[TR] SnowCreekWall- Champagne with the ridge-top traverse 10/17/2004

[Bug]

Climb: SnowCreekWall-Champagne with the ridge-top traverse

 

Date of Climb: 10/17/2004

 

Trip Report:

Well it's not realyy alpine and it's been a long time since the ropeup but it seems worth a TR. Alpinefox responded to a call for partners to climb Champagne. I accepted and turned down Dr Crash since the route finish was a little scetchy beta-wise.

So after too few beers Friday night, (no tap), we got an alpine start at 8 or 9 AM. The goats were at the base of the wall to great us and scurried over to me when I took a piss. All parts present and accounted for. Alpinefox even got a picture. Calm down ladies. The picture was of the goat and my back. Check it out in the gallery if you are into watching it goat-style.

So we started up the gulley and roped up below the chimney section. Alpine fox led the chimney pitch and the first pitch of Champagne since I had already led them in the past. From there, we contiued up some good and some mediocre climbing to the traverse to the upper chimney where a good ledge was found. At the top of the chimney, another good ledge was found. Maybe it wasn all the ledges, or maybe it was the hot sun but we thought we heard the balefull moan of Matt, Dryad and uhm... that other guy as they wrrestled with the crux of Outerspace. Check out Aplime's pics in the gallery. Very nice profile of the wall. From the big ledge on top, we traversed right and led up a nice wall with a perfect 5.7 layback except for all the licken.. Then Aplinem lead over the ridge top and along the crest for a ways. That is where it seemed alpine. We contiued in this traverse for a few more pitches of great climbing that reminded me of the upper N Ridge of Stuart before the gendarme. Very nice and even did a short 5.8 crack with a dike. Then we descended to the notch where Ampline got a pic of a beautiful splitter and dropped down to the top of Outerspace. A nice day all in all. I recommend it.

 

Gear Notes:

Usual Snow creek wall rack.

Be prepared for the ledges.

 

Approach Notes:

Approach as for Outerspace and stay below base of rock as you traverse right to a dead tree. Then proceed up the gulley.

[Alpinfox]

Hey Bug!

 

I don't know why, but I never found this TR until now. I really like the way you spelled my name about four or five different ways - all incorrectly.

 

Champagne (with extension along the ridgetop) is a great adventure climb and a worthy backup plan for when SCW is too busy or you are looking for something a little different. One should definitely be prepared for the ledges as the views and setting are remarkable.

 

Here is a picture of the 5.8 slanting hand crack/dike thing on the crest of the ridge that Bugsy led.

[Bug]

I thought I had insulted you so much you wouldn't speek to me.

I'm up for more of that alpine anytime.

[catbirdseat]

We had a fun time with this route yesterday. We started into the ridge traverse, but then decided we were running out of time, so opted to rap off the backside and hike up the goat paths to the Outer Space walkoff.

 

For those interested, it takes two single rope raps from the ridge near the two prominant pinnacles (about half a pitch from the east end of the ridge). You would need to use a 60 m rope reach our lower rap station.

 

Don't make the same mistake we made and start down towards White Slabs (didn't get far before figuring it out). Once you have hiked up to the notch, continue on along the ridge a ways before decending to the OS walkoff.

[dkemp]

Hey man, my buddy and I went to climb Champagne yesterday. We didnt research it well, and perhaps misunderstood the guidebook. The gully had some moves that were unexpected and , well, basically it turned us around. Hmm, mistakes were made.

 

So, now this morning - a day late and a dollar short - I'm searching cc.com for info on that gully. As it happens I was just viewing this thread before you posted your TR.

 

We saw you guys up there and wondered where you went

 

That gully had us scratching our heads. 5.8? I didnt actually lead up and look at it myself - I belayed below the chockstone - but my pal thought it might be more than .8 so we left it for another day.

 

Please advise. Hmmm... I guess you might advise us to take up bowling...

[catbirdseat]

As the book says, it's a couple of 5.8 moves to get up over that chockstone. Believe me when I say it is easier than it looks. There are a couple of good cracks up under there that allow you to protect it really well, using nuts, cams or both. After the chockstone there is another step with a few low fifth moves and then more 3rd/4th class to the notch. You should have just gone for it.