps, 6p, 5.8+, Bill Enger, Anastasia Blagoveshchenskaya, Linnet Vacha, FA 8/29/2024

 

On August 29 this year three of us made the first complete ascent of a new route on Squire Creek Wall. It is on the right side of a buttress on the south side of the massif. It is a central buttress with an old route on its crest called Primal Scream. The new route, called Miracle Ramps, is a variation of the first six pitches of that route.

This route shares the class 4 approach pitch, and half of the first pitch, of Primal Scream as I know it (it hasn't been published anywhere). From the "grassy saddle" bivy spot clean, class 4 ramps lead up to a shallow dihedral, then to a good ledge at a short wall (see photo).

I had scoped these clean slabs from an exploratory climb of Primal Scream with Yale Lewis in June, 2023. The white granite slope appeared to continue far up to a great white spot halfway up the buttress. I thought it might yield five or six pitches of moderate slab climbing, which turned out to be correct.

Approach pitch: From the grassy bivy area, walk directly up the middle ramp until it narrows into a dihedral with a small cedar bush in the middle. Knobs and easy friction connects to a form a path to the start dirt ledge.

P1: Climb a short wall with a 3" horizontal crack above. Pull around this bulge to a couple of low hogsback ridges which lead to a pair of diagonal cracks with pro choices. Climb past a cedar bush on its left to some blocks, and look left for a bolt. Step out left onto the knobs to a dirt pedestal. This is where Miracle Ramps starts—see the four bolt leading up and rightward. Smear past the four bolts, 5.8+, to a trough and a couple more bolts. 55m, 6x, 5.8+

P2: Smearing and knobs lead rightward, and upward past three bolts to a thin crack with good feet. Don't climb the crack, but go rightward on knobs to the overlap. Pull the overlap on knobs, cross over a grassy crack with optional pro, and cruise to the anchor on above a flake on a good ledge. 60m, 9x, 5.8

P3: Step down and to the right to the bottom end of Ruffled Crack, a wavy-edged, 1-2" wide, undercling delight. Continue rightward on edges to some good pro in a 3/4" crack. Then move up and left on friction to a ledge with a finger crack for pro. Head for the one bolt on this pitch and up the knobs galore. When they end, step right and grab a good vertical crack with middle-size pro, which curves into an overlap. Optional small gear is under the overlap; pull this and reach for the ledge with the anchor. 45m, 1x, 5.7

P4: Friction and edges lead straight up to two bolts and an overlap. Step past the overlap on its left end. A bolt protects the start of a vertical seam with good right-leaning edges. Face climbing leads to another bolt and a bit of blocky climbing to the anchor. 40m, 4x, 5.8.

P5: Follow the three bolts up to a wide crack, and some others with middle-size pro possibilities. Move up atop a large flake and see three more bolts above on a clean slab. Smear past these, 5.7, to the fractured cracks leading to the anchor. 60m, 6x, 5.7

P6: Climb cracks and blocks aiming for the space between the two prominent bushes in view. A slanting overlap system leads rightward, follow it and pull the overlap to a bolt above. Another bolt leads to a huge flake with a sweet left edge for laybacking. From the flake's top, smear past three bolts to the top anchor. 55m, 5x, 5.7.

For the adventurous party wanting the full overview, two new bolts lead to the left to connect with the Primal Scream route. Doing this leads to the modern two-bolt anchor atop the sixth pitch of Primal Scream as I know it. There was never any evidence of where the original belay anchor might have been, so Yale and I placed modern two-bolt anchors at roughly 55m intervals. After three more of these pitches, it intersects the modern route, Concerto in C for Drill and Hammer, at its 11th pitch anchor. Follow that route or make your own way to the top.
 

Special thanks to Yale Lewis for early support of this effort.

Topo: Bill Enger, with help from Anastasia B. on p3

Anastasia leading pitch 2, above

Linnet leading pitch 3, above

The short wall at the start of the route, above

The class 4 approach pitch from the grassy saddle bivy area

The 4th class approach starts up the ramp on the right end of this snow patch, above

Gear Notes:
Standard single rack to 3"

Approach Notes:
Directly above the grassy saddle bivy area, go up the middle ramp to a shallow dihedral, on knobs, class 4. Alternatively, hike up the right side of Skeena26 following a faint path.

 

Edited October 15 by Otto
Replaced topo with final ver. 5

[JasonG]

Looks great!  Thanks for your work to put that up.

[mountainsloth]

Sweet! More moderate granite! Thanks for the effort Otto and friends!

[Otto]

Yes, moderate granite is what I'm capable of, still. It seems that a steady grind, hiking up every week all summer, moving bits up and making a climb, can still happen at age 68. Why not?

I went up with Yale Lewis again this week, forced by the weather to Monday/Tuesday. Biked and hiked up in the rain, at camp at 11am, when the rain stopped. We set up tents and slept for an hour. Waited for the clouds to lift. At 2pm we headed up, jugged the lines, carried them down, and were back in camp for dinner at 6.

Next day, forecast was for 85 degrees and sunny! So we were up at first light, hiking up the clean slab ramp to the base of Primal Scream. I'd like to have an independent start to the new route, and not start on the established Primal Scream route. But the easy entrance to the buttress is so inviting that I can't complain. Thanks to the FA party for finding this way.

After a simple padding up the humps and knobs at the start of Primal Scream, there is a pedestal ledge. The start of beautiful, white slabs is to the right, the start of Miracle Ramps.

We had an uneventful climb of the six pitches. I made some notes along the way, and have edited the topo. The only major change is to remove a phantom bolt from pitch 6, below the flake.

Here is the updated topo, ver. 4:

Addendum: 

After reaching agreement with Anastasia about Pitch 3, I went up again on 10/12/2024. I added three bolts to access the field of knobs directly below the finger crack, and avoid traversing right to find pro. Here is the updated topo, ver. 5: 

 

Edited October 15 by Otto

[Trent]

Looks awesome; thanks!