Smith Rock: Wombat: Santiam Highway beta?

[crimper]

Has anyone ever done this four pitch multi on the Wombat? I'm looking for a multi-pitch route at Smith on a weekend, away from the masses. Watts' guide gives it a few stars, but i only know one person who has ever climbed it, and I've never seen anyone on it.

 

If anyone has climbed it, i'd love to hear your thoughts. thanks

[kevbone]

Ask Olyclimber, hasnt he climbed everything.

[jlag]

Ryan Lawson was gonna retro that thing a while back, pretty sure it never got done. The Wombat is an amazing piece of rock, just never gets done and is full of choss. I've never done Santiam ledges, too spooky. I have done Bird on a Wire(5.8R red addendum) and don't recommend it. Lot's of loose rock, but getting up on the grassy ledge is super cool.

 

Check out First Kiss, 5 pitch bolted 5.8 past the Monkey. PM me for beta.

[crimper]

the wombat rock is amazing, i hiked up and around it a couple times this winter scoping out the routes.

 

did you get a decent view of santiam highway from birds in a rut?

 

if so, why do you think it is "too spooky?"

 

also, first kiss is great. like an easier, more aesthetic and direct wherever i may roam. it deserves way more traffic than it gets.

[crimper]

also, was birds in a rut dangerously loose? or just exciting? loose for a sport route, or par for the course for an alpine route?

[jlag]

I wouldn't say dangerously loose, a bit too exciting for the budding 5.8 leader. The first pitch is the worst, 5.7 friction climbing on complete choss, lots of grit and nubbings that you could take home with you.

AFter that it does have an alpine "tuft" feel. Except it's bolted thank god. It's way cool getting up to the grassy ledge, big/comfy enough for a party of ten. There's two sport climbs going up the water streaks out of the ledge(not birds in a rut route). THe short one is 10b(super fun jug haul) and the other looks 5.fucking.hard but quality. Anyways, rest of the route(2 pitches more i think)is average, lots of loose surface pebbles/lichen, but not too bad on belayer slayer blocks.

You can't see Santiam from Birds, I spied it with binoc's down low. Looks very "traversy" and I heard the bolts are old 1/4's. Some of the flakes look a bit suspect, hard to tell. Let me know if you want to go take a stab at it sometime, I'd be worth checking out. Also Green Gulley looks pretty cool, if somebody spent a month cleaning the fucker. I checked it out from the top belay(scramble from the backside), super cool 2 pitch dihedral, just full of choss.

[crimper]

thanks for the beta on birds. belayer slayer blocks was my main concern.

 

also, why is it rated R? are the bolts way spaced?

 

we'll probably be doing santiam or, i guess, birds, this weekend. i'll post a TR and let you know how it went.

[Billy]

Santiam is an awesome route. There are a few scary bolts on the first pitch, but the crux on the second pitch has a good 3/8 bolt, and then you can put in some gear also. I would say that it is 5.8r in places. Do the Thumb while you are up there too as a bonus summit. The ridge climb to the summit is really cool and long! Rack- one set of cams to #3 camalot and nuts.