[TR] Rexford Group - Ensackwatch Enchainment 7/28/

[JanD]

Trip: Rexford Group - Ensackwatch Enchainment

 

Date: 7/28/2007

 

Trip Report:

This trip actually happened in 2007

 

Pictures

 

The gf and I hiked into the Rexford "base camp" on Friday and set up camp on a large boulder right on the approach to the West Ridge on Rexford. Awesome day. We considered going up the West Ridge that evening but were too lazy and rather opted for a gourmet meal with a bottle of wine and all that. The view of Slesse and Baker from camp is something else. With blue skies and nice a sunset I thought I was on "totally awesome alabama liquid snake". There was lots of water from snowmelt and we pretty much just set our pots below the dripping rocks.

 

Next morning we started at around 6, hiked along the North Spire to a point where we wnt up some steep scree to the base of the steeper sections that gain the North Ridge. We scrambled up to the ridge. There were some low 5th moves in there but all in all it was pretty easy. Some loose rock. Once we gained the ridge, we scrambled a little further, and got to a short steeper section before the summit. We got the rock shoes and the rope out for this but it turned out to be lowe 5th as well on solid rock.

 

From the North Spire summit you follow an awesome knife edge ridge down to the col and then up towards the summit Block on South Spire. There is one short section up to the summit block that has some mid fith moves. All is really solid and a aesthetic line. The summit block has a short offwidth that is kinda awkward. It had a chock stone that looked like someone placed it in there for pro. I slung that (I only carried up to #2 camalot). Honestly it was more psychological cause you would deck out anyway.

 

From there, is a short scramble down, then a rap to the col between South Nesackwatch and Rexford. Pretty cool free hanging rap. The col is neat and tight. Pretty easy climbing gets you out of the col. There are a ton of options and harder options certainly exist. After about a pitch up from the col you cross the main route up to Rexford (West Ridge) and here we just kept going straight up. This was the highlight of the climb and the only "actual climbing". There was a full pitch that was sweet with finger and handcracks. It got a little harder towards the top and ended to the climbers right of a big detached flake. I got into that ofwidth crack to the right of the flak around a slight bulge and it was difficult enough that I wished I was not wearing my "alpine-thong" harness (one of those Camp ski harnesses). Maybe 5.9 but hard to tell b/c it was so dirty. Then another short pitch got us straight up to the false summit on Rexfort where the cairn is.

 

First I did not even realize that we were on the false summit. Only once I had already put the boots on I saw it. A short scramble got me to the main summit with my gf and all the gear waiting at the false summit. (I was happy that one can climb down on the back side of the main summit because it would have been a little challenging to down climb that last crack in boots)

 

From there we scrambled down the West Ridge to camp. It was a sweet trip with lost of options, solid rock and some fun moves. It took us about 8 or 10 hours.

 

Gear Notes:

We took a light rack with every second cam to #2 camalot and 1/2 set of chocks

 

Approach Notes:

Great trail but it's kinda steep. Good details in Alpine Select.

Edited June 2, 2008 by JanD

[marc_leclerc]

Nice! The whole area is jam packed with super fun routes!

[belayerslayer]

sweet pics! Looks like some awesome vertical faces up there too

[JanD]

yes, there is lots of really good climbing. Lots has been done but lots more potential, too. I think there is a pretty good topo of the more challenging stuff. Some basic info is in Alpine Select.

[Winter]

this has been high on my list since seeing these peaks from the slesse group. thanks for the tr.