[TR] Burgundy Spire- North Face 7/4/2004

[Raoul]

Climb: Burgundy Spire-North Face

 

Date of Climb: 7/4/2004

 

Trip Report:

Independence Day climbs are starting to look like a tradition for me -- to attempt a serious (for me) climb each year at this time. Last year we climbed Mt Triumph on the fourth of July and had a wonderful trip. This year we decided to try and find our way up Burgundy Spire. I had heard stories of difficult route finding and had looked at some different route descriptions that didn’t seem to correspond with each other. It would be a challenge.

After the long drive from Olympia, we hiked on up to the bench below Burgundy Col and set up camp on Saturday. Other than the constant pestering by mosquitoes as soon as things cooled down for the evening, it was a great camp. It felt almost like a campground with a perfect level tent site and a running brook a short hike north of camp but not the usual crowds that one would find in a campground on this weekend.

The climb went well though it seemed to have more difficult climbing than I expected – not harder than I expected – just more pitches that made me aware and take notice. Our group of two was the only party on Burgundy that day. After poking around some, we found what seemed like an often-traveled route up the summit block. It didn’t really look quite like what’s on Beckey’s topo but there was rock cleaned of lichen and that was enough to encourage us up the route. The view of the other spires from the summit alone is worth the climb.

This was my first time using a twin rope system on a climb. I was apprehensive about rope management but it’s pretty smooth and it was really nice to have two ropes for the descent. We made 6 double rope rappels with 60-meter ropes to get off the spire. There are intermediate rap stations but it would take a long time to descend with one rope making twice that many rappels.

After returning to camp, we decided to stay another night before the hike out to the car and the long drive home. Burgundy Spire was a great climb. Now I want to go back and climb some of the other Wine Spires!

 

 

Gear Notes:

twin 60-meter ropes

#3 camelot used on every pitch

[John Frieh]

 

Sweet climb, huh?