[TR] West Lion - Normal Route 1/28/2008

[peas]

Trip: West Lion - Normal Route

 

Date: 1/28/2008

 

Trip Report:

Normal Route - West Lion - January 28, 2008

 

Since the previous week's weather meant that skiing would mostly be bad and that same nice weather looked like it would hold for the weekend, Damien and I decided to head up the normal route on the West Lion. Neither of us have much winter/snow/ice experience, so this route provided more than enough of a challenge for both of us.

 

We started up the trailhead at 7am and started the roped climbing from the bottom of the notch at a little after noon. The whole approach was on a nice crust that, for the most part, supported body weight. Above the trees the crust got pretty hard, so we put on crampons and, after that, it was pretty cruiser. We brought snowshoes but ended up ditching them when we came out of the trees. Water was available at a number of places on the way up, so we could have done with bringing a little less from the trailhead as well.

Damien shortly after we ditched the snowshoes.

 

The weather had been deteriorating for most of the approach but hadn't totally crapped out by the time we roped up. We decided to continue on since the descent would be pretty straightforward.

 

I got the first pitch up through a couple rock steps and some sparse trees. I placed one nut and a pin in about 70m of pretty straightforward climbing, which for me was spicy enough, but not terrifying. Tunneling for a tree anchor took surprisingly long and was the one thing on the pitch that really had me literally sweating.

Taken from the bottom of the 1st pitch.

 

Damien got the 2nd pitch which involved some fixed line pulling/clipping, more steep bush, a couple pins and another excavated tree anchor. A few fluffy flakes started falling as Damien set off on the 2nd pitch, and we could still see Vancouver. By the time he was finished I was lucky to catch a glimpse of the East Lion. I kept myself busy by burrowing into the tree well which was quite effective at keeping me warm and way more fun than watching the rope.

 

The summit was a short walk from the top of the 2nd pitch. We pretty much tagged it and started heading down since it was snowing hard and getting a little late.

 

Me on the summit with a chunk of the East Lion behind my left ear. Honest, we summitted!

 

We made two full 60m rappels into the gully that faces toward Capilano Lake. A rock step in the gully prevented us from heading straight back up toward the descent trail so we instead dropped further down and climbed steep sugary snow and trees to regain the trail. This was the first time that the crust gave out on us, and since we were pressed for daylight it wasn't a pleasant surprise.

 

It was dark by the time we regained the ridge and we were a little worried about finding the snowshoes and the trail back down. Things went well though and we were back down in a couple hours. All in all a very fun trip.

 

Gear Notes:

Gear info: 60m double ropes, 2 ice axes each, small selection of blades and arrows, one set of nuts, 5 slings + rap tat

Gear additions: snow wands, a gps or some other sensible way to navigate in bad vis.

Edited February 21, 2008 by peas

[old 5.9]

Way to go get er Peas

[G-spotter]

I keep hoping those fixed lines will be removed.

Good work getting up there. It's a longer approach for a shorter climb than Harvey.

[gertlush]

Cool, looks like a good winters day

[peas]

I keep hoping those fixed lines will be removed.

They made things faster for us The only other time I've done the West Lion they weren't there(or at least I didn't find them), so I was surprised to see them this time. They probably make things a little safer for the tourists who shouldn't be up there in the first place, although they probably give a sense of false security. In any case, I wouldn't be sad to see them go.

 

Good work getting up there. It's a longer approach for a shorter climb than Harvey.

Yeah but the climbing is quite different. On Harvey it's pretty much straightforward snow/ice, plus some easier steps toward the top. I've only ever seen it without ice at the top, but if it's there I'd say Harvey would be a bit spicier. The steeper stuff on the West Lion is a bit more involved.

 

[peas]

I just sat through a long, boring meeting and came to the conclusion that Harvey would probably be as spicy as the Lions route if the ice at the top has formed. I haven't really seen it that way, so I don't know for sure. Any other opinions?

[G-spotter]

Didn't Basil Darling climb the Lions in winter way back like 100 years ago?

[gertlush]

I seem to recall it mentioning that in the 1st edition of West Coast ice. That's one hell of a hike from Vancouver

[G-spotter]

I think that back in the day it was more often approached direct via the Capilano River. That's the way the Latta bros went in 1903 with rope, lantern and lard pail to bag the FRA of the East Lion.

[peas]

What was with the lard pail? Offwidth pro?

[gertlush]

Back in 1903 lard = GU , and the taste hasn't really improved all that much in a century.

[peas]

Maybe lard shots will make a comeback for the South Beach/Atkins types.

