[TR] Snow Creek Wall- Orbit 9/17/2006

[catbirdseat]

Climb: Snow Creek Wall-Orbit

 

Date of Climb: 9/17/2006

 

Trip Report:

Three friends Jim, Erin, Jenni and I got together to climb Orbit, 5.8+. I had climbed Outer Space before with Mattp who told me that despite it's lower rating, Orbit was harder. I'd been wanting to climb this route for two or three years, but since I had wanted to lead this myself, I held off doing it until I felt my skills had improved.

 

Arriving at SCW we dropped our packs near a single pair of shoes and a pack in a large tree. We never met their owner.

 

Traversing to the left I spotted the large knarled tree with slings that marked the start of the chimney pitch and headed for it trailing the rope. I soon realized I'd headed up too early, because this wasn't 4th class.

 

I figured this as the "bonus" pitch and decided to start putting in pro. I found a nut someone had abandoned set loosly in a crack. I moved it 12 inches to a much better place and clipped it, then backed it up with a yellow TCU. After one tricky move past moss and lichen, it was pretty fun slab climbing at about 5.7. One or two nut placments dug out from dirt and I'd reached the tree. I told Jim to go the other way. Seems to me that, cleaned up, that pitch could be a worthwhile alternative to the standard scramble.

 

The exit to the chimney was awkward as advertised. The trick is to get your left foot up high to a face hold, but I'm not very flexible, so my antics were quite entertaining to those below. Proceeding upward, I discovered that the hornets are still there and was stung on the elbow by one who wouldn't quit until I brushed him off. I warned the others, but Jim ended up with a hornet inside his helmet, but fortunately, it didn't sting him.

 

From a belay on the left trending ramp near a rap station, I proceeded up the 5.9 finger crack. It was pretty cool and you should not avoid it in favor of the 5.0 bypass if you can help it. The hard move for me was at the top of the finger crack, stepping left into a hand crack. My partner, Jenni, fell here.

 

The only time there was ever a question of where to go came below a roof where there was a tree with slings on it. I still had a lot of rope left so didn't want to stop here. It appeared there were routes both to the right and left. My recollection of the route description told me to go right and that was the correct way. Jim came along behind and not seeing which way I'd gone, went left and had a little adventure involving some downclimbing.

 

I was really amazed by how cool the climbing was. It was just more and more cool moves one after the other, past a rap station with old and new bolts. There was a step around to the right that was neat and I finally came to a tiny belay stance with terrific exposure and a nice horizontal crack for an anchor (piton scars evident).

 

The next pitch ended at a spacious sloping ledge below a small roof with a 1-2" horizontal crack for an anchor. Above lay "chicken head land". The opening moves of the next pitch were so neat. You start by moving left and then step back right, directly onto the roof over the belay with great positive holds. About 5 feet up you get a medium nut and then it's about 30 easy feet to the next placement. Some would call this run out but it's very easy so no worries. The rest was all easy and fun chicken heads.

 

This is a great route. I highly recommend it.

Time from base of wall to top: 5.5 hours.

 

Gear Notes:

Double set of nuts

Single set cams 0.75 to #2 Camalot

Blue, yellow and orange TCUs

(Bring lots of slings because you'll use many nuts)

Edited September 25, 2006 by catbirdseat