[TR] Darrington - Exfoliation Dome - Jacob's Ladde

[mattp]

Trip: Darrington - Exfoliation Dome - Jacob's Ladder

 

Date: 8/6/2007

 

Trip Report:

Yesterday, August 4, I headed up Exfoliation Dome with a few of my Darrington buddies. It was something like our 99th trip up the Dome, but for the three of them their first attempt at Jacob’s Ladder. One of them pulled a fast one on me as to the meeting time; to make up a little time I ran up the first two pitches of moderate slab and hustled up the third pitch, with some crack climbing, a bit of friction and a few crimps at about 5.10a. We were still a little behind schedule as the second team started up.

Now, with the sun starting to fire, we were looking at the crux pitch. Refusing to resort to aid, Turn_One fought his way up this crimpfest, cursing as he backstepped and highstepped and sidestepped his way up the thing. This pitch is 5.11 in the middle of an otherwise 5.10 route, but it has a bolt ladder for the 40 feet or so of hard climbing.

Down at the belay, we told jokes at his expense and carried on like a bunch of juveniles. Another pair of climbers came along and started up Rainman, and we watched as their leader took a spectacular fall and then shook it off only to pull the topo out of her pocket, take a quick look, and resume climbing.

I led the next pitch, a non-stop series of downsloping holds where somehow everything seems to work out but you never really get a break. A couple of fairly generous sidepulls and underclings feel as godsends in the middle of this, and allow some relaxation as you ponder some difficult placements in the first part of the pitch. After five lousy placements (two were actually pretty good) I was glad to clip the second bolt. The climbing there is only 5.9, but remarkably challenging. A final more difficult short stepover (5.10a) leads to the belay.

 

The next pitch, probably the most fun on the climb, starts out with a very cool step across (5.9) to gain a dike which heads straight up the cliff. The climbing here is kind of sporty, with various little spots aided by stepping on the outside of one foot, using different combinations of side pulls, and etc. Here’s Hanman, approaching the belay. He’s showing us his fist and what he's going to do to us when he reaches the ledge because we’ve been calling him names and telling him to hurry it up as he works out the various different combinations. He thought better of the threatening gestures, though, and decided to return focus to grappling with the climbing (5.9 - .10a). Get a hold of yourself, dude! We're only joking.

 

We continued with the next pitch, a longish affair with a 5.10a sport climbing start followed by trad climbing of the endless 5.8 variety. A couple of overlaps add some spice to the mix, and gear placement is somewhat tricky but it takes solid pro if you look around a bit. I was starting to tire, and allowed my partner to take what would have been my lead. He picked his way up it. slowly and methodically. Our second leader thought he lacked an extra piece in the ½ to 3/4" range. Here he is, getting ready to heave over the last of the overlaps, high on the pitch and high on the Dome. I think we were talking about the lengths of certain poster's appendages at this point. This guy has a registered cc.com screen name, but he doesn't like the banter and doesn't want to be associated with people of lesser endowment.

 

From here, I led the final 5.8 pitch wandering upward to the Blueberry Terrace, and the end of the route. We walked over to the top of Rainman to sit in the shade and chat briefly with the team that was just topping out there. They didn’t stay very long, though; in fact I never really saw them as they stopped at the chains ten feet below, set their rappel, and took off.

 

As always, the Dome rocked. There are some outstanding climbs there - a little longer and more demanding than you might expect given the ratings and pitch counts, but these are a great outings! Jacobs Ladder is within the grasp of a solid 5.10 climber, but it is real climbing - consistently steep and rather continuous for five of its eight pitches.

 

 

 

We’re hoping to head back for some kind of Darrington Appreciation Days event in a week or three. We can make a party of it, camp for a night or two, maybe clog the routes and replace some old bolts on Three O’Clock Rock or something (one to eight pitches, 5.6 to 5.11), and who knows: The Dome? What do you say?

[catbirdseat]

I second what what said about the second 1/2-3/4 inch piece. I had one Green Alien and wished I'd had a second one, or perhaps a Blue TCU.

 

Did you guys descend he route? Did you know that there is a great rap route that you can reach from the shiny new Fixe anchor at the low point of the Blueberry Terrace? It is much cleaner than going from the big tree which is now dying.

 

Only bad thing about the rap route is the last rappel from the sloping terrace down the low angle slabs. The anchor is a tree and there are bushes that grab at the rope, making retrieval a chore. A bolted rap anchor below the tree would be awfully nice.