[MarkJ]

Thanks for the report, I am trying to get a couple buddies to head up with me in the next week or so. Did you leave from Lions Bay? I was planning on taking snowshoes as well, did you ever use them?

[G-spotter]

The lard pail was a important tool. They would use it for a lunch pail. Lard comes from the fat of a pig. It was used for cooking, baking, and frying. The lard pail was also used to pick berries. They also used the lard pail to carry water and gather eggs. In a modern catalog, you can get an empty lard pail for $12 to $14. In the old days, you would have bought the lard and gotten the pail for free.

[peas]

Thanks for the report, I am trying to get a couple buddies to head up with me in the next week or so. Did you leave from Lions Bay? I was planning on taking snowshoes as well, did you ever use them?

 

Yup. Up from Lions Bay.

 

We brought snowshoes but didn't use them at all. From winter climbing experiences that you can count on one hand, if you choose your conditions right you can happily leave the snowshoes behind. Maybe someone else with more experience has other opinions.

[MarkJ]

did you go straight up from the notch or traverse over the standard summer route and then up the trees? I might go Thurs but it looks to be warm and snow might be sloppy. Not sure if it will be hard enough to two tool it straight up. Planning on using mostly tree trunks as pro and belay stances. Thoughts?

[jmace]

whatever looks best..I went more or less straight up from the notch using trees for pro

 

Your right about thursday being a little more sloppy as opposed to tomorrow..if we can get rid of these couds and clear up over night tomorrow would probably be better

 

appears as though some warm air may come in up high overnight into thursday..which is why Seymours Alpine forecasts is calling for 2100m fr levels..still some radiative cooling but..could be sloppy..20cm of new last night as well

 

you could always head to Harveys N face as Plan b if its too warm out in the morning and maybe have better luck on the north face

 

http://www.atmos.washington.edu/mm5rt/rt/showtimeheight_d2.cgi?initmodel=NAM&yyyymmddhh=current_nam&loc=cyvr&locname=Vancouver,BC&latlon=49.18N,123.16W

[MarkJ]

Cool, thanks for the info. Love to go tomorrow but just can't. I've got a score to settle with that west lion, so if I have to leave at 5am from the lot to get solid snow, so be it! Should be a great day for photography at any rate... teach me to read that map, looks like a 5 year old went nuts with crayons on the wall

[Don_Serl]

I keep hoping those fixed lines will be removed.

They made things faster for us The only other time I've done the West Lion they weren't there(or at least I didn't find them), so I was surprised to see them this time. They probably make things a little safer for the tourists who shouldn't be up there in the first place, although they probably give a sense of false security. In any case, I wouldn't be sad to see them go.

 

i've climbed the west lion in winter about 4 times, and i've never encountered conditions in which the lines were not deeply buried. beside, you climb directly up from the notch, not across the summer ledge where the lines lie. i did do it once in novemeber or some such time, and traversed the ledge (icy) - we just ignored the lines. nobody walking THESE dogs...

 

 

Good work getting up there. It's a longer approach for a shorter climb than Harvey.

Yeah but the climbing is quite different. On Harvey it's pretty much straightforward snow/ice, plus some easier steps toward the top. I've only ever seen it without ice at the top, but if it's there I'd say Harvey would be a bit spicier. The steeper stuff on the West Lion is a bit more involved.

 

agreed. the lions only involves 2-3 ropelengths, but u actually are climbing pretty steep terrain which in places is quite icy. harvey goes on a lot longer (abt 300m) but there are only a cpl sections which are steep enough that u have to fully front-point and swing them tools. of course, the VERY best conditions on the ramp (which i got once with Andrew Rennie) find it super-icy, with waterice drools on the steeper sections and on bulges along the sides to 'attack'. then it feels like a 'real' climb...

 

cheers

[jmace]

The Map is quite easy to read

 

the bottom axis is the timeline, which goes from right to left in zulu time.

 

the left axis is pressure in mb, or you can convert to height

 

the red lines are isotherms, the wind barbs give direction and strength and the shaded areas of which there are very few in this map is relative humidity, above 70% is clouds above 90% is rain/snow

 

eg:

Follow the zero degree isotherm,(freezing level)at 05/12 (4am tomorrow) you see the zero line at 925 mb (750 m) then go to 06/12 (4am thurs morn) and its 775mb ( 2100m) then drops to 850 mb (1500m) on 7/12 (4am fri)

 

notice you begin to see some humidity creep in which corresponds to the cloudy forecast for Friday

 

950 mb = 500m

900 mb = 1000m

800mb = 2000m

700mb = 3000m