Unknown Wall

[texplorer]

This last weekend I was on the Slesse and couldn't help notice a nice looking large sheer wall directly across the valley to the east of slesse. The wall was SW facing and looked to be clean white granite. I am sure this thing has been explored and was wondering what it is called and what routes are on the thing. Dru? . . . .

[Dru]

It's called the Chinese Puzzle and to the best of my knowledge there are three attempts, or incomplete routes, up to A4 and 12b but nothing has topped out due to vanishing cracks and/or two tonne loose blocks. The highest point reached is only about 60m from the top.

 

So Tex did you manage to find the NE butt this time around

Edited August 18, 2004 by Dru

[texplorer]

Yes, we found it. I told my partner the forecast for the day called for PAIN and I was right. We decided to try a nice looking angling crack just below the traditional ramp start but then Crackman decided to see if the slabs really felt like a waterpark slide. He stopped himself in time but his backpack took a long trip off the slabs. After the loss of a digital camera, and a near death experience we opted for the low epic probability option and just went up the slabs. In the mean time some burly vancouver chicks past us and made good time up the wall. We started the route about 8:30 or so and made pretty good time. We were following the Nelson/Potterfield guide topo and really enjoyed the .9 and .10ish pitches up the ridge. Another strong party of climbers past us soloing but skipped some of (in my opinion) the best pitches albeit the hardest. We topped out at about 3:00. Of course I had forgotten the dreaded walk-off from hell but I made it back to the car around 8:00. Crackman made it down about 2 hours later and we began the all night drive back to Vancouver, WA. Overall a classic fun route with that crazy rock up high. Right now I never want to see that route again but in a few weeks I'll start to forget the pain and be thinking about returning to repeat bamboozled or the infamous Dru route.

[texplorer]

Dru, do you have or know of anyone that has any good pics of the Chinese puzzle? That things looks really interesting from afar.

[Dru]

they arent scanned

[Dru]

dont you mean the infamous fern route

[ScottPick]

I think this is the wall in question:

 

Edited September 21, 2008 by ScottPick

[marc_leclerc]

 

this it?

[ScottPick]

Yup Marc that be the same wall. It has your name written all over it.

[layton]

There's a giant diherdal just to the right of the down arrow on the mountain behind and to the right

[marc_leclerc]

There's a giant diherdal just to the right of the down arrow on the mountain behind and to the right

 

South Illusion?

[G-spotter]

he means the fresh rockfall scar

[marc_leclerc]

I don't see it.... am I blind or something?

[powderhound]

how tall is that thing? not like if will ever head that way, but most just curious.

[marc_leclerc]

how tall is that thing? not like if will ever head that way, but most just curious.

 

1200 - 1500 feet probably

[Braydon]

that looks pretty cool. can you see it from the ne buttress of slesse?

[marc_leclerc]

that looks pretty cool. can you see it from the ne buttress of slesse?

 

Absolutely! You can see it on the approach and climb, until you dip behind the west side of Slesse on the descent.

[layton]

I saw that dihedral 10 years ago if that's what you mean by fresh

[G-spotter]

Yeah but the rockfall scar has tripled in size over the last 6 years.

 

Some of Shaun's bail gear is up there probably mixed in with fresh rockfall debris at the base.

 

BTW the Puzzle is like 300m high, MAX. Not very big, but quite steep.

[G-spotter]

Yeah but the rockfall scar has tripled in size over the last 6 years.

 

Some of Shaun's bail gear is up there probably mixed in with fresh rockfall debris at the base.

 

BTW the Puzzle is like 300m high, MAX. Not very big, but quite steep. THe established attempts were three to four pitches long I believe... and would have been 5-6 if completed.