South face prussik peak tr

[jefffski]

On saturday 3 of us hiked up to inspiration lake via colchuk. We got a late start because we had to wait for the park service to open to get our wilderness passes. We finally got going at 10am. the walk in the forest was pleasant despite the heat. At the fork leading to asgard pass there was a mess of people standing around and i did not notice the sign--i ended up walking to Stuart lake --oops. By the time i got to the asgard pass section of the trail at the far end of colchuck lake, the sun was blazing down and i spent more than 2 hours on that steep trail. I got to camp 2 hours after my mates, quite exhausted.the book says 5 hours-i took 8!.

 

Sunday morning we were off before 6 am and we were off on the first pitch by 7:30. WE were climbing on 2 8 mil half ropes and carried one pack for the three of us.

 

The first pitch went well-some easy chimney moves to a nice ledge. The second pitch is 4th class but we pitched it anyways. The 3rd pitch went well too but the 4th is a long one that ends below a big chockstone. The leader of that pitch, an experienced climber but a recent immigrant did not quite get the concept of 'chockstone' and it took him 3 pitches to finally get there.

 

Now it was my turn--i didn't think i would fit through the slot in the roof so i climbed around the chockstone, a beautifully exposed 5.8 move or so. another 20m up lay the CHIMNEY. A hard handcrack led up to it, but i spent an agonizing 30 minutes figuring out the move into that handcrack. finally figured it out but knew that my partners would have difficulty on it. then came that chimney.

 

i moved into it, but to late realized that i was facing the wrong way. I spent 10 minutes just turning around. I grunted and thrutched my way up to the pin, clipped it and then grabbed the old stiff sling that was hanging down, turned around again and stepped out onto the face. exhausting work. i guess i need some chimney work.

 

I belayed them up, but had to haul the pack through the chimney. my tibloc and a pulley really helped, as i hauled as i belayed. All this took time and we still had one big 5.9+ pitch to go. We also left one stuck cam behiind that walked deep into a crack and dropped another one in the chimney--it came off the second's harness as he ground his back against the chimney wall.

 

The last pitch, 45 metres long, looked beautiful. it started with some nice jamming and stemming, then past a little roof, exposed and strenous. i had a nice rest after that move and noticed that i was running low on gear and draws, so i ran out the next 10 metres. That's when i ran into trouble.

 

Suddenly the crack got a little thin and steep, and i was tiring. the little crack would take only a small cam, and all i had left in the small sizes were some zero cams. i tried twice to place them but both fell out as i moved past. i caught one on my foot, but the second slid down the rope, leaving me with a huge fall potential and one draw left. i had no choice but to move up higher to find a bigger placement.

 

On pumped out arms i moved up and threw a big cam into a hole. would it hold? i was falling apart mentally, and tensing up badly. i needed a rest. cautiously i weighted the cam and then put all my weight on it. i'm still here. i made some new draws with gear and slings i was carrying, added a nut beside the cam, and took a long rest. but i was done.

 

then next moves were a layback to a good rest but there was no way i could do them, even after my forearms cooled down. i reached up high, placed another big piece higher up, moved to it and hung on the rope again. I repeated that 2 more times and finally bellyflopped on to the summit ledge. i made it but barely.

 

My partners took even longer than i did, and again i had to haul the pack up the last 15 metres.

 

We were all on top by 6pm! We grabbed some summit shots, rapped down the north face, and hiked back to camp. As we had not planned for 2 nights out we ate what little food we had left and sacked out. After an early rise with a measly breakfast, we boogied out in the cool morning and were back at the car in under 4 hours . i even had a dip in colchuk lake.

 

The south face is a beautiful climb on awesome rock, but perhaps it was a tad on the tough side for our group.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

[JoshK]

Two cams?! Ouch!

[jefffski]

just found out that we didn't drop a cam--it was a granola bar that dropped out of his pocket! took a few days to figure it out what it was as all he saw was something go whizzing down!

 

[erik]

DUDE I RERACK AFTER EVERY ROUTE WHEN I REACH THE TOP.

ALWAYS KEEP TRACK OF THAT OVER PRICED SHITE!

 

 

[jefffski]

"DUDE I RERACK AFTER EVERY ROUTE WHEN I REACH THE TOP."

 

usually. we were tired and the hour was late. we wanted off. at camp we wanted food and sleep. in the morning we wanted to get to the car. we re-racked as we drove but as we had combined racks, the driver did not have a chance to examine his until today.

 

 

[russ]

jefffski said:

just found out that we didn't drop a cam--it was a granola bar that dropped out of his pocket!

 

I'm a little short on granola bars - what flavor was the one you dropped?

[Dru]

maybe it was a brown coil being dropped AT them

[pope]

I enjoyed reading your post, Jeffski. Sounds like you guys had a satisfying adventure. I did the route with a guy who was following 5.11 pithces in Squamish and he thought the chimney pitch was a bitch. The quality of that route is tough to match.

[mtngrrrl]

Great post jeffski! Thanks for the details. BTW, which direction should you have been facing in that chimney?

 

I totally identify with phrases like "agonizing", "grunt", "thrutch" and "falling apart mentally and tensing up badly". And climbing with multi-language groups, too. The difference between "A little tension please" in English and "Tirez la corde!" in French is, um, enough to yank you off a climb as I found out the hard way once.

 

Nice job sticking it out for the summit though.

[daler]

Nice Tr

 

I just climbed the Casual Route on the Diamond of Longs peak and though a 5 star route I still think the South Face is a Better Climb. That white Granite is perfect.

Some of you NW hardmen/women should put up some more lines on that wall. It is beckoning to be explored!!

 

dale

[erik]

YOUD BE SUPRISED

 

[jefffski]

Re the chimney--if i had looked up before i got in i would have seen that i needed to be facing the overhanging wall with my back to the wall leaning out. all it would have taken was to step up into the chimney with my left foot, and let my left hip lead in to get in the proper way. turning around so i could lean back and thrutch took sooo much effort.

 

my gear on my rack kept getting in the way too.

[mattp]

Indeed, Jeffski, turning around in that chimney was the crux for me. I believe that just about anybody who hasn't done it before starts up facing the "wrong" direction. I wonder, though, if it truly turns out to be as much easier as we think if you start up it facing the "right" way.