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Group running late on Snow Creek Wall?


Tod

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Anyone have any info on two guys who were running late on Outerspace? We saw them in the middle of the 4th pitch after 7:30pm and they didn't look like they were going to top out anytime soon.

 

Doing the last pitch or two in the dark along with the descent wouldn't be fun...

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One of the most badass climbers of the 80's told me that years ago he got insane blisters on his thumbs because he had to descend from the top of SCW with only a cigarette lighter as a light source. Strike, light, step, repeat.

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They'll be fine as the freezing level is pretty high at night right now. Their is a bivy cave at the top with lots of fir boughs if they need to sleep.

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years ago a partner and I were packing up after a fun day on orbit. meanwhile, at least 4 parties were getting benighted in the setting sun, spread out all the way across the wall from orbit to champagne, they were yelling down at us, flashing us with their headlamps, etc. we felt like we should proabaly tell someone, so we called the sheriff in town and he just laughed, said he hoped they got so cold overnight, they'd quit rock climbing so he wouldn't have to deal with their idiot mistakes.

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What did they want you to do?

"Hey man. I am up here and I am cold and can't get down quickly enough to avoid being benighted. Can you please waste a bunch of time getting halfway up to me so we can talk all night?"

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Uhhh.. Yea.. That was my friend and I. Ridiculous! The party ahead of us finished the last pitch in the dark, while we still had 2 to go. Considering we made a pileup of mistakes before that, (route info left at car, no water, hiking 2 miles past the wall in the first place etc...), I watched my friend come to the top finally 5 minutes after the sunrise!! I got off route at Library ledge (going up the dihedral crack) and had to traverse right on tiny chickenheads to get back on route. Rock climbing in the dark is interesting! I was able to call my GF and tell her I wouldn't be making dinner or breakfast...

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Uhhh.. Yea.. That was my friend and I. Ridiculous! The party ahead of us finished the last pitch in the dark, while we still had 2 to go. Considering we made a pileup of mistakes before that, (route info left at car, no water, hiking 2 miles past the wall in the first place etc...), I watched my friend come to the top finally 5 minutes after the sunrise!! I got off route at Library ledge (going up the dihedral crack) and had to traverse right on tiny chickenheads to get back on route. Rock climbing in the dark is interesting! I was able to call my GF and tell her I wouldn't be making dinner or breakfast...

 

Awesome! Did you have a good night on teh wall?

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Uhhh.. Yea.. That was my friend and I. Ridiculous! The party ahead of us finished the last pitch in the dark, while we still had 2 to go. Considering we made a pileup of mistakes before that, (route info left at car, no water, hiking 2 miles past the wall in the first place etc...), I watched my friend come to the top finally 5 minutes after the sunrise!! I got off route at Library ledge (going up the dihedral crack) and had to traverse right on tiny chickenheads to get back on route. Rock climbing in the dark is interesting! I was able to call my GF and tell her I wouldn't be making dinner or breakfast...

Uh, wow. That sounds not fun. Glad you guys are okay.

 

We were the group that said hi to you in the parking lot and were ahead of you on route. When we were checking you out from the trail that evening we didn't see any other groups ahead of you that would have topped out in the dark.

 

Hopefully we didn't slow you down in the first few pitches. We were waiting out a few groups ahead of us also and ended up napping at 2-tree ledge and then having a prolonged lunch at the next ledge also. A crowded day on OS.

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A crowded day on OS.

 

A crowded day on OS is a normal day on OS I reckon!

 

Out of curiosity, what time did these parties leave the parking lot?

 

I remember finishing the final pitch of "Braille Book" in Yosemite by headlamp, and getting back to the car about midnight after the epic steep pine-needle descent.... kinda humbling, ain't it??? :crosseye:

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Uhhh.. Yea.. That was my friend and I. Ridiculous! The party ahead of us finished the last pitch in the dark, while we still had 2 to go. Considering we made a pileup of mistakes before that, (route info left at car, no water, hiking 2 miles past the wall in the first place etc...), I watched my friend come to the top finally 5 minutes after the sunrise!! I got off route at Library ledge (going up the dihedral crack) and had to traverse right on tiny chickenheads to get back on route. Rock climbing in the dark is interesting! I was able to call my GF and tell her I wouldn't be making dinner or breakfast...

It sounds like a memorable adventure and you will think back on it more often than most. Good job keeping your head together and getting off safely!!!!!! You live to climb again, only faster.

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Nope, not Evan's brother.

 

We left the car around 8:30(?), however because we were waiting for two groups ahead of us we didn't hit the rock until ~10:30am. Once we were on the rock Jonah's group showed up behind us.

 

At the top of pitch 2 (two tree ledge) we took an extended nap time to let the two groups ahead of us get some distance. We then climbed two more pitches and caught up to the two groups ahead. We took lunch at the top of pitch 4 to allow for more space and then topped out around 6:30-7:00pm. By 7:30pm we were heading down the trail and spotted Jonah's group halfway through pitch 4.

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