[TR] WA Pass - S. Early Winter Spire - Direct East Buttress 7/24/2007

[512dude]

Trip: WA Pass - S. Early Winter Spire - Direct East Buttress

 

Date: 7/24/2007

 

Trip Report:

After a botched attempt with Chris Kouba a week earlier, I returned with a vengeance and my best arsenal: a good weather forecast and my South African buddy Michael Cartwright. Michael met me at Blue Lake Trail Head Tuesday morning ~8:30am with breakfast in hand - nice. We talked about a route and decided we'd take a run at this even thou I'd be climbing it again in a few days. We parked his car at Blue Lake and drove my van to the hairpin with the strategy of coming down the South Arete and taking the pleasant Blue Lake trail back to his car. Sorting gear and filling water he introduced me to his little blue alpine pack, describing it as Spider Pig and singing the Spider Pig jingle. A little explanation may be required:

 

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=12995490

 

Spider Pig would end up being our "light weight" climbing companion for the day and would get a free ride up the route on our backs. Mostly it carried 2 pairs of shoes, a jacket, 3 litres of water, a few bars and 2 Egg McMuffins.

The climbing route is about 10 pitches long, consists of crack and face climbing and back when Fred Becky first put this up it took them 2.5 days to ascend the line. The 2 bolt ladders can now be freed at 5.11a and it was our intention to do just that. Departure time was a little late at 9:30am but we are the masters of the casual pace. Michael immediately set pace and with the approach gully steepening I could feel it. Temps were just right and so we made good time ~1hr. to the base of the route.

 

After soloing up a bit of the easier lower section we roped up and I led off on the second pitch which went fast and easy and got us to the 3" 5.9 crack. Michael handed off Spider Pig and launched into some easy flakes which led to a feisty layback jamming crack and a under clinging traverse under a roof. As I climbed this pitch I often cursed at Spider Pig because he was fat and uncomfortable. Happy to drop Spider Pig off, I picked up the continuance of that crack for the next pitch which also included a balancy step left under a small roof. A quick move of the belay and we were at the base of the 1st bolt ladder. Michael decided to free the bolt ladder and made fast time with a pull around the crest to the next belay. I, on the other hand, had to ferry Spider Pig across this section. I freed most of it until the crest where Spider Pig distracted me and caused me to fall. I almost pitched Spider Pig off had it not been for the water and shoes that Spider Pig so valuably carried. Once again free of Spider Pig I could climb as intended and pitch 5 started off by traversing right two bolts and getting into a beautiful 5.10 Canadian finger crack. The short crack leads up to a face and a traverse right brings you to a well camouflaged bolt and some slabby faces moves to a good ledge. One more money pitch of 11a bolt ladder begins up and left from the belay. This pitch has a couple of funky mantles and ends below much easier low fifth class terrain. A quick run up easy lines brought us to the summit. At this point we ripped into Spider Pig and emptied its guts while we searched through its internals for something nutritious. After a quick lunch we made our walk down the South Arete and eventually to the trail. Our car to summit time was 5 hours and the descent down to Blue Lake Trail Head from the summit to us ~2 hours.

 

South Early Winter Spire - Direct East Buttress,10 Pitches 5.11a

 

Finishing the approach

 

Looking up from the base

 

Starting P3 - 5.9

 

Freeing bolt ladder #1

 

Around the crest

 

10eh! finger crack starting P6

 

Spider Pig getting it exposure following P6

 

Looking down from P7

 

Gear Notes:

10 slings

1 set of nuts BD 4-13

1,2,3,4 Met Cams

.5,.75,1,1,2,3 BD Cams

1 x 60m rope

 

Approach Notes:

Park at hair pin and head up gully to the base. See Select Climbs in Cascades, Nelson

Edited July 30, 2007 by 512dude