Ingalls Peak Descent Question

[alpinemorg]

Info on Ingalls Peak states four 60M raps down S. Ridge Route. Has anyone done this in two raps with linked half-ropes? Or does the route zig-zag/have to many knot traps?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Morgan

[kevbone]

If you are talking about rapping over the 5.4 slab.....if you have two 60m ropes you can do it in three raps back to your pack.

[lizard_brain]

If you are talking about rapping over the 5.4 slab.....if you have two 60m ropes you can do it in three raps back to your pack.

 

Two.

[kurthicks]

just carry one rope and do more raps. they're off of fixed stations. OR go on a weekend and share ropes with another party for the raps.

[fenderfour]

I remember getting a rope stuck on the last rappel. It's 5.4, so we solo'ed up to the rope and threw it down (Hardman!!!)

[ericb]

Just headed up there Tuesday.....we downclimbed (walked) to the first rap station at the top of the final class 4 belayed pitch. It's exposed, but more of a walk than a scramble. A single rope (60M) rap brought us easily to a bolted anchor, and then a second single rope rap left us ~ ten feet short of the bottom of the first pitch (broken ledge). Both I and my partner downclimbed carefully the last 10 feet in a very wide crack (maybe class 4 at this point). From the broken ledge, there's another rap station, but this is the pitch that many climb up and down unroped. It looked like I could have also pendulumed over to the east side of the ridge for a slightly easier, but very exposed downclimb to the broken ledge.

 

I don't know if there were ever slings on the belay horn at the top of the first short pitch but there weren't when we were there, and we did not bring any spare webbing. This would also have enabled single rope raps, although I was a little underwhelmed by the dimunitive belay horn. I opted for the downclimb rather than cutting up my cordolette and rapping of the little horn.

 

IMO, the short downclimb is less than ideal, but I don't think I'd haul double ropes up there to avoid this. I think it depends on experience/comfort level of the climbers involved.

Edited August 14, 2007 by ericb

[kevbone]

just carry one rope and do more raps. they're off of fixed stations. OR go on a weekend and share ropes with another party for the raps.

 

Yeah....but a couple of the "fixed stations" are webbing jammed around a crack and look like shit.

[lizard_brain]

Just headed up there Tuesday.....we downclimbed (walked) to the first rap station at the top of the final class 4 belayed pitch. It's exposed, but more of a walk than a scramble.

 

I agree. I was there Saturday after doing the East Ridge, and we walked to the rap station from the summit. Note the climber in front. His main concern is not dropping his sammich.

 

 

With two 60m ropes, you rap right to the next rap station at the bottom of the 5.4 slabs. From there you rap to just short of the very bottom of the climb, maybe 6 feet of class 4 (if that) from the bottom. The guy in the picture finished his sammich during the first rappel, and is about to finish the second part of the second rap down to the base of the hounds tooths.

 

 

[alpinemorg]

Thanks y'all.

[androolus]

The fred guide says to descend the SW face instead of the main south ridge route. Is that just a bunch of hooey?

[lizard_brain]

The fred guide says to descend the SW face instead of the main south ridge route. Is that just a bunch of hooey?

 

The rap anchors are right off the top of the South Ridge. The SW Face is supposedly a class 4 scramble (though I've never been on it myself), there are no rap chains I know of there, and I hear it is covered with loose rock. It also looks like it takes you almost completly to the opposite side of the peak from Ingalls Lake, the approach that most people use. South Ridge takes you right to the top of the gully to the lake.

 

From summitpost.org:

 

"Southwest Face Grade I Class 4. This is the easiest route on the peak and has several variations. There is much loose rock."

 

 

 

[David Yount]

The fred guide says to descend the SW face instead of the main south ridge route. Is that just a bunch of hooey?

 

If you have a rope, rappel the S face. The downclimb others talk about is not trivial, and by that I mean that many climbers on this route would appreciate reaching the bottom of the climb rather than come off rappel still 10 feet up the face.

 

The average North Ridge Stuart in a day climber would be fine, but I think that most climbers excited about the South Face Ingalls would appreciate the full length of double rope rappels.

 

In the early 80's I free solo'd the S face, and downclimbed the SW Arete; I'd call the beginning of the descent an arete. The downclimb is loose, but not worse than average for cascade alpine rock. Though, I certainly would not recommend it. OK, maybe it is worse than average, but I've seen plenty worse.

 

Yes, the descent takes you away from Ingalls Lake, but it's no matter of 15 minutes to navigate south and over the notch between the two Ingalls peaks, back to the lake; if that's where you want to go.....

 

If your day has plenty more hours after the S Face, consider the East Ridge. It'll take much longer, with many navigational challenges, but isn't much harder technically.

[lizard_brain]

I'd say that the East Ridge is a fair amount harder technically - at least in a couple of places, but it is a much longer and like I_G says, offers some navigational challenges, but is a lot more fun. South Face is just straight up a couple of pitches of 5.4, East Ridge takes you up and around, with a couple of 5.5 and 5.6 moves here and there.

 

East Ridge:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lizard_brain]

South Ridge:

 

 

 

[goatboy]

Nice photos. The routes are both good, but very different in character.

 

S Ridge -- super easy, fun, but kinda too short for the longish hike in.

 

East Ridge -- feels more alpine, scrambly, a few harder sections. Best in early season when the approach gully is snow rather than steep kitty litter and bombs for those below.

 

Rapping the S Ridge is the best way off unless it's choked with a billion people or large, institutional groups (as happened to me once)...

[lizard_brain]

Yeah, the only thing wrong with the South Ridge is that it's TOO SHORT! If I go do those again, I'll spend a night or two in the basin, and maybe do the South Ridge one day, then the East Ridge the next day, maybe spend a second night and do something else before heading out. Or just hike in Friday evening and do the East Ridge on Saturday, then knock off the South Ridge before heading out on Sunday... Plenty of choices...

[goatboy]

I think June is perfect for the sort of two-day trip you're describing. Snowy gullies and no bugs!

 

Hike in and climb East Ridge one day, sleep, and climb S Ridge before heading out....

 

 

[BigLegs]

There is an alcove to climber's right of the main slab about 20' higher than the belay station. This alcove can be reached by a single 50 meter rappel from the mid-slab bolts, and a ~3rd class scramble from there will get you back to the base of the main slab. It sounds like many people rappel the lower slab also but it is possible to downclimb (2nd-3rd class?) from the base of the main slab towards the west to easy ground and then traverse around the dogtooth crags to your packs.

 

Using this method it is possible to descend from the upper bolts with one double rope 50M rappel (into the alcove mentioned above) plus 3rd class downclimbing - this would certainly be much faster for parties larger than two (and the downclimbing is less scary than the SW face in my opinion).