[TR] Dragontail- Backbone Ridge 7/2/2006

[colt45]

Climb: Dragontail-Backbone Ridge

 

Date of Climb: 7/2/2006

 

Trip Report:

This route is a lot of fun: 50% 4th class scrambling and 50% well-protected rock climbing on solid granite. The offwidth pitch in particular is spectacular!! One of the best cracks I have climbed in Washington. We brought a single #5 camalot (old sizing) which protected it perfectly (there is gear for the first 40 feet, then you slide the #5 for another 40 feet before reaching other placement options). The pitch is less than 100' long so the leader hauled the packs using the remaining rope.

 

We then climbed 2 60m pitches,

 

and simuled to the base of the fin. From here nice cracks led upwards,

 

and an absolutely spectacular tip-toeing traverse to the right (easy and well protected) took us to the ridge crest.

 

We traversed awesome cracks on the NW side of the ridge, with easy scrambling on solid rock leading to the summit.

 

Much of the route is scrambling, so it goes by fairly quickly if you simul the class 4 sections (some low class 5 to gain the fin) We took 6.5 hours moraine to summit, and we weren't rushing.

 

Gear Notes:

nuts, doubles yellow alien to yellow camalot, 1x #3 & #5 old style camalots. This was more than adequate.

 

Approach Notes:

Snow free and dry to Colchuck Lake. Ice axe & running shoes worked great (it was a warm day). You could even do without an ice axe by avoiding the upper snow creek glacier via the descent mentioned in Kearney. (The top of the glacier is melting down to ice so this section may require crampons soon.)

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Great photos mike. Looks like you guys nailed the finish of the route by avoiding the unpleasent choss others are always talking about.

[goatboy]

These are the best photos I've ever seen of the route -- that is to say, they show the actual character of the climbing more than any photos I've seen.

 

Nice work! Thanks for the specific gear beta, too.

 

[G-spotter]

The lake looks kinda tilted in that tiptoe traverse photo though!

[colt45]

Good point, see the photo AFTER that one to get a more accurate representation of the angle!...

[olyclimber]

nice pictures!!!

[lunger]

yes, great pics. might head up there this weekend.

 

don't have Kearney's book--can you give a general impression of his descent? I'm guessing staying descender's left of the snow cr glacier?

[MountaingirlBC]

SWEET! Really great photos. We were up there the day before via the easy route. Perfect weather.

[colt45]

don't have Kearney's book--can you give a general impression of his descent? I'm guessing staying descender's left of the snow cr glacier?

 

IIRC, from the summit traverse north until you can make two long rappels (presumably single rope) to the bottom of the snow creek glacier (descending the glacier is the only place you would need axe/pons) and then walk on flat ground to Aasgard Pass.

 

The snow crossing to reach the start of the route is extremely short, so if the snow was frozen there you could belay the crossing and chop steps with a rock.