[TR] Darrington - Comb Buttress - Desire 7/15/2006

[Off_White]

Climb: Darrington - Comb Buttress -Desire

 

Date of Climb: 7/15/2006

 

Trip Report:

Having only a single day for the next two weeks, Steve (lurker) and I headed up to Darrington for some adventure on the Comb Buttress. With a little effort we found the start of the direct trail to the 3rd tooth of the Comb as mentioned in Whitelaw's Rattle and Slime cd-rom guidebook to Darrington. A pleasant walk through steep forest took us to the toe of the buttress.

 

We scoped out various features, translating the guidebook into the real world. Be aware that there are a couple errors on the topos for this crag in the guide for both route numbering and individual buttress labelling. Spotting the first anchor and friendly angle of the first pitch for Desire on the 2nd Tooth, we scrambled to the base and roped up.

 

Pitch One: 5.10b friction and knobs takes one up left of a corner until it's possible to traverse to the anchor. This pitch was pretty nice, but could use just a touch of scrubbing. The anchor was comprised of 3 quarter inch bolts - it would be nice to see two of them replaced with 3/8 and outfitted with chains. Note that the 5.8 variation to the right likely has 1/4" buttonhead bolts on thick chrome SMC hangers.

 

Pitch Two: Ambling 5.8 face and knobs with well spaced bolts for a fairly short pitch. When you grab for the tree at the end of the pitch be aware that it's a hooked cedar tree that detaches the dirt & pine needle belay ledge when you ratchet out on it. Anchor is a pair of tat-clotted 3/8 stainless bolts and could use a pair of chains. One 60m rap from here takes you back to the base with a decent rope pull.

 

Pitch Three: Bushwack up the trees to a large hollow flake. Bolts mixed with cams and nuts takes you up a combination of liebacks and face moves to a decent ledge. This pitch was a little licheny, and would benefit from a good scrub. You wouldn't really want to fall on the gear you place, the flakes are a little sketchy. The anchor was a choice between a very small cedar tree or a dirt filled clot of loose blocks, both with old tat. We backed up the tree with a nut and red tri-cam.

 

Pitch Four: Step up and left and climb a dirt filled crack. There are just enough spots excavated to provide placements, and upside down thumb and finger opposition jams on the outer lip of the crack. From a decent ledge, either place in the wide grotty detached flake to your right or tie off a small cedar bush and grovel up the dead snag, brush, and cedar bush to pull onto a dirt ledge at the dead snag tree crotch. A bolt next to the totally filled crack provides a moment of security. This bolt had a sling around the base of a cedar bush to provide a bailout backup. Looking ahead, it was 30' up the somewhat steeper fully filled hand crack with five 2' high bushes until the next bolt and the beginning of the 5.10 face climbing. If this crack were completely gardened we'd have the Washington equivalent of the Harry Daley route on Glacier Point Apron or that 5.7 slab handcrack next to Shannon Falls in Squamish. In it's current state, coupled with white hot needles in my feet from wearing silly single pitch sport shoes, I was inspired to back up the back up sling and bail back to the prior belay. Booty note: I ditched the locking biner I've been meaning to retire on the bolt.

 

Rapping off the small tree on the third pitch belay, we left a stopper in the crack and a back up sling, as well as recycling the bailout biner found at this anchor on the way up.

 

Rapping off the second pitch anchor, we removed two pieces of tat and added a new backup, along with recycling the bailout biner found at that anchor to backup the single rap ring.

 

All in all, we were impressed by the vast swaths of rock up there. With some attention, the route we were on would be the equal of some of the long routes on 3 O'Clock Rock. The approach was great. More people should climb at this crag.

 

 

Blueberry Hill from the Comb Buttress

 

West Face of the 3rd Tooth, with Annihilator (5.11+) taking the steep swath of black knobs up the water streak in the center.

 

Gear Notes:

Pitches 1, 3, and 4 took Gear to 4".

 

Should have had a knife to cut out tat from anchors, 12" chains with quicklinks to upgrade anchors, and bolt kit to upgrade first anchor and establish a fixed anchor at the end of the 3rd pitch.

 

Serious garden tools and the time and willingness to use them would transform the 4th pitch completely.

 

Approach Notes:

Park at the second left hand turnout after 3 O'Clock Rock. Walk back down the road approx 50 yards to a trail with small logs and a rock across the ditch. Head uphill on boot built track through steep open forest until trail ends at base of the Third Tooth of Comb Buttress. At least as easy as the trail to 3 O'Clock.

[slothrop]

Word. Sounds like a good project. How much more climbing is there after pitch four?

[Off_White]

Three more pitches, with the 10d crux coming on the last pitch.

[mattp]

Thanks for the report. I once climbed the first three or four pitches of Psalms 61, Dave Gunstone's route to the left of Desire. Like you found on Desire, it was not completely straight-forward and it could use some cleaning, but overall it was pretty good. I always thought I ought to go back some time and complete it, but have not gotten around to it.

 

Dave Whitelaw's topos will be a lot more helpful here than those in Rock Climbing Washington.

[olyclimber]

Sweet climb Off. We should go climb sometime.

 

Is this also a picture from the trip, or was this the trip before last?

 

[mattp]

By the way, that second picture of the crag shows, on the left, what may be the hardest climb in Darrington. It is a steep bolted arete said to be 5.12 or something like that - very cool looking.

[slothrop]

10d slab? I really otter get Whitelaw's guide.

[mattp]

The "Superfly" variation on Total Soul is 5.10d or 5.11a as well. Dave Gunstone once told me that the bolt is at your waist for the hard move on Desire, though, whereas the Superfly crux traverses out left and up about ten or twelve feet from the pro bolt.