matt_m Posted February 1, 2006 Share Posted February 1, 2006 This has become a goal route for my partner and I this year but the thought of walking up and doing a ground up try is a bit much at this point. Descriptions like "This pitch is something to really sweat over for both the climber and belayer" come to mind. Anyone have beta or experience rapping in to try the various pitches on TR first? Added benefit - the route will get cleaned up at the same time. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Seems like bad form to me. French freeing past the crux sections may be a better option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt_m Posted February 2, 2006 Author Share Posted February 2, 2006 Seems like bad form to me. French freeing past the crux sections may be a better option. Laugh - and I thought it would take longer than ONE post for someone to claim "weak" or "poor form" My form is just fine. So... PULLING on GEAR is better form than trying something all free? I'm not going to get sucked into a classic cc.com black hole however - I just wanted to know if anyone has done it. If not no worries and thanks for the read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fern Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Is Alaska Highway below or above Astro Ledge? I forget. I have rapped the whole wall though not down the line of either the Calling or Alaska Highway. Hiking to the top of the 3rd summit then finding the trail down and thrashing along the clifftop through 4th class choss to find the top is probably more work than pulling on a few pieces of gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 Seems like bad form to me. French freeing past the crux sections may be a better option. Laugh - and I thought it would take longer than ONE post for someone to claim "weak" or "poor form" My form is just fine. So... PULLING on GEAR is better form than trying something all free? I'm not going to get sucked into a classic cc.com black hole however - I just wanted to know if anyone has done it. If not no worries and thanks for the read. Shit. Do what you want. Its essentially a crag route afterall. I personally think a ground up ascent, even if you have to pull on gear, is better form than preworking a route on toprope after rapping in. But reasonable minds may disagree. Scott Burke did this a bunch trying to free the Nose, so whatever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Trippett Posted February 2, 2006 Share Posted February 2, 2006 (edited) you can rap in just fine with 2x60m. bring a barf bag and lots of water. the second pitch is a killer. Edited February 2, 2006 by avitripp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew_R Posted February 5, 2006 Share Posted February 5, 2006 Hey guys... a few things... Ak Highway (which forms the first half of the Northern Lights - BELOW astro ledge) is very well worth doing, however the route trends left so if you are planning on rapping the bolted route you will get a good view of that crux pitch from about 50m to the left... to rap the route I dont recall exactly but above that 2nd pitch you would have to leave some gear... also the traversing nature of the route will make rapping belay to belay pretty difficult I'd imagine.... and you probably wont get to work any of the moves on the 2nd pitch anyways because it really is quite overhanging I've also done the North-north arete and can say that that trail to astro ledge isnt easy either.... on the plus side if you puke and stuff you can easily rap off the top of the second picth.... As far as style is concerned my friend Josh and I walked up there and onsighted every pitch... I had the 2nd pitch and it was without a doubt the most challenging lead of my life... it took an hour... I was probably as intimidated as you are as the climbing was at my limit So I suppose my advice is to put some whiskey in your water and go get your fuckin send on... then you wont really give a shit about whats on cc.com hope this helps, cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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