Snow Creek Wall question

[fenderfour]

I went up Orbit on Saturday, but got off route and was hoping someone on here could tell me what I climbed. It wasn't in the second Ed. Leavenworth guide.

 

I've never been up the route before and the pitches seemed really short to me, at least at first - here's where we went:

 

Pitch 1: about 30m up easy stuff to a belay at a tree.

 

Pitch 2: (20m) went up a short squeeze chimney to a belay just above.

 

Pitch 3: (20m) was a short ramp to the left.

 

Pitch 4: (20m) was up a finger crack/layback to a large flake where I belayed. This is where I think we took a wrong turn.

 

Pitch 5: From the flake we stepped out, up, and right into a diehedral. There wasn't a lot of pro to be had up there. There were also 3-4 old death bolts. One looked like a 16 penny nail with an old drilled aluminum extrusion for a hanger. This pitch was a solid 50m of 5.(harder than 5.8+). This led to a decent ledge belay.

 

Pitch 6?: 40m or so that continued up the diehedral for a short way, then stepped out right again (exciting) to some more unprotected face climbing, then over a small roof on chickenheads to a huge belay ledge.

 

Pitch 7&8: Two more long pitches of easy chickenheads lead to the top.

 

Judging form the amount of lichen, what we were on does not see much traffic. Any ideas what it could be?

 

-Thanks

 

BTW - as we were walking out (twilight), we saw someone belaying on the last pitch of Outerspace - did you guys make it out ok?

[Dechristo]

The first four pitches are called "Minnesota Multi-Pitch".

[MCash]

That sounds exactly like Orbit, except for you broke it up into a lot of shorter pitches. You can do it in 5 pitches with a 70 meter rope. Pitch #5 in your description is sustained but not harder than 5.8.

[tanstaafl]

BTW - as we were walking out (twilight), we saw someone belaying on the last pitch of Outerspace - did you guys make it out ok?

 

That was probably us. Yes, we got out fine (thanks for asking), although it took a while with only one headlamp. Since we started from the parking lot at 5pm, we only got what we asked for though. Fun times.

[fenderfour]

Needless to say, it was a zoo up there on saturday. The first party on route pitched it short, so we were obliged to continue.

 

Thanks for clearing that up.

[tomtom]

Yup, that's Orbit.

 

****

[MysticNacho]

A friend and I got off route just after the leftward ramp meets the finger crack on pitch 2 or 3. We continued left at the deciduous tree on a short traverse, up and over a roof and into unprotected 5.11+ terrain. Scary as hell. There were a few ancient rivets up there, but no other real sign anyone had been up there in a long, long time. Anyone know anything about a route here?

[larrythellama]

that condogo or some shit and it is only 5.9

[G-spotter]

Chtong?

[larrythellama]

that works too.

[chucK]

Everything you write sounds like Orbit, except for the excessive lichen part.

 

Pitch 5: From the flake we stepped out, up, and right into a diehedral. There wasn't a lot of pro to be had up there. There were also 3-4 old death bolts. One looked like a 16 penny nail with an old drilled aluminum extrusion for a hanger. This pitch was a solid 50m of 5.(harder than 5.8+). This led to a decent ledge belay.

The flake was something you could sort of squeeze behind, but not get very comfortable? Were there small trees right nearby (just above and right)?

 

After the flake, if you were in the correct dihedral, it should have been a slab with a large vertical wall on the left, making a large RFC. There should have been a roof at the top left. Also there should have been a newer bolt right in the middle of the slab perhaps complemented by an older bolt (if it is still there) so it sort of looks like a hanging belay station. From this slab in a RFC you exit blindly right then up through an intimidating section with some lichen and black rock and a bunch of old lousy looking bolts.

[pzack]

definately orbit.

 

Here's a photo from AlpineDave's sight:

 

The pic looks down at the start of your 5th pitch. That's the big right facing dihedral. There's one old button head and a newer bolt next to it. Protection is sorta scarce and the climbing is about 5.8 until you get to where this picture was taken, then it eases and you get some crappy button heads as you make your way to the next dihedral (where you started your 6th pitch I think) the next dihedral is left facing.

 

Nicely done ff!