tyree Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 (edited) Climb: Colchuck/Balance Rock-W. Face Date of Climb: 7/14/2005 Trip Report: Frosty the Tradman and I headed up to Colchuck lake after a day of cragging in 11worth. The temps were perfect and the hike very enjoyable. We camped at the lake and left camp around 5:00 am. After the approach gully, we took our time getting on route around 7:30. I led the 1st pitch. The first part was moving through easy ledges to the "5.10+" pitch. I found this to be straight forward thin hands. Frosty then took the next lead linking pitches 2 and most of 3. Fun climbing. This left me to lead the remainder of three and the super long 5.11 corner. In retrospect we should have bumped the belay up to the base of the corner because the rope drag proved to be a beast. About 150 ft up I took a fall because i just couldnt commit to the clip with the hard moves coupled with the weight of the rope. The last 20 ft were soaked with green slime that forced me to hang dog through. This pitch was excellent aside from the slime and rope drag. The moves were not hard (5.10+) but very sustained for the entire 190ft. It was now Frosty's turn to lead out the roof. After climbing a fixed sling ladder the route went left in a crack at the base where the roof meets the wall. This part was soaked as well and forced Frosty to hang through. The moves were not that difficult but the crucial foot holds were very wet. Pulling the corner around the end of the roof was incredible! Here is a view of Stewart from the belay under the roof. The next pitch was awsome. Becky gives it 5.10 but its more like 5.9+ with awsome exposure. The aid through the roof was easy due to a fixed nut at the lip. The last hard climbing was Frosty's lead through the "5.8" chimney. This has to be some hardman's idea of a sick joke. The 1st part is a bombay chimney that is just fucking hard. It eases up into another, what I would call, 5.8 chimney with some exposed moves at the end. The last pitch was an easy scramble to the top. This has to be the easiest decent in the cascades. One rap to ledges that take you down to scree slopes that wind around the west flank back to our packs. From here it was back to te lake and a 3:30am start to the S. face of Prussic. That is a tale for another time. Gear Notes: doubles to 3.5 alpine aiders would have been nice for the 2nd on the roofs. Approach Notes: CHILL Edited July 17, 2005 by tyree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyperu Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 i remember lookin over there on thursday from stuart...recalling the good times had on that route! good to know y'all were gettin some... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 nice. yeah that "5.8" chimney is a bit more challenging than expected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweatinoutliquor Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Well done Tyree! Good report and photos! Looks like a hell of a setting up there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Szyjakowski Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 i remember lookin over there on thursday from stuart...recalling the good times had on that route! good to know y'all were gettin some... good times! thanks again bobby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyselinck Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Was any of the route wet, or is it pretty dry up there now? Thanks for the TR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dberdinka Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Was any of the route wet, or is it pretty dry up there now? Thanks for the TR. Ummm.....try reading the words and not just looking at the purty pictures... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyselinck Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Good idea. Awsome pictures by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Szyjakowski Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 ya know, I wonder if the 5.8 chimney used to have more blocks in it, but were later cleaned out...making it harder. either way that exposure is fukin tweaking! also, the 5.11 money pitch is (from what I've heard) always wet at the finish. the roof traverse will dry out....give it some more time. Tyree, Question: Is there any signs of new rockfall from the nw face area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 ya know, I wonder if the 5.8 chimney used to have more blocks in it, but were later cleaned out...making it harder. either way that exposure is fukin tweaking! also, the 5.11 money pitch is (from what I've heard) always wet at the finish. the roof traverse will dry out....give it some more time. Tyree, Question: Is there any signs of new rockfall from the nw face area? here's a pic of skyclimb from just inside the 1st chimney. my camera cord got in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyree Posted July 19, 2005 Author Share Posted July 19, 2005 (edited) also, the 5.11 money pitch is (from what I've heard) always wet at the finish. the roof traverse will dry out....give it some more time. Tyree, Question: Is there any signs of new rockfall from the nw face area? I didint notice any "new rock fall" on the NW face. There is that HUGE scar climbers left of the route but it looks pretty old. For what its worth there is a new scar on DT left of Backbone, its pretty big. Edited July 19, 2005 by tyree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thelawgoddess Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 nice tr, and very cool pics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyselinck Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 suckbm and I did this climb the other day and encountered no water and no green slime on route. Conditions are perfect, route is completley dry. Go free it boys!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyperu Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 sweet... so yeah you freed it...onsight..? thats pretty rad! her's to ya Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gyselinck Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 Fuck no we didnt. Anyone who can free that shit is crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbyperu Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 word...i've hung both times i did er...thanx for the conditions update tho...cause the red-point is gonna happen next go-around...hopefully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 you talking about freeing the aid move over the roof on the sweet 5.9 pitch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W Posted July 30, 2005 Share Posted July 30, 2005 Colin and I climbed this route last sunday. The spring was still dripping enough to moisten the top 25 feet of the big corner but I'm not surprised it is now dry. We did not free or even pretend to be freeing the hardest bits of the route, but two guys behind us appeared to be giving it a good go. I don't know if they actually got it clean but it did look from above like the guy nailed the 5.12 section. A word on the last pitch: the chimney itself is not harder than 5.8 in my opinion, but definitely agree that the entrance moves into it seem far harder- very awkward, in any case. Feels more like hard 5.10. At least pro is bomber. Overall, awesome route and position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyree Posted August 4, 2005 Author Share Posted August 4, 2005 Dude that chimney is a BITCH. At 5.8 it weighs in as one of the biggest sandbags ive ever climbed. Granted, once inside it its not too bad but getting there easily 5.9+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwrts Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 I bet the chimney used to have more blocks/chockstones back in the day.... errr, well is could have... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_Puget Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 (edited) 5.12? Edited August 4, 2005 by Peter_Puget Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suckbm Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 i busted out the aiders to get myself into the chimney and it was still hard after that draggin myself up it with all that gear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 5.12? the roof w/o aid goes at 5.12 mr smarty pants Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwrts Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 (edited) which one smart guy!? there is a couple....... Edited August 5, 2005 by bwrts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter_Puget Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I always thought otherwise but 12 sounds good to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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