Springbok Arete TR

[layton]

Got rained off 4 pitches up. Since there is almost no info on this site on this climb, I thought I'd share. Bring a 6-pack for the logging camp boys and they'll gladly let you out at any time of night (or give you the key like they did us). It's easy driving right to across the peak. The schwackin' looks short, but boy it ain't. Even though it only took 1hr 15min to get up there it seemed like forever, kinda like a krumholtz traffic jam. There ain't much for agua at the base, just a hard patch o' snow. Bring extra, it doesn't take much more to bring it up. There were no bugs, but I bet it'd be pure hell up there in mid-summer. Don't climb it in the rain. uhhh.... the 1st 4 pitches were kinda chossy (really chossy) but fun. The bivy spot is perfect (except for no water). I nearly good my head blown off many times due to rockfall.

 

Anyone know anything about past pitch 4? Does it get better not much farther up? I'm real excited to do the decent next year!!! Yeeehaw!

 

Anyone done NE butt of steinbox, the original route?

 

See ya, I'm going to the Sierras.

 

[ 09-26-2002, 06:19 PM: Message edited by: michael_layton ]

[Don_Serl]

michael,

the description in alpine select is accurate.

if you got to pitch 4, the rock must have improved: pitches 1-3 are decomposed, above that, it's perfect.

we climbed the right-hand variation, in the corner, on p7: steep, excellent jamming and stemming. the lefthand crack looked thin and hard (and took 1 point of aid on the FA).

use double ropes; that way u can clip your gear in above the blocks on p8, and even if something cuts loose, you won't get killed. they're actually pretty well rooted.

overall, the route is long and strenuous: about a dozen of the pitches are 5.8, 5.9, or 5.10. only 3 or 4 are easier. a big day.

and the descent is shitty. the photo on p339 shows the line correctly. u can downclimb some, but we were headlamping it by that time, and the weather was on the verge of rain - fully fearsome, cuz u wouldn't want to be in the gully if it was pouring; it'd be a shooting gallery.

there is a small overhanging step at the bottom to shelter under, but we hung our rope on the pull, and had to cut it maybe 50 feet short.

toe-to-toe, about 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.

good luck, cheers, don

[jordop]

"toe-to-toe, about 6 a.m. to 2 a.m."

Mikey, that would have been a cold bivy on top! Try it with ya next year!

[layton]

Thanks again Don! I'm glad you say it's stellar above, that's what I was assuming would happen. It was slick as snot and I was FULLY drenched by the car. We were leading in blocks, and against my wishes, led w/a 9.4 and had a 6mil rap line. Thank god our ropes didn't get stuck on the rap off, but it was hard work pulling a 6mil down. I will stongly urge twin ropes next time. I think we would've been ok getting off by dark, but who knows? The catch is doing it when it's colder so there are less bugs, but that = less daylight.

Those first pitches although rotten, were not easy. The layback flakes were hard 5.9, setting the impession that this is not a softie! Bring some bigger cams, that's all we used for the 1st 4 pitches (really more like 3.5-we bailed before the rope ran out on our simul). I'd still like to know what sorta gear that offwidth needs, and if it's very long.

 

Now that Don has given me beta on several failed attempts (Ashlu,Vienesse, Springbok), I'd better buck up next summer.

 

I'm pretty sure Steinbok is outta my league since I've only aided a few pitches in my life. Maybe when I'm old enough? Man it's a pretty mountain.

 

Next summer: Springbox,Vienesse,Clarke,Bardean, Beckey/Choinard, and possibly Grainger are gonna be my lofty goals (again). Luckily I have do the approach to every one but the last two. By that time they'll have given me Canadian citizenship.

 

Thanks again Don,

 

Canada Kicks Ass!!!

 

Cheers,

Mike

 

seriously, I'm headin' south.

 

[ 09-27-2002, 05:36 PM: Message edited by: michael_layton ]

[plexus]

But if ya move south, you can't get Mocha Milkshakes from Cruisin' Coffee no more...

[jimmyleg66]

Hey Micheal,

Was that your blue toyota at the "trail"head?

[layton]

It was my partners Nissan (or Mazda?) I don't remember the color. It was wet colored. Were you up there the same day? Lovely lil' downpour!

[jimmyleg66]

We were in there a week ago. We camped just below the morraine under Chamois. Agree with you on the bushschwack, not fun. The camp custodian who opened the gate for us said that they're shutting the camp down this year and will likely pull those two bridges and decom the road.

 

BTW - did the custodian have pants on when you guys went thru? It was a nice sunny day when we got to the gate and we obviously woke him up when we honked, as he was flaked out in front of his place, catching some sun in his underwear. He went inside and we thought "must be putting on pants" but he came out sans pants and opened the gate for us. Same thing on the way out and the same pair of underwear.

[vegetablebelay]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jimmyleg66:

and the same pair of underwear.

---

How did you..........nevermind.

[jimmyleg66]

Hey Veg, As hard as I was trying to keep my gaze at head level there's no way you couldn't notice. Let's just say they weren't your run of the mill tighty whitey's and I'm assuming they didn't come in a three pack. But who know's, maybe he had a whole dresser full of them and those had "Sunday" stitched into the waist band.

 

I'm just gonna shut up now before I dig myself in any further.

 

[ 09-30-2002, 12:42 PM: Message edited by: jimmyleg66 ]

[layton]

That blows! Well I hope it isn't true. Say bye bye to easy access, and say hello to leg searing, back breaking, diaphragm compressing mountain bikin' w/ a pack on. Fuck. Someone say it isn't so.

 

Oh well, it's sierra time. I'm leavin tonight. Any bets on if I get crapped off of every route by mean Mr. Weather?

[Necronomicon]

The ice is forming up FAT!! You are missing the best October WA Alpine climbing in recorded human history!!

 

Enjoy the rain,

-God

[dberdinka]

Climbed Springbok in mid-August this year. Now that I've forgotten about the lower half of the route I remember it being pretty damn awesome. The approach sucks (but better than Ibex). The pitch descriptions in the Becky guide seemed more accurate than those in the new Mclane Guide.

 

Personally I though rock quality was horrendous on the lower half of the route and perfect above. The right hand variation to Pitch 7 (??) has some scary stacked blocks as does the next pitch. The 5.10 fist crack is burly, but begins the good rock. Above there every pitch is quality particularly the 5.9 slab pitch.

 

Getting off is way more mellow the rumor has it. The cheval descent is spectacular and fun. The rappells and downclimbing are no worse than plenty of other alpine routes.

 

So in general a worthy climb, though somewhat stained by super lame rock down low.