Clean Break TR

[layton]

Clean break is gooder than most badder climbs.

If you get the 2nd pitch, you get 80% of the hard funky pitches. The 5.10- traverses are headdy, but only one or 2 movs. The 1st pitch is the hardest. The 2nd pitch (the clean break) felt like 5.9 or 5.8. The 3rd pitch goes up and right up a left facing flake, then across and up an unprotected corner. We may have missed something, cuz it seemed weird. We did a small tension/pendulum into the next crack. After that it's pretty off and on going. The 10- thin crack after the offwidth (do a hand traverse then a layback) is pretty easy. Not much gear on the crack, but bomber finger locks. Don't fall though.

We didn't "tunnel" under like Kearney says higher up, instead following Burdo, heading out right on a long traverse then climbing back up to the ridge past the prow. The 5.9 stem corner was hard for me, but easy for Coley. Don't go too high, traverse early on. There is a fixed nut in a sucker crack way to the right. Coley opted out on the "Wild hand crack". I didn't see it, but it seemed really silly and contrived. I'm sure we missed out, but I really don't care.

 

The approach and hike are ok. Car to car was 14 hours. Lots of snow at the base of the route, w/ a sketchy moat hop. Don't leave a pack too close to the base of the route, as the descent puts you lower than your pack. Leave a pack really really low, or better yet, not at all. Don't bother w/ice ax or crampons. Not that steep, runout. Bring plenty of water, it gets really hot (even when cloudy). Aproach took 2 hours to basin, 45min on talus/snow. Desent took 3.5 hours summit to car. Easy desent, not sketchy at all. Try and stay on the trail on the way up, but there are many sections that are devoid of trail and you just need to be lucky to find it.

 

Climzalot was an awesome partner on an awesome route. 3 out of 4 stars, and a IV 5.10a rating (or III+ if you camp up there...don't though, that's cruel). Oh, bring a topo for the wine spires if you do camp, or if you finish the route early. We could'a gotten in Chianti or Burgandy by dark.

[layton]

Someone just pointed out that my post reads like Climzalot gets 3 out of 4 stars. I mean the climb. Climzalot gets 4.

[thelawgoddess]

just curious - you seem to recommending *against* making it more than a one-day adventure ... am i right?

[layton]

The hike up is fairly steep. Going up and down w/ a big pack on would hurt. Plus there a LOT of bugs (all the way up to the summit!). If you summit by night, the descent is pretty straighforeward, and could be easily done by headlamp. I'd go with 2 hours to base for super fast and light folks, 3-5 hours for heavy packs.

On the flip side, the area is so amazingly beautiful that it would be a pretty place to spend awhile (while swatting insects). You can get water from the snow, not a lot of running water however.

[daylward]

I would recommend against an overnight for this route. It's a relatively short approach, not too long of a climb if you have previous Cascade rock experience, and the descent is quite straightforward. Even if you're not dialed and think it'll take you all day to do the route, doing the approach and descent in the dark would be preferable to carrying overnight stuff IMHO. It is pretty up there though; that might be enough reason for you to camp...

[Dru]

bugs die in the fall

[layton]

i'm trying to get some of my old TR's searchable for other users, can Mods's make this a TR?

gracias

[mneagle]

The mosquitos were the worst I have ever seem. They followed us all the way to the summit, harrassing us whenever we stopped. Bring lots of DEET. We did it with a bivy and it was fine, but 1 day would work pretty well too.

[genepires]

Anybody have a estimate for a time when the insects are not bad at clean break? before June and after September?

[eric8]

hmm. I have never had a probelm with bugs in the winespires. I climbed clean break the 3rd weekend in July last year and don't remeber any bugs.

[telemarker]

Anybody have a estimate for a time when the insects are not bad at clean break? before June and after September?

 

We climbed it last year 8-21 without any problem from bugs.

[Ed_Hobbick]

We did run into lots of bees in the woods though. They were living in some old decomposed logs.

[telemarker]

We did run into lots of bees in the woods though. They were living in some old decomposed logs.

 

Yeah, forgot about that. In that meadows/marshy area below the chutes. Aggressive bastards. You didn't know they were around until you felt them stinging you en masse.

[tanstaafl]

AlpineK and I did it yesterday after getting the smackdown in the Pickets and there were no bugs at all. Lots of rotten snow for the surprise posthole effect, though. Also some snow on the upper pitches, which made for some spicy moves in rock shoes.