[TR] The Mole- West Face 5/22/2005

[gyselinck]

Climb: The Mole-West Face

 

Date of Climb: 5/22/2005

 

Trip Report:

Cook, Longpause, and I worked a route up the W. Face of the mole on Saturday, May 22. I had no route information, thus followed lines of weakness. I can’t compare our route to any descriptions in Beckey book. At first I thought we did the 1948 route, but looking back it doesn’t match either. If anyone has any good topos of the W. Face I would love to see them. Climbing was stiff and complicated, estimated crux pitch was 5.11 (A0). I think we did 8 or so pitches. The route contained nice cracks and run out slabs. Weather came in complicating matters. It snowed almost all day, strong winds, low visibility, very cold. After getting off The Mole we got lost in thick clouds and descended the wrong gully and headed over a mile in the wrong direction. We had stashed our bags and all our extra gear at Mesa Lake, but ended up way down Rat Creek. We finally found our way back in the dark, during a snowstorm and found our packs around 4:00 in the morning. Ended up being a 20 hour day, we were wet and cold.

 

 

The Mole showing W. Face

 

 

Somewhere on the W. Face.

 

 

L0ngpause descending, nice and dry.

 

Gear Notes:

60m rope, small rock rack made shorter pitches but there would be rope drag anyway, ice axe

 

Approach Notes:

Toketie Creek, though I recomend going up Rat Creek, watch for ticks

[thelawgoddess]

pics rock. thanks for the tr. i like how you did it super old school pioneer adventurer style. (you get extra style points for that!)

[Toast]

Dude, ticks were bad this weekend. Nice TR

Edited May 23, 2005 by Toast

[John Frieh]

Way to get shit done regardless of the weather d00d!

[cook]

to gyselinck for leading hard scary pitches in the snow and to L0ngpause for not spooning with me in the bivy. Nice job guys

[slaphappy]

[Lyger]

Glad you guys managed to have fun without me...thats ok, work was MUCH better than going up the mole.Seriously though, nice work to all of you. You know it's been a good climb when Longpause spends all of the next day sleeping on the couch and Cook's feet look like they belong on cadavers. Gyselinck, you keep this up and you might get more visits from some pretty awesome super heros!

[gyselinck]

Gyselinck, you keep this up and you might get more visits from some pretty awesome super heros!

 

Yee-haw!!

 

I forgot to mention, I was kidding about my recomendation of going up rat creek.

[klenke]

You were kidding? Rats!

 

5.11 (A0) alpine? Yeah sure!

[Bug]

Hard core dudes. It brings back ooold memories of snowy times in Montana. Great fun to read.

[L0ngpause]

More climbing pictures..

Spooning Cook is neither, however Lyger's homemade berry pie on return is kick ass!

Bright and sunny on the way in

Rat creek group behind. & Cook trying to kill me for eating all the hotdogs.

I think this is either shrew or crocodile fang? so pretty. .

me traversing some unknown pitch, it was a nice pitch.

Cook coming up some unknown pitch, and rat creek in the background

I wish I had some of Lyger's berry pie, hmmmm, pie is good.

[layton]

That's pretty cool! Nice goin, looks like y'all had some fun. 5.11 A0...that;s skills. glad you didn't get stabbed, you must have some flippin sweet reflexes.

 

i'm curious about the 8 pitches. how tall is the route? i always thought that the Mole was like 3 pitches. maybe i need to take it off the do'nt bother list!

gracias

[slaphappy]

Longpause, that is The Shrew, Croc Fang isn't visible from there.

 

Layton, keep it on your "don't bother list" there isn't any good stone up there it's all short, contrived, and crowded. It's super obvious from the road that nothing up there could possibly be more than three pitches.

[gyselinck]

That's pretty cool! Nice goin, looks like y'all had some fun. 5.11 A0...that;s skills.

 

I didn't mean 5.11 A0, I said 5.11 (A0). I don't hike 5.11 in cold wet snowy blizzards. I pulled on gear up the 11 section. Consisted of a crack going over an overhanging roof onto face climbing. Cook and L0ngpause prusiked up it. I don't have any pics of it, but just thought I would clarify.

 

Layton, unless you like waiting in lines, don't go there, way to crowded.

[layton]

Longpause, that is The Shrew, Croc Fang isn't visible from there.

 

Layton, keep it on your "don't bother list" there isn't any good stone up there it's all short, contrived, and crowded. It's super obvious from the road that nothing up there could possibly be more than three pitches.

 

[L0ngpause]

 

i'm curious about the 8 pitches. how tall is the route? i always thought that the Mole was like 3 pitches. maybe i need to take it off the do'nt bother list!

gracias

Yeah, for sure not 8 full pitches, it was more like making a pitch wherever a nice ledge was. Yeah, I agree, don't go it was sooo boring.

[layton]

after re-reading what i typed, i still can't see how you guys think i concidered your adventure boring or crowded. i just never figured i'd bother going up there for just a few pitches. shheeeesh.

[Szyjakowski]

hasn't doorish climbed all the cracks on that side of the Mole?

[slaphappy]

hasn't doorish climbed all the cracks on that side of the Mole?

 

All? Doubtful. Many? Absolutely.

 

As usual, Layton, it's your prima-donna attitude that blows.

[gyselinck]

Post deleted by gyselinck

[slaphappy]

Slaphappy, quit being a dick.

 

Never.

[larrythellama]

old skool adventure style? well actually lots of people go up into the mountains without a guidebook and climb, crazy shit eh? nice work kids the icicle was quite fun last weekend!