[TR] Icicle Buttress - R&D 5/10/2008

[spotly]

Trip: Icicle Buttress - R&D

 

Date: 5/10/2008

 

Trip Report:

My friend Carl and I climbed it today. Got to the base at 8:30 expecting a long line. Two other teams were just starting up. We had an hour or less wait at each belay and got down at 1:30. Didn't like the waits but the climbing was pretty fun. Favorite pitch was #2 (great hand jams) and the chimney pitch (#3). Last pitch was waaaay long and the start was kinda awkward. Fun pitch though...other than the start and the hideous rope drag that I somehow managed to get. Alas, I was too short to take the start left of the crack and had to slab by way up under the little roof to the right then over. Carl took the left side start, traversing a few feet right into the crack and said it was fun. Took the decent to the left. Kinda steep and sandy but not

as bad as expected. Rain came down when we hit the pavement

 

The route we took.

 

Carl coming up the second pitch.

 

Carl heading up the chimney pitch (#3).

 

Carl topping out.

 

 

The descent off climbers left.

[rbwen]

We stopped and watched you for a while from the road, contemplating following you up, but decided on some cragging at Clamshell instead.

 

That last pitch is looooong if you do it from where you belayed all the way up. I've stopped at that intermediate tree on the right most times.

 

Nice TR.

[rob]

Nice work guys.

 

Carl heading up the chimney pitch (#3).

 

OMG! Is that a nalgene clipped to his harness??!!

 

[Bug]

I usually climb the orange/yellow line.

Sometimes I climb the bolted alternative in pink.

[spotly]

We were hoping to do the bolted line (Cocaine Connection) afterwards but time wasn't on our side. The dashed line looked good too and would have gotten us past the two slower teams - hindsight I guess.

 

Yep - that's a Nalgene. But it's the "safe" plastic and not that toxic stuff so it's ok