Harvey's Pup was Gate Access to Old Settler

[Dru]

Adrian - Harvey's Pup is a blast but way more serious than Old Settler! Talk to Serl for the latest beta he did it last year or the year before. If I recall correctly this was another TD sandbagged by McLane (who hadn't done it) down to D+.

[adrianburke]

Thanks for the tip. I will send Don an email.

 

I've done a lot of harder alpine routes - the only pitch I was really concerned with on the Pup was the "offwidth 10a" pitch - have you been on it?

 

Adrian

[Dru]

Yes Andy Cairns dragged my ass up that back in 96 or so.

 

here's a pic!

 

 

Note screamer clipped to old fixed pin...

 

This is the top of the 6th pitch where it eases off to 5.6 chimbley. The OW is right off the belay, you want two #3 camalot or 3.5 friends - one for the belay anchor and another one to place for the first moves then a #4 camalot as you move up . you stack fist-hand and then get edges to crimp on the inside of the OW and edges for your feet on the face IIRC.

[jmace]

I have been rained of this route twice, you defintely want to wait for an extended period of dry weather before attempting it. I also heard you cant park at the parking lot any more, you would have to walk up the hill from Lions Bay, unless it has been recently changed. Considering the thing is an hour or so hike from civilization why would it get a TD?

[Dru]

You will have to ask Don because I couldn't find his TR but from what I recall it's definitely more of a committing outing than Angels Crest for instance despite a similar length and technical grade. Route finding skills strongly required (we were lucky enough to follow a trail of booty and bail slings all the way to the crux pitch).

 

We got dropped off at the trailhead and walked down to the store in Lions Bay to call for pickup. Total time car to store was 14 hours including going over the summit of Harvey which is not so recommended - going down the gully, I hear is way better, with no raps required if you are good at downclimbing.

[peas]

I've parked at the Lions parking lot twice this year with no problems. Most recently last weekend. Should be ok.

[Don_Serl]

thread drift: old settler becomes harvey's pup!

 

parking in lions bay is no problem if you go early. space is restricted, but you can still get maybe ten or a dozen cars at the end of the road.

 

robert and i were 8:30am to 11pm round trip on the butt. shoulda started earlier, but we reckoned we'd get soaked in the dewy bush. we fzcked around trying to find the beginning of the route (too far left, near the big "gut" behind the thing) and lost maybe 1/2 hr or 45 minutes. the start is improbable, out on the "front" face, up some flakes, then horizontally rightwards maybe 20m. some fixed gear, a cpl small nuts, some cams, trees for belay at end.

forget about trying to find a cairn (of all things!!!) at the start - there is gravel and boulders everywhere, and this is a prime avvy zone!

 

then there's a wonderful, straightforward, spectacular chimney; then two pitches out onto and up open face - not sure i found the best "route" here, and the 1st belay was awkward to arrange.

 

a pretty hard (say, 5.10-) leaning crack/flake started a short section to a cave/niche beneath the offwidth. the OW is really strenuous, but not very technical - there are some small edges inside. there is adequate gear in small cracks and flakes on the outside - no need for huge cams, altho it'd be nice to have one if you're willing to carry it. robert spent a LONG time working up and down, up and down, feeling it out, slotting more gear, at the start of the crux before going for it, so it's hard - he's good at wide cracks. i followed this with a pack, and had a bitter battle - it'd be nicer to climb a very short pitch and haul.

 

there are a cpl technical sections above that, but way less demanding.

 

one long overhanging rappel puts you into the notch - or rather, into the gully left (E) of the notch. stay on rappel to climb ledges rightwards to the notch itself.

 

downclimb the gully to the west. we did one short rappel almost immediately, and two short ones well down - probably could have downclimbed the whole thing, but the sun had set as we reached the notch, and we were headlamping.

 

overall, a far more serious undertaking than old settler. dark, gloomy, some lichen - feels oppressive, kinda "gothic". and pro is only "OK" here and there, not "easy and bomber". don't know if that makes it TD-...

 

enjoy!

cheers,

Edited July 17, 2004 by Don_Serl