prussik peak, south face

[forrest_m]

On Sat. 6/16, we climbed the south face of prussik, via snow creek, total car to car time was a hair under 14 hours. We were (barely) able to get to the route and descend without touching any snow. The rock is so damn good! Super solid with chickenheads everywhere.

We linked the first two pitches to the larch patch per the Nelson guide, then climbed several variation pitches. Going straight up instead of trending right led to a beautiful slab with a shallow corner on the left. Slightly scary, but really neat moves led up after 30 feet to easier ground, then 15 feet of downclimbing right led to the top of the standard 3rd pitch. Instead of heading up the "open corner" we climbed a steep finger crack that starts in a left facing corner, leads into a slab, then pulls a small roof with insecure off-fingers jams. Very, very cool moves on flawless rock with great pro. Easier climbing led back right into the regular route, and we belayed again just above the giant chockstone. From here, 80 feet of moderate climbing leads up, then instead of going right into the notorious offwidth, we went left, around the corner and into a flawless handcrack which leads up to a difficult and intimidating mantle, before heading back right to the ledge 1/3 of the way up the final pitch. 100 more feet of spectacular 5.9 climbing lets you pull up directly onto the flat summit.

All the "variation" pitches had signs of passage, some gardening, fixed pins, etc. but it was fun/scary 'cause we didn't know exactly what we were in for on any given pitch. We just climbed what looked like the best climbing. In the end, all three were in the mid to low 5.10 range, yielding a continuously challenging route on great rock that avoids the less pleasant pitches of the regular south face route. Though it was a perfect day in June, the only people we saw all day were two climbers on the west ridge and a few campers down at snow lake.

[pope]

Nice. I'll have to try these variations next time I hike up to one of my vary favorite routes.

[daylward]

Damn it Forrest, you started your own thread, I didn't even notice! Now we have two of these reports. Though mine is more detailed...

[forrest_m]

ummmm... and how is it my fault that you started typing before reading? reminds me of something in our office... when a contractor sends in a request for information about something that is obviously covered in detail in the specifications or drawings, we return it rubber stamped to say "Failure to Read Documents" ;-)