Gary_Yngve Posted September 7, 2003 Share Posted September 7, 2003 I couldn't commit to any advance mtn plans this weekend given my workload, etc., but luckily a friend of mine who had started leading trad a few weeks ago was looking for a trip. We soloed up the first two pitches, and then she led the crux pitch, placing gear instead of clipping the bolts. I took the next pitch, belaying at a tree with a few feet of simul-climbing. She took the final pitch to the terraces. From there, we traversed left on the ledges, a little down, and around a corner where we started up for the summit. I took the first pitch out a full ropelength, only to be forty feet above my last piece and out of rope... downclimbed some and built a mediocre anchor with some pieces in a small crack and behind a questionable block. WIth a good stance, I belayed her up, and about sixty feet below me, she was able to traverse to a tree to set up a happier anchor. I then led up from there for a full ropelength, placing only one other piece... a pink tricam in a shallow slot. Pro certainly is crappy up there. A short bushwhack uphill took us to the summit. Descent was a real hassle... couldn't toss ropes far on the upper rappels, and they had a knack for getting tangled in themselves or nearby brush. Did a double rope rap off a tree and ended up, out of rope, about 20 feet above the Westward Ho anchors... grrr... another few silly antics on the way down and we were back at the packs. Walk down sidewalk was uneventful -- we wore our rockshoes, given the poorer traction with our old sneakers that we used going up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted September 7, 2003 Share Posted September 7, 2003 Sounds pretty ballsy to lead the 5.8-5.9 crux pitch on a first trad lead. Good for her! You should have gone down the rap route that Toast and I described. Much less hassle involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Yngve Posted September 8, 2003 Author Share Posted September 8, 2003 catbirdseat said: Sounds pretty ballsy to lead the 5.8-5.9 crux pitch on a first trad lead. Good for her! You should have gone down the rap route that Toast and I described. Much less hassle involved. The rap route you described is from the terrace. How do you get there from the summit? I guess we could have rapped the route that we came up to the summit., and then rapped your way. It certainly sounds nicer. But although I would enjoy doing W Butt to the Terrace again, I'm not in the mood yet to do the summit again. Yeah, she's picking up this stuff amazingly fast. I took her to Index two weeks ago and had her lead a bunch of stuff from 5.6-5.8, and based on that, i felt she was ready for this. She's lead sport for many years and has the engineer's mindset for pro placing, but I'm still impressed how quickly she has picked it up. She even scored a booty orange alien last weekend in Tahquitz! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted September 8, 2003 Share Posted September 8, 2003 I'd say the west slabs descent is probably as good as Catbird's way, Gary. The easiest way back to the top of Catbird's descent involves at least two raps which provide opportunities to get a rope stuck and there is also a bit of wandering about involved -- then four or five raps (I haven't rapped this way)with the last being extremely low angle or you can down climb, and then you have to find your way back to the start of the route. All things considered, the West Slabs descent is the way I'd go. By the way - way to go, completing the climb to the top of the dome. Yes, there is some run-out climbing up there, but it really isn't all that bad and I find it illustrative of how they younger generation these days just can't cut it that 90% or better of the parties on the W. Buttress routes rap from the terrace these days rather then completing the climb. (From there, Catbird's descent sounds like it may be the best way down though I'd take Jacob's Ladder for sentimental reasons.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babnik Posted September 8, 2003 Share Posted September 8, 2003 Gary_Yngve said: catbirdseat said: Sounds pretty ballsy to lead the 5.8-5.9 crux pitch on a first trad lead. Good for her! You should have gone down the rap route that Toast and I described. Much less hassle involved. The rap route you described is from the terrace. How do you get there from the summit? I guess we could have rapped the route that we came up to the summit., and then rapped your way. It certainly sounds nicer. But although I would enjoy doing W Butt to the Terrace again, I'm not in the mood yet to do the summit again. Yeah, she's picking up this stuff amazingly fast. I took her to Index two weeks ago and had her lead a bunch of stuff from 5.6-5.8, and based on that, i felt she was ready for this. She's lead sport for many years and has the engineer's mindset for pro placing, but I'm still impressed how quickly she has picked it up. She even scored a booty orange alien last weekend in Tahquitz! sounds like a keeper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary_Yngve Posted September 9, 2003 Author Share Posted September 9, 2003 Does anyone know any secret tricks for managing ropes better for the low angle slab rappels at the top with bushy crap in the way? We coiled up each rope and tossed them (more like tried to toss them) in separate directions to keep them from getting tangled together. However, given that we could only toss them about thirty feet, the ropes would eventually get tangled up in themselves or a bush or something... Maybe feeding one of the ropes out of a pack would be better? As soon as we got to Westward Ho, things became infinitely better -- the ropes would slide down the slabs because they wouldn't get caught on any crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattp Posted September 9, 2003 Share Posted September 9, 2003 Low angle raps are a pain in the neck, but sometimes I have had better luck making short raps on that kind of terrain - try using a single rope and rapping 80 feet instead of using two ropes and going 160. I don't think there are enough anchors to do that up there right now, but there may be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken4ord Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 If you got bomber anchor (2-3/8's bolts or better) I prefer tossing rope in seperate directions like suggested and then simu-rapping. A lot of people aren't comfortable with doing that, but it is definitely the way to go for speed and evening out the work load. I have heard of using stuff sack or pack, but then you got to spend the time stacking the rope in the pack or bag. I tried it once, never again took much longer than dealing with ropes on the way down. Low angle rapping sucks, there is no getting around it unless there is a walk down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catbirdseat Posted September 11, 2003 Share Posted September 11, 2003 If you had taken my advice and gone the way I told you, it would have been a breeze. Ask Toast, Iceguy or Ade and they will tell you how easy it was. Okay, maybe you didn't have 60 meter ropes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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