recent rockfall on blueberry hill?

[genepires]

Was up on the west ridge of exfoliation dome last week and noticed a BIG scar between the west ridge and dark rhythm. The scar must be 20 feet by 10 feet big and is just below the "off route" bolt anchor when climbing the west ridge climb. (only 5.8 pitch, the 3rd pitch?) The flake must have ripped off and fell down onto dark rhytm. Lots of torn out trees at the base. We rapped down dark rhythm, to check out any possible damage to bolts and anchors and found one slightly flattened bolt on either the first or second 10a pitch. (can't remember )

 

If you go up there, give those bolts a good look to see if they are any good.

 

Little bit of descent beta. There is a good bolt rap anchor off of Blueberry Terrace. It is between two big trees which I know it doesn't help much, but keep looking till you find it. (rappin off those trees seems sketch) Keep following the bolts to the next anchors and bear climbers right as you go. There is one rope eater on top of the pitch that got nailed by rock fall. But it goes all the way to the base.

 

Sorry no pictures

[Greg_W]

Gene;

 

I believe the scar you are referring to is from the flake that peeled off in the Winter of 2002/2003, thus altering the 3rd pitch of the West Buttress route. From your description, anyway.

[lost_arrow]

gene - is the rap station you are refering to on the climbers right side of the ledge - rapping climbers right down the corner on to the slabs?

[Toast]

I do know there's a nice nice rap route about 50' to climber's LEFT of the West Buttress route. It's a pretty sweet line, totally vertical and has a set of three bolts at each station.

[genepires]

could have peeled off a year ago since I haven't been there for a couple of years. But there is lots of fresh scars from smaller rocks around as well as lots of little pebbles hanging out mid pitch. I don't think the 3rd pitch of w ridge is altered as was just like as I remember.

 

The rap station right above the scar is just left of the 3rd pitch (midway up) of the west ridge. It is the one that draws you off route on that pitch that leads no where. We went there mistakenly a couple of years ago and I seem to remember a ledge there. Matt Perkin's topo shows this station pretty well. It is not the rap station on dark rhythm.

[catbirdseat]

I do know there's a nice nice rap route about 50' to climber's LEFT of the West Buttress route. It's a pretty sweet line, totally vertical and has a set of three bolts at each station.

I would be accurate to say that it starts 50 ft to the left of the Dark Rhythm anchors at Blueberry Terrace. The two diverge by hudreds of feet from there.

[genepires]

Hey Toast, cat bird seat or anyone who knows, is this rap route you mentioned the dark rythm route or a different line? I remember seeing a rap line off of blueberry terrace, first off a tree, then some bolt anchors with slings. I thought this might be a climbing route (palsm 29?) but maybe it is a fast & clean rap route. (dark rythm has one rope eater section)

 

thanks

[mattp]

Catbird's Rap ROute is a separate line. It is an old roiute done by Chris Christensen, I believe, that has never been reported anywhere except (here) by Catbird. You will see the tree with slings on it below the Blueberry Terrace, about 3/4 of the way from south to north along the terrace. These raps end up several hundred feet north of the start of the W. Buttress, and there is some slightly nasty scrambling/hiking to get back.

 

If you go this way, please take some grey webbing and replace the bright colored slings that are hanging there. Also, I hope you like old(ish) bolts. They are probably not bad, but I don't think you will find any shiny new 3/8" bolts at those anchors.

 

Vastly preferable, in my view, is to finish the climb to the summit and rappel the west slabs/Westward Ho. This brings you back to where your pack is (assuming you climbed W. Butt or Dark Rhythm).

[genepires]

Hey Matt, the raps down the west slabs are off of bushes and similar stuff till the bolt stations on westward ho right?

[mattp]

Yes, the first five rappels are off stuff very similar to bushes. They're a little messy with loose rock, bushes and flakes, and they are low angle so the rope doesn't throw well. Climbers used to more civilized and steeper rappels complain bitterly about this descent but the problems are really very easy to deal with for precisely the same reasons as they occur: the rock is low angled and there are bushes and flakes to grab if you have to go back up for a stuck rope. The rope generally pulls OK, though, and the problems mostly plague the first one down the rope only. Just take your time and expect to get the rope tangled up every time you throw it down. This kind of terrain is not the place to try to make time by doing extra long rappels.

[dbb]

going to the summit is definitely worth it. a couple wandering pitches, but it adds a lot to the route I think.

 

The rappels down Chris C's route aren't bad. They are rusted 3/8th bolts with cold shuts, and SMC hangers. There is also a new stainless 3rd bolt with an ushba hanger at each one except for the one hanging station. Not too bad of a way to get down off the terrace if you have to as there are no rope eating flakes. Like it was said, just start from the tree and bring some webbing to remove the ugly neon shit. I haven't rapped jacobs's ladder, but I think that puts you ever farther away from the base of the west buttress. West slabs descent is easiest imho.