Wine Spires/Silver Star water available?

[fern]

 

I am going to WA Pass this weekend, with a plan to do Clean Break and another route (maybe Gato Negro or maybe something on Burgundy Spire). Approaching from the Burgundy Col approach rather than Silver Star Ck. Is there water available on that side of the ridge in some area where it is reasonable to camp? I have heard that camping at Burgundy Col itself is sucky.

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Post deleted by Tom_Sjolseth

[W]

Fern- I did the Burgundy approach last sunday. There is no running water or snow on the approach. Potentially, you could camp in the basin below Burgundy (nice campsites) and the creek looks like about a 15 minute hike south.

 

We were on Paisano Pinnacle so I didn't take notice of whether there was any snow on the east side of Burgundy Col, but most likely there would be snow not far down or around the corner towards Chianti.If there is...the col itself is actually a great camp- there are some nice flat sites ringed by rocks, with wonderful views.

[DirtyHarry]

Camp in the basin. A creek running down from ridge is accessed by walking north on a fairly well trodden trail from the apparent campsites near the big boulder right by the main trail. Its a bit more of a walk to the routes if you camp in the basin, but its really not that far and the camping and water access is way better.

[Off_White]

When I've been up there late season we camped at a large boulder directly under Silver Star. Nice site, with a fixed copperhead in the boulder to snaffleproof your food. Water was a five minute walk upslope, a small runnel that came down the toe of the buttress making a tiny pool. A water filter was essential to be able to pump out of the small source. I've seen this source twice in late august/september, so hopefully it's reasonably dependable. There's usually a remnant snowpatch around there too.

 

Downside is that the approach to Clean Break will be longer in the morning.

 

Green arrow is water source, red arrows are the two starts to Stellar Eclipse, with the lower one being the optional 5.11a face pitch.

 

Aerial view, showing the trail to Burgundy Col in upper right and what I think was the great camp boulder

[fern]

excellent beta. thank you all

 

I don't have a water filter ... but I will bring along one of those gas siphoning bulb pump things.

 

cheers

[goatboy]

I really enjoy camping at Burgundy Col -- nice intimate alpine perch with accessible snow and glorious views. Plus, right at the start of several good routes...who said it's "sucky?"

[DirtyHarry]

It IS sucky. Off - nice plug for your route. One of these days when I'm not sick of lichen I'm going to head up and repeat it.

[W]

It IS sucky.

 

To each his own...but just curious, what is it you don't like about it?

[DirtyHarry]

No running water available. Windy. Small dirty bivy spot. Views are better though.

[layton]

Fern,

All the routes on Vasiliky and the Wine Spires are EASILY done in a day.

 

Try Mark and my route on Burgundy and downgrade it for us please!

[fern]

My reason for camping is that I want to climb a couple routes up there but I don't want to hike up the hill every morning. Clean Break is my partner's choice, so we will do that, I am open to suggestions for another one. Action Potential, Gato Negro, Ultra Mega OK etc. all look fun ...

[DirtyHarry]

Camping in the silver star basin may also be an option. Closer to Vasiliki for sure.

[layton]

Fern, there are a lot of good cracks up on Vasiliki, but discontinous (i think). If you're gonna try a new route, bring a small alpine bolt kit. The only other route i know of up there is Never Enough, which may or may not be any good. Carlos Rossi kinda sux, especially the death o/w. I still have a scar from that one.

 

There is (i believe) a snowpatch below clean break that might still be alive up there. You'll probably have to chop and melt. But Jordan and I camped at the base in August and were able to find water and a great campspot. So it's a gamble i guess. Do not camp in the basin below. Although it has water, it's a buggy swamp.

[layton]

There is water in the east side of burgandy col below the perm snow fields of either burgundy if you're luck, or below chianti if you're kinda lucky, or def below silverstart. Bring x-tra gas in case there aren't trickles off the ice. and bring and x-tra pair of socks when you're done with the looseness back up the pass.

 

Water below the w.face of silverstar will be harder to find, so if you do that route 1st, just carry a couple x-tra liters for the 1st night and go up and over the col for more aqua the 2nd night.

[iain]

is that place still on fire? The spires were getting smoked out pretty good last thursday.

[fern]

I'm not interested in doing a new route, just downgrading existing ones

[layton]

you're a bit late on that for Clean Break if you wanna do some hardcore downgrading. Or maybe you'll actauly find that mystery 10c pitch, find 15 pitches of climbing at a grade V legnth, and do the wild crack finish (i think it's under a few rocks at the top if you poke around).

[iain]

http://www.inciweb.org/incident/450/

 

yes, still on fire.

[W]

I'm not interested in doing a new route, just downgrading existing ones

 

See my Rampage TR- if you didn't have your cornflakes for breakfast, you'll find them up there.

On that note, this is the third route in Burdo's book that came with rave reviews but has been decidedly subpar in my opinion. Clean Break isn't a bad climb but Mike points out the issues. The worst by far was his rec of the East buttress of NEWS ("Flycatcher"). In the same book he downrates Liberty Crack and Freedom Rider for "bad rock", comes this recommendation. Flycatcher is a pile: 5.6 bushwhacking sprinkled with decomposing, cheese grater 5.10 jamming cruxes.

[layton]

but look out for those "timebombs" on Libery (aka DEATH) Crack.

[DirtyHarry]

I'm not interested in doing a new route, just downgrading existing ones

 

See my Rampage TR- if you didn't have your cornflakes for breakfast, you'll find them up there.

On that note, this is the third route in Burdo's book that came with rave reviews but has been decidedly subpar in my opinion. Clean Break isn't a bad climb but Mike points out the issues. The worst by far was his rec of the East buttress of NEWS ("Flycatcher"). In the same book he downrates Liberty Crack and Freedom Rider for "bad rock", comes this recommendation. Flycatcher is a pile: 5.6 bushwhacking sprinkled with decomposing, cheese grater 5.10 jamming cruxes.

 

Burdo's book cracks me up. While its obviously a great resource for some obscure routes, he explicitly says East Face of Lex, Freedom Rider, and Lib Crack are overrated (presumptively b/c he wasn't the one to put them up)- but those are arguably the best routes at the pass!