still_climbin Posted August 20, 2006 Posted August 20, 2006 (edited) Climb: Improbable Traverse- Date of Climb: 8/19/2006 Trip Report: I just landed a three-week consulting job in South Carolina starting Monday so I decided to try another quick alpine venture to tide me over. Partner, George was available Saturday on quick notice and we decided to give Improbable Traverse a try. We arrive about 9:00 am and reached the face by 9:40. We found the talus on the left side of the cone to be much more stable than elsewhere and only fought scree the last 100 ft or so. We climbed the broken rock to the left of the corner up to Lunch Ledge. That pitch was fairly easly with a couple 5.6 moves. George led the Travers pitch which went smoothly. I really liked the rock on that pitch. It was clean and solid, when you needed a hand or foot hold it would be there and the exposure was energizing. The exit off the summit was a little confusing. We thought it would be a walkoff but we had to scramble on or along the east side of on the crest accross a couple more summits to get to the decent trail. The trick is what to do when the last (north) false summit is reached. Trails head down both to the west and east. The one to the west dead ends at a cliff. You must decend east about 100 ft into a gulley (rap or downclimb) and climb back up a slot that again reaches the crest just north of the north summit. There the trail begins and all srambling ends. Back in the Tri Cities in time to join my wife at dinner on the Columbia River. P.S. Bootied 3 binners and an 8 mm Mammut Spectra sling. Gear Notes: - Light rack to 3" - 60 M rope (long enough to do the traverse in one long pitch) - Tennis shoes for all but four class 4 and 5 leads. Almost accross Happy toes. George at the cruxy thing. Edited August 20, 2006 by still_climbin Quote
jfreeburg Posted August 21, 2006 Posted August 21, 2006 I was just up there today and found another mammut spectre sling w/ biner. Was that yours? It was on a horn at the top of the down climb after the crux. I sure didn't like that choss pile of an approach. And not a lot of spots to place pro. Fun traverse though. Quote
still_climbin Posted August 21, 2006 Author Posted August 21, 2006 Not mine. Musta been the Mammut sling fairy. Quote
goatboy Posted August 21, 2006 Posted August 21, 2006 I liked the traverse pitch too. I just didn't like the rest of the damned thing! Glad you enjoyed. Booty is always a plus. We found a biner "chock" full o' stoppers up there last week! Quote
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