Paul_K Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Four of us climbed the North Face of Vesper on Sunday. It was fun moderate climbing in perfect weather. We opted not to descend to the glacier and start the route from the bottom. Instead we traversed the ledge system to join the route about mid face. If you want to do the glacier you head to the lowest notch between Sperry and Vesper. The ledges start at a notch higher up on Vesper. We traversed about 150 to 200 yards of fairly level rock and heather to rock step. None of us had done the route before, so we started belaying here. The first pitch lead up and over the rock step and traversed some more. The second pitch went around a corner and did a rising traverse. The first two pitches could be scrambled. The next pitch went up and right, and the next pitch went to the left to the base of the dihedral. The start of getting into the dihedral had the hardest climbing on the route, mid fifth class, with the first 20 feet or so not protect-able. After that we kept in the dihedral with low fifth class climbing for about two thirds of its length, and then moved out onto the slabs. From here there are a myriad of routes to the top of the slabs following any number of easy ledges and cracks. I followed on this section and stayed off the cracks and ledges for some fun mellow friction climbing. I'll go back and do this one again, but from the glacier up this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryk Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Paul ~~ Did the N Face on Saturday, but did the glacier crossing to the base of the route. The sun-kissed snow covered glacier was a bit sketchy, tho' being in running shoes probably didn't help. Took 2 of us probably an hour to traverse - I slipped with about 20 paces left to go and slide down a few feet before my self-arrest held (a hiking pole in one hand and a sharp rock in the other). Large, gapping crevasse was only 10 feet or so further below me. With a bit more slipping and kicking, I got back up and we both made it to the rock safely. Frozen hands quickly recovered. We climbed up the right hand side of the little dirt gully, tho' the book takes the route up the left side. Either is easy to low-mid 5th class and could be free-climbed. At the top of the base, below the slab, there's a section of scrambily hiking. Then we stayed out on the slab, enjoying the friction much the same as you. The corner looked dirty and the slab looked fun tho' there wasn't a ton of protection. Quick climbing compared to the death march approach and descent (I must be soft - I thought the steep hiking was miserable). But great views all day, and that huge bowl with the icy lake and pristine granite-lined stream was freaking amazing. Was disappointed to not see any goats, what with the amount of snow up there. If you go back and do the glacier, it might be worth it to bring crampons and/or an ice axe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodchester Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Either is easy to low-mid 5th class and could be free-climbed. Do you mean: scrambled-up or simul-climbed? Surely, you don't mean that you aided this section Just checking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfort Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 I'm guessing she means free- soloed To the left of the gully looks a lot cleaner - but when I was there last month it looked really difficult to attain - big moat and all, or difficult climbing out of the gully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Hey Paul, Matt and I were the 2 guys that came across behind you. We started a pitch lower since your group was on the higher line, then crossed thru. Fun climbing, lots of interest rock in the general area. I picked out a tower in the next valley I'd like to explore. When I magnified a picture the rock looked clean and inviting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maryk Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Sorry, I definitely don't have all the climbing lingo down yet. Let me try to clarify.... Yes, I meant the entire route could be soloed -- no rope needed -- the toughest stuff we saw was like 5.5, maybe 5.6. We did simul-climb most the route - though I didn't mention this earlier. Starting out of the gully, we climbed un-roped for a short bit. Then with a ledge to stand on, we anchored a belay with a nut and a tri-cam (if I remember correctly) in a dirty horizontal crack -- but it was solid. That was the only pitch we didn't simul-climb. In this vertical base section of the climb, there are bushes and trees and dirt and pebbles to deal with, but it's not too bad, and within a pitch and a half you are in a grassy boulder field. The slab and the corner are just above you. Simul-climbed the slab (there are some cracks for pro), anchoring in twice (3 times??) so I could give gear back. I followed the whole time. Sorry if this doesn't totally make sense! Yes, the right hand side of the gully didn't look very easy to safely get to - the way the snow was melting. The rock looked good, but figuring out where to stand and start wasn't as straight-forward as on the left side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_K Posted August 25, 2003 Author Share Posted August 25, 2003 Russ - I was on the second rope team. There was a party of two - a guy and a gal that crossed the glacier and climbed up from the bottom. They were in voice contact with the last of our party. The gal was leading and not finding anything to put in an anchor. Did you run into them on the way out? We never saw them complete the route and figured they bailed and traversed on the ledges. MaryK - Yikes Good job, I wouldn't be a happy camper on that hard snow without crampons and an ax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Paul_K said: There was a party of two - a guy and a gal that crossed the glacier and climbed up from the bottom. They were in voice contact with the last of our party. The gal was leading and not finding anything to put in an anchor. Did you run into them on the way out? We never saw them complete the route and figured they bailed and traversed on the ledges. When we topped out I could see one person at about the level we started our first pitch. Not a lot of pro to be found in that section, and they could have baled to the left pretty easily. We spent a couple of minutes on the summit, then hiked out...had to be back in town early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry_Pi Posted August 25, 2003 Share Posted August 25, 2003 Hello capitalist! What an epic.I climb Petunia Peak this weekend. Maybe I should post trip report. Thank you for allow asian to post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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