"Alpine sport climb" report

[Rad]

Saturday’s forecast was for showers everywhere. It was wet and drizzling for our dawn rendezvous in Monroe, but I convinced Gene and Craig we’d have good weather. Sure enough, it was perfect in the Icicle all day: a mix of sun and clouds with no real precipitation.

 

We headed for Condorphamine addiction.

 

Kramar’s second edition guide describes this route as an “alpine sport climb”.

 

It sounded like an oxymoron to me, and Gene and I spent a good part of the drizzly drive to Leavenworth debating the meaning of “alpine” and “sport”. We didn't reach enlightenment, though we agreed on the facts: CA is a bolted, well-protected, no trad-gear required, easy rap-off, multi-pitch climb in a beautiful setting that requires a little bit of a hike on the approach. Call it what you will. Craig wisely ignored us and slept.

 

We hiked up through forested and open slopes to the base of the cliff, passing a rainbow of flowers in bloom.

 

Kramar’s book just says 7 pitches, 12 bolts, 85ft raps, but otherwise has almost no information. We found the topo below to be quite helpful and accurate. We did the climb as basically 3.5 pitches, climbing on 2 60m ropes: I linked p1 and p2, Craig linked p3 and p4, Gene linked p5 and p6, and Craig scooted up the last pitch to the top.

 

The crux moves on p2, p5, and p6 were quite fun and interesting. The exposure was cool but not extreme, and there were great views up to Colchuck, Dragontail, Sherpa, and Stuart as we got higher. We had a grand old time. It’s worth scrambling a few feet to the crest of the formation to soak up the scene before you rap down. The summit area has a definite ‘alpine’ ambience and looks across toward the Colchuck lake area and up into large cliffs with lots of new route potential.

 

After rapping down, we top-roped the ‘Opus of the condorian kind’ variation. We felt it was a smidge harder than the p5 and p6 cruxes of CA, which are listed at 10b.

 

Gear: We had 2 60m ropes, but one >=50m rope would suffice. Lots of quickdraws.

 

Approach: A good trail leads to bathtub dome, where you follow a rising traverse to the obvious scrub line on the corner of the buttress.

 

 

[layton]

Mr Hook, Mr Pires, and Mr Larson.

The dream team.

[jordop]

alpine sport climbing is not nearly as much fun as boulderaiding

[MCash]

Nice report, very fun route, grades are easier than Vantage.

[Rad]

Footnote:

 

Gazing through bleary eyes at a sign posted above the urinal in the Albertson's in Monroe, I read:

 

"The dog wants his house back. Visit our flower booth".

 

What a crass and cheesy advertising gimmick, I thought.

 

Then, as our day of climbing was winding down and we were walking through fields of flowers I had a thought...

 

so Gene and I gathered some lupine to take to our ladies.

 

Mine did the trick.

 

Gene?

[layton]

That's a bit different from our post pickets enduced alpine disgust of wanting to destroy all those flowers, eh Rolf?

 

Craig's walker couldn't go off trail on that approach?

[Mark_Husbands]

"boulderaiding"...genius...short routes, linking a few moves of absolutely desperate aid above a mattress. it will push the envelope.

[tomtom]

Pfft. That is sooooo '00's.

[Dru]

 

Here's AlpineK doing some alpinboulderaiding on hand placed Crack Nu Ups, RPs and #2 Zero cam. No mat.. no rope... only the fact that he's less than 15' off the ground prevents it from being A5

[cman]

we did that route a couple weeks ago. good times. it was easier than i expected. the hike was a pain, i guess i need to get in better shape.

[catbirdseat]

That takes cahones to do that without a crash pad.

[genepires]

Hey Mikey, Rad = radcliffe roberts not rolf larson.

 

The flowers worked wonders when I stumbled home at 9pm.

 

Been eyeing that climb for so long, especially when driving out of the colchuck trailhead. Real glad to finally have been up there. Thanks for being the positive energy Rad.

[jordop]

 

Here's AlpineK doing some alpinboulderaiding on hand placed Crack Nu Ups, RPs and #2 Zero cam. No mat.. no rope... only the fact that he's less than 15' off the ground prevents it from being A5

Alpinesitstartboulderaiding

[bigwalling]

Boulder aiding... funnest at night with a few other guys. Get drunk as fuck and hook your way up the improbables! No crash pads allowed... Yes it can hurt when the hook pops!

[mvs]

 

my site traffik went through the roof!

 

http://www.mountainwerks.org/cma/2004/images/condorphamine.jpg