[TR] Chair Peak- N. Face 2/19/2006

[selkirk]

Climb: Chair Peak-N. Face

 

Date of Climb: 2/19/2006

 

Trip Report:

Took a very relaxed trip up to Chair peak over the weekend. Hiked in Saturday afternoon so we could get a nice early start on Sunday, and spent the evening relaxing at camp by the Thumbtack. Headed out from camp about 6:30ish and headed up to the col and then traversed the base of the N. Face to the start of the route.

 

After a little luck and little digging we managed to dig out a nice fixed belay anchor at the base of the first pitch (composed of a slung pinch and something frozen into the ice ) (Also bootied a sling and 2 biners from the anchor, of unknown age. They were just clipped to fixed anchor slings, for some unkown reason )

 

The first pitch had reasonable ice though it was a bit thin just out from the belay. Managed 2 reasonable screws, with 1 picket out of the iced gully, then traversed over to fixed pin, backed up with 2 tools for a belay. A wee bit of 70 degree ice in the gully followed by 50 or 60(?) degree snow. (About 50m total?)

 

From here headed up to the trees and managed 2 pickets, 1 marginal screw and slung tree before getting to the larger tree slightly above the top of the small stand of trees. (full 60m from the pin). Mostly 50-60(?) degree snow with some ice for pro by the rocks.

 

3rd pitch ran past another tree (leaning almost horizontal) staying slightly right and off the face (allowed more secure climbing). 1 bad picket, a couple of trees, a small cam below in high and right of the ice bulge, then a marginal screw in the bulge led to a smallish tree on the right for a belay. (50+ meters)

 

Last pitch had about 20 m of steep snow, leading to easy terrain up to the summit (1 picket)

 

The ice was in OK condition, but the snow is deteriorating and turning into sugar. About 1/2 well consolidated styrofoam and 1/2 sugar with weak crust.

 

Did 1 single rap followed by some downclimbing to the large saddle in the SE gully. The snow level is high enough right now to reach the three fixed pins at the saddle, and did a double rope rap from here, then downclimbed/glissaded back to camp.

 

Also saw a party of 2 on the route. Sorry to slow you guys up at the first belay! Once they started the simul-ed the full route on about 1/2 the gear we used and blew past us.

 

Very mellow pace but a heck of a lot of fun for my first ice climb! Of course after reading about Jens climbs on monday I feel like a bit of wanker

 

Gear Notes:

Used:

2 pickets

2 screws (17cm)

1 cam (#1 WC I think)

1 nut (#2 or #3 BD)

 

Also took but didn't need.

4 small-med nuts

2 small-med cams

2 pins

 

A stubby ice screw might have been nice as well.

 

 

Approach Notes:

At an easy pace 2 hrs to the Thumbtack and 3 to the base of the climb is reasonable. Completely packed down, no flotation was necessary, though we were punching through crust and into the sugar on the downclimb/glissade just above Thumbtack

[Dru]

how was it climbing in your bunny slippers

[selkirk]

Miner are bondage bunny slippers with lots of buckles and straps so that they fit nice and tight and have lots of support! Very nice for front pointing and they're even baby-blue!

[Weekend_Climberz]

Good job Selkirk! We need to get out sometime and do something a little farther in. I've been sad that I have been working instead of drytooling on Wednesday, but have been able to get a little climbing in on the weekends thanks to CBS.

 

Going to Pub Club tonight?