[TR] Skaha- The Cave + some pitches 9/8/2006

[slothrop]

Climb: Skaha-The Cave + some pitches

 

Date of Climb: 9/8/2006

 

Trip Report:

Geek the Greek and I met up in Skaha last weekend for three days of climbing. It was my first time there and I was impressed. Tons of great routes, trad and sport, in a beautiful setting, and not too many people. Kicks Smith's ass, basically, and is the same distance from Seattle.

 

 

We did many classics, like Primal Dream, Gang Bang, and Genetic Mirror, got spanked on a few others, and generally had a great time. The second day, with the rain pouring down on us and on our rain-fly-less tent back at the RV camp, was the highlight, though. That day, we went into the cave.

 

---

 

The Cave

 

After a frustrating lead failure and the onset of rain early Saturday, Dan and I wandered around looking for something to do until it cleared up. We'd talked about the cave route described in the guidebook the day before and decided now was a great time for some underground adventure. We wandered up the valley in the rain, past the last of the crowds gaping at Doctor's Wall, to Chatsworth Edge, near the north end of the trail.

 

The entrance was easy to find, so we put on helmets and started chimneying up. I had the guidebook in one pocket and our single headlamp in the other. We dropped into an open chamber, where huge blocks had split open long ago, leaving a series of long, wide chimneys. Down a chimney, I squeezed through a hole and walked into "the dark chasm".

 

We traversed a narrow ledge above a 30-ft drop, me going ahead and shining the headlamp back for Dan. Then it was into the Hantavirus Slot, slithering past piles of rodent droppings to a slippery corner that spit us onto another narrow, exposed traverse. The guidebook description was quite thorough. We wound down the passage, underneath the first ledge, to "where it narrows... the exit is overhead".

 

Overhead was a filthy chimney with a large chockstone at the top. I tried a few ways up before returning to the chimney, about three feet wide and 20 feet to the chockstone. It was fairly easy climbing, with a strenuous thrutch up past the chockstone. Now I shone the light down for Dan, who's not as big a chimney fan as I am. He tried a few moves, including some face climbing, but the light from my little Zipka was not very helpful, shining down from above. Dan needed the headlamp.

 

 

I'll just drop it down to him, of course. Our one headlamp.

 

"Are you sure?"

"Uh, I guess."

"OK, ready? Here it goes."

"Got it—OW!"

 

When I let it go, the light swung around, pointing upwards, so Dan lost sight of it as it fell. It whacked him square on the eyebrow, splitting open both the headlamp and his face. The batteries scattered among the rocks.

 

"Shit, man, it hit me in the eye! It's really bleeding."

 

Luckily, Dan is not only a climber, but a man of urban sophistication. He cracked open his cell phone and used the faint glow to search for the batteries, but only one was to be found among the human bones and rotting scraps of Prana clothing piled on the cave floor. With me perched safely atop the chockstone providing moral support and giggling quietly at his misfortune, Dan navigated safely back through the cave by cell phone.

 

He was pretty bloody and subdued, but happy to be back in the sunshine. We chimneyed back out to our packs, washed out the gash, and hiked back to Chatsworth Edge, where there are several relaxing moderate cracks to climb.

 

---

 

I'll definitely go back, hopefully this fall. Wings of Desire is of course on the list, as are all the routes I failed on. Anyone ever done Piled Higher and Steeper, or Max Headroom?

 

Gear Notes:

brass nuts to #4 Camalot

 

Approach Notes:

Beautiful drive through the Okanogan. Watch out for bull elk on the shoulder and the one State Patrol car in a 100-mile radius.

[Rad]

Whether truth or fiction, that's a cool tale.

 

Read the hole truth here - it will draw you in

 

[miladugga]

I will definitely go try this.

[lunger]

good story. that cave sounds cool, must check it out.

 

PHS is a fantastic climb. there are features here and there that help mitigate the ow misery. do it!

[slothrop]

Any opportunities for small gear on PHS? I'm gonna have to borrow a few big cams and go flail on it. Are Big Bros necessary to avoid pants-filling runouts?

[lunger]

vaguely recall placing a couple small pieces (nuts?), but you do need a number of large cams up to WC 6 (though you could get by w/ less if 'comfy' on OWs). didn't have b-bros and didn't feel necessary.

[G-spotter]

The Cave is possibly the best place on Earth to catch hantavirus.

[james_e]

Was that supposed to stop at page 10, as some sort of joke or something? I click "next" on page 10, and I get all that error 404 crap. I'M ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT, I MUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!

[RideT61]

I know, page 10 got me too. I real all that for nothing.

[catbirdseat]

The story stops on purpose. You are supposed to think the author reentered the cave and never returned to finish writing. I liked the story. Very creative. It would be a great one to tell around the campfire.

 

I was wondering about the TR though. Who in their right minds would plan to do a cave route with only one headlamp? You read trip reports all the time from people benighted without headlamps. They figured they'd finish the route in daylight but were too slow. But going in a cave and not bringing a headlamp for each climber?

[slothrop]

I know, we almost died.

[catbirdseat]

Well at least you didn't get hanta virus. That is scary shit, man- literally.