[TR] Prusik Peak- Somewhere on the south face 7/29/2006

[Matt_Anderson]

Climb: Prusik Peak-Somewhere on the south face

 

Date of Climb: 7/29/2006

 

Trip Report:

Went and climbed on the south face of Prusik. Had one of the best faces in the northwest all to ourselves on a gorgeous Saturday despite a beautiful day.

 

Did a couple of pitches that were really nice and should see some/more traffic:

 

Started climb with a straight-in crack that varied between fists and fingers about ten feet to the right of the big corner (is that the corner where the standard route starts?). The crux was just before the face slabbed out a bit, pulling over a bulge as the crack bottomed and flared. The route was varied in technique, but had sustained climbing for a good long ways. It would be three stars at Index, felt about .10c. Anybody else done it/know the name of the route/like to comment on grade? More people should get on it.

 

Trended up to the right of where the standard route went. (I think the last two pitches of the standard route ascend a couple of prominent left facing corners?). Anyway, just to the right of the bottom of those two corners (our second to the last pitch) is a straight in offwidth/squeeze chimney accessed by a an easy traverse to the right and with a comfy belay ledge. It is pretty obvious when looking at the face on the approach, although it looks like a smaller crack in a groove from there. It definitely doesn't see much traffic, so we were cleaning a bit of dirt/gravel off the chock stones. Also a bit of lichen. Very little chicken wing/true offwidth technique because chock stones/laybacks/chicken heads presented themselves when necessary. It is possible to join up with the standard end to the South Face by exiting through a roof at the end of the chimney to the left. Felt low .10 to hard .9. Anyone who likes a good chimney should get on it. Anybody done it/know the name of the route/like to comment on grade? We brought a #4 cam and were very happy to place it. Although the protection is not entirely obvious from the belay, that's the only big piece you need, although you could, of course, place a whole bunch of #5 and #6 cams if you chose to. I also placed a low ball, near a chockstone, but you could probably find another placement near there.

 

Thanks to Erich for a good time!

 

Thanks to the four guys who went up the west ridge for the summit photo!

 

 

Gear Notes:

We brought doubles to #3 cam, and a number #4.

 

Approach Notes:

Just a couple of snow patches in the upper enchantments.

Edited August 3, 2006 by To_The_Top

[Gary_Yngve]

hmmm, were you intending to climb beckey-davis or burger-stanley?

[G-spotter]

Burger-stanley

 

Mmmm, burger-stanley with mushrooms.

[Gary_Yngve]

"Had one of the best faces in the northwest all to ourselves on a gorgeous Saturday despite a beautiful day."

 

My theory is that there's just really not enough people who are strong enough, fast enough, and/or motivated enough to crowd the harder (approach-wise or technical-wise) routes. Sunday maybe more folks on SF (had the weather not been crappy), as it would allow an overnight on a weekend.

 

Routes like the IngallsSF, LibBell/Beckey are always crowded, but when's the last time you've heard about crowds on JBerg, SF Prusik, Backbone Dtail, Ptarmigan Ridge, EF Lex, etc.?

 

The only exception that comes to mind was when three parties ended up on NF Terror, but all had their shit together so everyone had a merry time.

 

I guess the other exception is winter routes because they are so condition-dependent.

[underworld]

My theory is that there's just really not enough people who are strong enough, fast enough, and/or motivated enough to crowd the harder (approach-wise or technical-wise) routes.

 

we had vantage all to ourselves on sunday. sunny and cool! there's easy routes there - i know, cuz we were on them.

[Alpinfox]

My theory is...harder routes are less crowded than easy routes because fewer people do harder routes...

 

I sense a nobel prize in your future.

[fgw]

but when's the last time you've heard about crowds on JBerg, SF Prusik, Backbone Dtail, Ptarmigan Ridge, EF Lex, etc.?

 

Last summer, a total of 3 parties (incl. us) converged on the same sunny Sunday on the E. Face of Minuteman Tower. Weird

Edited August 2, 2006 by fgw

[Matt_Anderson]

"hmmm, were you intending to climb beckey-davis or burger-stanley?"