 

Naturally, I'd be up for some projects up there. It would be three weekends before I was available unless you have a weekday free.

[MCash]

Sounds like a fun climb Matt. I've never tried Jacob's Ladder.

 

If the event is this coming weekend the 11th and 12th, then count me in.

[mattp]

I don't think I can do that event this coming weekend. Possibly two weeks, or maybe the weekend before or the weekend after labor day weekend. Full moon is August 28, so if anyone was inclined toward night climbing, Friday and Saturday the 24th and 25th would be good evenings for such a venture. The Dome might be a big bite, but I've climbed The Kone by full moon before.

[hanman]

Thanks for a great day out and all the work on a stellar line!

 

I'm up for the "Festival of Turpitude (Inherent baseness or vileness of principle, words, or actions; depravity)" or something akin...

 

DTown = :[] skull+12 pak= robot deth fer sher

 

MH

 

 

[dberdinka]

Jacobs Ladder is as good as it gets. All those 5.10 (& 5.11) routes up there deserve way more traffic than they see.

[mattp]

Why don't you join us for a campout the last weekend of this month? Friday the 24th we can go for a night climb.

[colt45]

It was great to run into you last weekend (sorry we didn't hang out for a while before rapping off--we thought you were waiting for us to head down so you could use the rap anchors!)

 

This wall is amazing, just the approach up the "granite sidewalk" feels like a long slab route. Rainman was a stellar route with a nice mix of slab & crack climbing, highly recommended. It's pretty sustained at 5.10 and we both fell along the way so we'll need to try it again some time for a "clean" ascent.

 

Looking across at Matt's party:

 

Looking down on lots of clean granite during the descent:

[catbirdseat]

It looks like you rapped down Dark Rhythm. That's not the best way to get down. I'd recommend the Rap Route, which will get you get you down in only 5 double rope rappels. TWO 60 METER ROPES ARE MANDATORY!

 

Start at the Stainless Steel anchor at the lowest point on Blueberry Terrace (rather than the big tree with the dead top and rap slings on it- too much loose rock there).

 

Your first rappel goes somewhat left, as you face down, to a nice ledge. The anchors are two iron open cold shuts with a third titanium hanger above, as a backup.

 

After the first rap, the next three are pretty straightforward. When you reach the Sloping Terrace, descend to a group of trees, there are long slings coming off the largest tree. Do a double rope rap leftward down the low angle slabs to another dirt ledge. Hike this ledge back towards the West Buttress.

 

Scramble up some rock and trees to your packs, or better yet you would have left your packs down at the bivy site and you descend some easy slabs to reach them.

 

It would be great if a pair of rap hangers were installed on the Sloping Terrace to replace the tree. Friction from the bushes always make pulling the ropes a bit of a chore.

[mattp]

Your recommeded rap route gets off the dome a little quicker, Mr. Bird, and it takes a clean and steep line. I'd say it is a better rap route to get back to the base of Rainman, but for climbers wanting to get back to their packs at the base of the West Buttress or Dark Rhythm, I don't think it is overall a better way to go. And for climbers on Jacob's ladder, I think that route itself has a better rap route than the one you describe.

 

It sounds as if you are suggesting a rap diagonally left from the top station for Jacob's ladder. If you make a diagonal right rap from here, you will be on Jacob's Ladder and all the stations are set with chains, all the way down to terra firma (there is one station where the rap route deviates from the line of ascent to skip a station and take a more direct line that presently has two bolts, a sling and a quick link). But either of these two west side descents requires some scrambling to get back to the base of the West Buttress or Dark Rhythm.

[catbirdseat]

If you'll recall Matt, we had a race down the two routes. Your group of three started down Jacob's Ladder about the same time my group of four started down the rap route. You beat us to the packs at the bivy site by a small margin. The edge was probably the smaller party size. So it's safe to say both must be pretty good.

[MCash]

Nice job on Rainman. That route is amazing. My favorite pitch is #3 which starts with the lieback flake then climbs a series of thin cracks / flakes with trad pro the whole way.

[Rad]

Bump. Where does one find topos for these routes?

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Matts website

[Rad]

Thanks J. Nice job on backbone.

[mattp]

I bet Jacob's Ladder is dry right now. There may still be some seepage on the last pitch of Dark Rhythm and Rainman. See you up there.