[TR] SEWS, Liberty Bell, and Le Petit Cheval- SW Buttress, Rapple Grapple, and Spontaneity Arete 5/29/2005

[Blake]

Climb: SEWS, Liberty Bell, and Le Petit Cheval-SW Buttress, Rapple Grapple, and Spontaneity Arete

 

Date of Climb: 5/29/2005

 

Trip Report:

Washington Pass Goodness

 

 

 

 

I hooked up with MEC for a weekend of Alpine rock in the unseasonably snow-free Washington Pass area. We were originally going to do a few climbs on the Liberty Bell group one day, Spontaneity Arete (Kangaroo ridge) one day, and a Burgundy/Paisano link-up monday, but work obligations arose and cut our trip a day short.

 

SEWS - SW Buttress

I really enjoyed this climb, although I didn't lead either of the two wide crack pitches. We started just to the left of a prominent two-topped larch tree, and went straight up to the offwidth crack, it worked much better than traversing in from the right.

Blue skies and high temps had us climbing and summit-lounging in T-shirts for most of the afternoon.

 

After rapping down the gulley and retreiving our snaffle- chewed gear, we walked over to the Concord-LB gulley. Luckily the gulley was deserted on the way up, except for one scruffy old white-haired climber famous in the area.

 

We decided to try the "Rapple Grapple" route as something more challenging than the Beckey Route. Having little knowledge of the route other than it's proximity to the Becky Route, we were able to follow obvious cracks systems.

 

I'd definitely give this route a look if you are in the gulley already, and the Beckey Route is in use or you are looking for something a bit different.

 

Sunday we climbed the fairly new "Spontaneity Arete" route on the N. end of Kangaroo Ridge. (below Burgundy Col)

The trail leading to the base of the route is easy to follow, and whoever used about 400 yards worth of neon flagging tape to designate an obvious path through the wilderness can come find me to get it back, as long its before the next garbage pick up. The route has three really fun pitches, a good deal of 4th/low 5th, and would be a great way to introduce someone to alpine climbing or trad leading. Many of the crack systems eat up passive pro, and are solid hand/finger sizes. Highlights include a fun exposed headwall pitch

 

and a nice 5.7 layback crack on the last pitch. If anyone has a nice picture of the North end of Kangaroo from the area, let me know.

 

We bootied two Nalgenes, three carabiners, and a spectra sling over the weekend.

 

The oddest part of the weekend was a hardcore cyclist that Billygoat and I saw on Hwy 20 while leaving Mt. Erie Friday, MEC and and I saw FRiday evening east of Mt. Vernon, and then MEC and I saw again Sunday afternoon as he had just crested Washington Pass.

 

Gear Notes:

Big Cams for the SW Buttress, other than that, a standard alpine rack. Ice Axe and crampons are not needed, and it looks like you wouldn't need them to get to Burgundy either.

 

Approach Notes:

The approach to the Liberty Bell climbs is snow free most of the way. Gulleys and scree directly below spires have a foot or two of soft snow.

[Szyjakowski]

sweet. looks like the wapass rock climbing season is finally here!! just in time as the central cascades are getting HOT!!

[Toast]

Nice TR

[mec]

Washington Pass was great!!! Good pics Blake! How did the rest of them turn-out?

 

I was expecting a lot more snow, but it was perfect.

[catbirdseat]

Great Pics.

[Billygoat]

Great Tr Blake

 

I wonder if that cyclist is doing one of those coast to coast trips over the summer and he started in Anacortes.

[Zoran]

I like your TR. I hope we will head there soon from Vancouver, BC.

Thank you for the pics.

Z

[scott_johnston]

Blake;

Glad that you enjoyed the Spon. Arete.

Go ahead and toss all that ribbon. We can get more when we need it. Larry and I placed that there two years ago when the trail was much less distinct. We wanted to get the trail beaten in and well established so as to avoid the damage that comes from to many lost climbers trying to follow too many vague trails. We figured that someone would remove it when it became obvious where the approach trail was. Remember that we hacked that trail out of nothing and it was pretty rough when we first finished it. I am sure it looked ridiculouly over flagged when you went there but it was done with the best of intentions to minimize impatct. Thaks for removing what has become unnecessary now.

Scott

[Blake]

Blake;

Glad that you enjoyed the Spon. Arete.

Go ahead and toss all that ribbon. We can get more when we need it. Larry and I placed that there two years ago when the trail was much less distinct. We wanted to get the trail beaten in and well established so as to avoid the damage that comes from to many lost climbers trying to follow too many vague trails. We figured that someone would remove it when it became obvious where the approach trail was. Remember that we hacked that trail out of nothing and it was pretty rough when we first finished it. I am sure it looked ridiculouly over flagged when you went there but it was done with the best of intentions to minimize impatct. Thaks for removing what has become unnecessary now.

Scott

 

 

Directing people onto one path as opposed to many when an area first sees traffic is IMO one of the only legitimate uses for flags. (and even that can be argued either way). I'm glad that you agree that it should be gone. By the way, a bunch of the yellow tape from the trail down to the creek was forgotten balled up beneath a branch just past the crossing. The next person to cross the creek will be my hero if they grab it.

 

P.S. Scott, those fixed rope bits come in super handy, especially going back down. Ignore the BS that you got when you first mentioned them in the FA report.

[Billygoat]

Thanks for the work on opening up that route Scott

 

And thank you Blake for taking up the stewardship

 

[NYC007]

Just did Le Petit Cheval on Sat, a great climb. I am impressed on the work to clean up the approach and climb. Nice work. Fun climb and very straight forward easy route finding. I ended up coming down the gully wishing I rapped the route..fairly slow moving unless your rolling..

[PaulB]

I ended up coming down the gully wishing I rapped the route..fairly slow moving unless your rolling..

Three of us did it on Sunday, and felt that going down the gully was faster than rapping would have been. It only took us about 45 minutes to get back to the base of the route.

 

for sure on the effort that went into making the approach and route user friendly.

 

[Blake]

I hope with all this traffic that someone grabbed the ball of yellow tape from beneath that branch at the stream crossing. Who's going to put up a route on that face across the gulley from Spont. Arete?

[NYC007]

that face looks like fun, looks a lil like a mini darrington.. but looks to have some potential!

[Billygoat]

geez Matt, quit looking and get doing...

 

 

[Blake]

I'm not sure that you could connect enough cracks to make large climbs, but if you are up there on "Le petit" anyway, try some cool looking single-pitch stuff anyway.. rock looks good.

[westex]

Where would one get info on the location and route description of Spon Arete.

Thanks

[Jopa]

click and scroll down about half way for the topo and location

[forrest_m]

hey, that's cool, i hadn't seen that before. unfortunately, the topo for spont. arete is the one that has a messed up link - so is unreadable. maybe someone at ncmg will fix this soon.

[PaulB]

...unfortunately, the topo for spont. arete is the one that has a messed up link - so is unreadable.

The topo is attached to this post as well.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

If one were looking to do le petit and burgundy, would there be a way to save time on the burgundy approach, or must one return to the car.

[Blake]

I think you wouldn't really save much time trying to link up the routes.. ie it'd eb tough and time consuming to schwack from the top of 'LE Petit' over to the approach for Burgundy col. Link up Paisano and Burgundy instead.