 

Neither, we just meant to go climb what looked attractive and didn't look at the guide, hence the vague allusions to the "standard route."

[Gary_Yngve]

ok, just hoping the clarification would help pinpoint where you were on the face. my only familiarity is with B-S and "off-route" to the left of it.

 

When you started, did you see a chimney to your right and a fist-crack above you with a fixed 3.5 camelot?

[TeleRoss]

can you post a pic of the face with the line you climbed?

I'm having a hard time visualizing where you were on the face as there are two "regular" routes on the south face...sounds fun though!

[Alpinfox]

Red = Burgner/Stanley route

Blue = Offroute route that Gary_Yngve and I did (we may have actually been one corner system further left at the very top. I'm not sure. Gary, what do you think?)

Green = Beckey/Davis Route (this is a guess).

 

To the right of the pink dot is a beautiful handcrack in a corner that would be **** and 10- if it wasn't filled with dirt.

Same image sans overlay:

 

Note that it's spelled "Prusik".

[G-spotter]

Brian Greenwood climbed Prusik?

[Gary_Yngve]

Pax, your lines look correct.

[matt_warfield]

I think the Beckey route takes the crack to the right of the indicated line from the ledge to the top, above the small tree.

[olyclimber]

it does

[Gary_Yngve]

Sorry, I was just talking about the B-S line and the line Pax and I did. I don't know about the other route.

[Alpinfox]

Is the Beckey/Davis line correct now?

 

 

Gary, I moved our line one dihedral to the left. I think it looks more like that corner I led.

Edited August 3, 2006 by Alpinfox

[matt_warfield]

I think it reaches Snafflhound Ledge more on the left hand side, then traverses straight right on the Ledge then up to the tree- the crux pitch above the ledge is as shown but then the final pitch keeps the diagonal left to "top" out at the notch left.

 

Olyclimber?

 

Meanwhile, where is Matt_Anderson to discuss where his line was.....

Edited August 3, 2006 by matt_warfield

[olyclimber]

i think it is pretty close....plus there are a ton of variations that could be done within the same rating (other than that line he corrected at the top), if you're thinking about it, just go climb it.

 

 

[cappellini]

the last pitch you climbed (to the top of the pilar) is part of the joust...my unfinished line (an old obsession from a stronger time), which climbs absolutely beutifull shit (its around the butt toe (lft) from the burgerstand) up to the pilar top below headwall, its 5.11C1 d.cappellini, b.stanton, 1998, to here...

for reference joust starts right of lady godiva route in the pretty lfc and sweeps up and leftward to share a belay flake and a short bit with the lady godiva route on the second pitch, blast straight up through the giant roof and up a few more pitches to the pilar top....

if anyone is looking to try it, the joust has not been completed past the overhanging joust shaped offwidth on the upper headwall (5.10A1 from pilar top into the ow, d.cappellini, jamie somebody who made me bail cuz he was scared of the dark, 2000)...should have been finished that day...i did lower down from the summit to retrieve gear and tr'd from below the ow back to the summit, 5.11 ow, 5.10 above it.

 

still looking to finish this line since i already invested a lot of time and some fixed gear, just need a worthy pulse...er, i mean partner.....

[AJScott]

Cool, I think we climbed the same line you climbed pax. I remember leading a thin finger crack to a odd mantle move to a insecure stem move over to the top of a pillar where there was a new looking anchor (two big bolts) as well as another new looking bolt up high. Is that your line cappellini? Looked stunning, beutiful rock up there. I hate to be one to bring up all the bolting ethics, but what was up with those bolts? They all seemed like they didnt need to be there. We got back over to the bs line and finished the last pitch of that route instead of heading up to the bolt to check out new ground, all though it was tempting. Unfinished business eh??? maybe next summer, im good on that approach for the summer.

[cappellini]

not sure about all the bolts you mention...ray saw some guys (sandahl and crew?) rapbolting on that face a couple years ago..and i also heard talk of a line by same party...hence the bolts...the only bolts (3) i've placed on prusik were on lead, standing in slings, dangling from crappy pins..none of which are at a belay...

[Tony_Bentley]

http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/403930/page/0/fpart/1/vc/1