[TR] Burgundy Spire- North Face via Paisano Pinnacle 7/31/2005

[skykilo]

Climb: Burgundy Spire-North Face via Paisano Pinnacle

 

Date of Climb: 7/31/2005

 

Trip Report:

Ross and I decided to take a look at the Paisano Pinnacle-Burgundy Spire linkup yesterday. It sure is a blast.

 

We left Seattle circa 3:30. Left the truck a little after 6:30. What an easy approach! Down a little talus, over the creek, and up a beautiful climber's trail that really gets the job done. After interminable steep hiking I kept thinking, "I hope the trail saves a little vertical for the climb."

 

We climbed Paisano in four ~60m pitches. Lots of fun little moves and great position, but never really sustained. Generally excellent rock with a few spots of looseness for the alpine ambiance.

 

After a break on the pinnacle, we scrambled the beginning of the North Face before climbing it in 3 pitches. We stayed left instead of heading right, which gave Ross a beautiful lead up a slab, past a manky old 1/4" bolt, then through a few cool crack moves with breathtaking exposure toward the east. I finished it with a very traversey pitch and some off-width yo-yoing.

 

4.5 hrs from rock to summit, is this really a grade IV? I don't know, but I CAN tell you that Tootsie makes a mean chicken pot pie.

 

Thanks for another great day Ross!

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

60m x 9mm rope. 11 cams, 11 nuts, a few hexes, and 2 'tards

 

Approach Notes:

What approach?

[Juan]

You guys just generally make this whole alpine affair look too easy. Could you gain some weight or something?

 

Sharp

[JoshK]

That trail is the antithesis of the Cascade Pass trail. I give it . Nice job guys!

[TeleRoss]

-Liberty Bell group from the easy approach trail

-Midway on Paisano

-Near the top of Burgundy Spire

-From the summit, Bonanza, Glacier, Dome, and others

[Uncle_Tricky]

I thot the crux pitch on Paisano, including the not very well protected face leading up to a left facing corner was fairly exciting. Climbing in do-not-fall territory on incut holds of somewhat questionable solidity kept my attention.

[TeleRoss]

I ended up climbing into some orangish rock somewhere below a large slabby ledge. The rock was of dubious quality and the grooves/cracks/flakes were kind of discontinuous...I found myself kind of weaving around through shitty rock trying to find a decent way....

Sky and I both thought that Paisano was a fun climb, and really doesn't take much longer than hiking up to Burgundy Col and scrambling to the start of the NF route....yeah definitely the way I would recommend doing the NF of Burgundy....but definitely not a grade IV like Kearney says.

[layton]

try da east face of burgundy next time!

[Blake]

I climbed this back in October with Tim (therunningdog)... it is definitely a great day out. I think it's a route that ought to be done more. For the beta overload, here you go:

 

 

The Paisano route begins at the first/only/obvious notch low down on the ridge. It was my first time to the area and I found it easily. To Begin, go around a corner to your right, and you will find a nice 5.8 dihedral with finger locks heading upwards. The trimmed branches (thanks to local guides) prove you are on route.

From here, just head up about 4 pitches of non-sustained 5.8 climbing. Stay on the ridge crest, the rock is excellent.

 

 

There is only one really tricky spot. On the 5thish pitch, beautiful twin finger/hand cracks lead up from a ledge into some orangeish rock, a belay block/horn, and an apparent dead-end where this photo was taken.

 

 

From here, look directly left to a small pine tree on the left (North) side side of the ridge. Traverse around left to the pine tree (~25') and climb back up to the ridge crest from there. If you don't traverse left, you have about 30' of unprotected 5.7 face climbing above the twin cracks, to get back on the protectable crest. (or you could choose your own adventure by heading up between the two, 5.9 R, I left a few holds on there)

 

 

The final pitch includes a bit of slab climbing on the crest of the ridge to reach the summit of Paisano. Nothing very runout, and scraped-off lichen shows you where to go.

 

 

From the Paisano-Burgundy notch, we did burgundy in 4 pitches.

 

 

Two pitches up the left side of the North Face ampitheater, one long rightward traverse pitch under the leaning block, and one rope-strecther pith to the summit via a 5.8 or 5.9 offwidth crack at the top.

 

 

The right of the two offwidths can be protected with smaller gear placed further in. Save some time on the summit to TR the 5.10 chimney finish and the other offwidth that you didn't take!

 

Edited December 23, 2006 by Blake

[skykilo]

Nice photos, Blake.

[Off_White]

Yes, it's nice to be getting some delayed TR's and photo stoke, like this one and Bill Coe's Epinephrine report at this dark time of the year. I've got one in my back pocket for a little later this winter.

 

Nice route documentation Blake, this will make an excellent addition to the TR index.

[mattp]

Blake's description is all you need for Paisano but I'll add a little bit anyway. The "first/obvious/only notch" where the route starts is a relatively small notch, but it is just above where a chimney slices through the ridge, a prominent feature when viewed from the normal Burgundy Col approach. From the notch, you climb up through a couple of trees and then step right.

 

There's some sketchy kitty litter over rock if you stay too high (as we did), trying not to drop below the destination notch while you approach it. It looks as if it'd be easier but you might fill your shoes with pea gravel taking the likley friendlier line of approach a bit lower.

 

 

[NYC007]

how long did the approach take to the base of paisano?

[mattp]

We took forever and a half day, but I'm guessing 2-4 hours is probably more standard. It is a ways up there.

[NYC007]

thanks

[skykilo]

I am both honored and humbled that my little TR from two years ago has become the official repository for quality PP->BS linkup beta. Thank you, Blake and MattP.

[Blake]

Anyone climb the other routes on PP more to the left/west side? Rampage and some other crack systems look like they might be fun.

 

NYC007, as Sky mentioned, the whole climb goes quick. We climbed it fine in a short October day.

[NYC007]

I believe Layton has been up to Rampage before.

[tomtom]

Anyone climb the other routes on PP more to the left/west side? Rampage and some other crack systems look like they might be fun.

 

Brian and I climbed three pitches to the summit of Paisano Pinnacle on the NW Face this weekend at about 5.9. There were a couple bail slings down low but nothing higher.

 

Is this an existing route? Where is Rampage, anyway?

 

 

p2

 

[tanstaafl]

Cool; Paisano got some action this weekend. Susan and I climbed the standard route on Sunday. Thanks Blake for the beta overload.

 

I got a camera for Christmas so here are a few pics:

 

Paisano Pinnacle and Burgundy Spire

 

Susan following the second pitch

 

mmm crack

 

Pretty lichen

 

Summit views