backbone ridge beta

[jesse]

Word,

 

Anybody got beta on this? Is rock any better than Serpentine Arete?

[Jarred_Jackman]

No.

[genepires]

How could the rock NOT be better. Done both and like them both contrary to others opinions. I think the rock is pretty good on backbone. The crux pitch needs large cams and can be slid as you go up. Cheating? Probably. Started out sliding a #4 camalot up, then some kind of nut half way up, then slidding up the big daddy #5 camalot to the top of the pitch. Expect a long day as when you think you are near the top, there is another 3-4 pitches left. Enjoy. BTW - the route finding on the fin is hard. I climbed some crack with periodic grass clumps to stand on. Send mike layton a message as he has done it a couple of weeks ago.

[mattp]

I'w with Gene. Sure, most Dragontail routes include sections of both good and bad rock, but overall these climbs are pretty good and it is the mountains. If you want perfect rock in an alpine setting, go to the Bugaboos or to the Sierra and pick your climbs VERY selectively. Short of that, you are stuck with routes that will offer plenty of opportunities to pull a rock on yourself or your partner or to throw at "the other guys" below.

[layton]

The first 4 pitches are fine. The 4th class simul area isn't "fun" simul-climbing, a'la Slesse. Takes 10 minutes so no big deal. The fin is good rock. The base of the fin totally blows, however. The worst rock appears on the other side of the notch on top of the fin. Horrid. BUT, most of the rock is just fine, and talk about a cool situation. My TR may suggest I didn't like the route due to the rock. This wasn't the point I was trying to make. There is bad rock, but the coolness of the whole bag put together makes the Backbone a sweet friggin climb. There are many route with much better rock. Also the grades are WAY soft (except for the O.W.). You gotta figure out the fin your yourself. Every guidebook shows a different way, Nelson's being the hardest. We went 1/2 way up the ramp below the fin. Then up on disgusting rock to a ledge. Next pitch went up and right to awesome twin cracks and a layback/jamcrack to the top of another ledge(Nelson has this as the previous pitch...one missing). Next pitch goes up a steeper crack w/an easy layback flake near the start. Either find a belay somewhere on this pitch or go right (not left into the notch...bad rock, run-out, and hard climbing) into some overlaps until you crest the fin.