[TR] Aasgard Pass Sentinel- 9/12/2004

[telemarker]

Climb: Aasgard Pass Sentinel-

 

Date of Climb: 9/12/2004

 

Trip Report:

We had a novel idea for Sunday, Kyle Flick and I. We thought, "Let's get more climbing in than hiking for once." Careno Crag, get lots of pitches in there. Get to Kyle's house, and I ask if he's ever heard of Spineless Prow. Careno Crag gets put on hold and we're hiking towards Aasgard Pass 20 minutes later. We get to where I THINK the base of Spineless prow is, and nothing is matching up with Beckey's description. Spineless looks good on the pic I took back in June, and we see a wall that looks to be about 5 pitches, but no cracks or obvious climging features leading up the prow above the 1st pitch.

 

We move 100 feet uphill and we argue. Kyle: Stay and explore, me: get the hell back and crag. I begrudgingly agree to what looks to be a day of scrambling. Kyle and I 4th class it for two pitches up blocky terrain and reach some wet rock. We pitch it from here, and climb 200 feet in a very loose gully.

 

I take the belay up and east and we find what looks to be an outstandingly clean and solid left-facing corner. Careno's a thing of the past in my mind at this point. Kyle takes off up the corner, jamming and stemming on a great 120 foot pitch. Perfect 5.8 hands all the way, with stemming on chickenheads. My pitch begins in a 20 foot, 4 inch crack, that felt steep, but still solid. The crack turns into an easy chimney, somewhat gritty. 15 feet up the chimney, I see it narrows down to a 4 inch crack again, and note my #4 camalot is well below me. I look up right, and there's a clean flake that provides gear and a literal pull-up out of the chimney and onto the arete, where solid hand jams and airy stems take me to the exposed arete, and a couple thin crack moves, lead to the final 20 foot lieback on a perfect left-facing corner/ramp to a comfy belay ledge, 5.10- pitch. The final 15 feet to the summit "cannonhole" starts out bouldery, but then eases nicely to the squeeze through the hole.

 

At two pitches you probably won't choose this as your destination climb, but then again Ingalls Peak??

At least do this one on your way up to Prussik, or on your way down from Dragontail. It's very much worth it and not at all out of the way.

 

Kyle beginning the scrambling.

 

Below the start of the good climbing.

 

Pitch one of the Sentinel.

 

Pitch two on the arete. Find the hikers for bonus points.

 

Cannonhole.

 

Scamper upwards.

 

The view isn't too bad, either.

 

Gear Notes:

Medium rack, 4 inch cam.

 

Approach Notes:

Aasgard Pass Sentinel is about 200 feet below and north of the top of Aasgard Pass. It's pretty obvious, because it has the cleanest rock on that side of the pass.

[chucK]

way to get out and explore!

[Alpinfox]

 

Cool!

 

Is this east or west of the pass?

[telemarker]

I think of the pass running east to west, with dragontail on the south side, and Sentinel on the north side.

[Alpinfox]

Right. But is this route "below" the pass on the east (Enchantment Lakes side) or west (Colchuck Lake side) of the crest of the pass?

[telemarker]

Oh, I get it...It's on the west side of the crest. Sorry 'bout that. From the top of the pass, if you look west, you'll notice a hanging meadows 200 feet below. APS is just north of there.

[Szyjakowski]

Feck yah john and kyle...way to get 'er done!!

[fleblebleb]

Cool post too! I've never heard of this climb but it sounds (and looks!) really neat - man it would be nice to see more idea TRs like this one.