[TR] Cathedral Park BC - Grimface North Buttress (Driscoll/Fairley) 8/2/2008

[DougBrownVancouver]

Trip: Cathedral Park BC - Grimface North Buttress (Driscoll/Fairley)

 

Date: 8/2/2008

 

Trip Report:

Quoting From the Fairley Guide, [brackets are my notes]:

“North Buttress: FA: R. Driscoll, B. Fairley- June 30, 1985. This is the longest and most difficult route on Grimface [as of 1985, I’m guessing someone has put up harder lines by now]. Ascend snow on the left side of the toe of the buttress and begin in a short, obvious crack which leads to a sloping ramp [my 1st belay]. Move straight up from the end of the ramp (5.9 crack) and gain a hand crack at the west end of a ledge. Follow the crack making a couple of hard moves where it trends left [i kept looking left but then climbing mostly straight up here with small moves to the right, my 2nd belay], then climb a crack and blocks to gain a ledge. A large wall with moss-filled ctacks shoots upward from this ledge, but instead of climbing these, the route traverses left, down a few moves [my 3rd belay], then ascends a cleaner 5.9 crack to a roof. Undercling the roof to the right and step around onto a smooth wall [my 4th belay in an alcove with a slightly friable white wall], following a strenuous 5.10 crack to an arête [still 5.9 climbing assuming we were on route]. The sixth pitch [my 5th] then follows a curving crack and traverses right below overhangs. Some class 4 gains the notch, where a short rappel is necessary. Above the notch, traverse out to the right of the buttress crest. If you get lost en route, some hard variations are no doubt possible. Excellent rock; 11 pitches [8 pitches for us, we had 60m ropes but never stretched them out fully], with most climbing in the 5.7 to 5.9 range. Recommended.”

 

Descent: Easy walk off to the NW following cairns, then we dropped back into the basin at the base of the route to retrieve some stashed gear but I imagine it would be easy to keep hiking NW and then pick up the trail back to Ladyslipper lake.

 

Pretty good rock, nice climbing, wonderful setting. The wildflowers in the park in early August are worth the visit even without the climbing.

 

First Pitch

 

Route from Goat Lake Approach

 

 

Amazing looking North West Face/Buttress of Macabre Tower that might yield a Liberty Crack quality route if someone hasn't put one up already.

 

Gear Notes:

50 or 60m rope. Alpine rack (we brought a slightly larger rack than normal with a set of nuts and a single set of cams to #4 camelot, probably didn't need the #4 but was nice to have an extra larger piece once and a while).

 

Approach Notes:

Cathedral Provincial Park: Location Map

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/regional_maps/southok.html

 

Park Map:

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/cathedral/cathedral.pdf

 

Approach: ~14km hike in via the Lakeview trail 4-5hrs with full packs or 3-4hrs if you hike the logging road instead (bit shorter, much less scenic) or ~$120 to get the lodge folks to drive you up their “private” logging road in their Unimog (literally highway robbery).

 

Camp at Quinscoe, Pyramid or other spot. Hike the goat lake trail and turn west into the drainage below Grimface at about 6700ft before you get to Goat lake.

 

 

[dberdinka]

Always wanted to do that. Looks great!

[G-spotter]

That north buttress on Macabre has been done, 5.8 or 9 if i remember correctly, new Beckey guide should have details.

Doug did you have access to the 1987 CAJ comparing the Fairley and Serl/Foweraker north buttress routes?

[DougBrownVancouver]

I haven't seen the '87 CAJ Serl/Fowerake route description. I've heard rumors that the old CAJs are now online somewhere but I did a quick scan of their site and couldn't find any links to the old journals, do you know how to get access. WRT the north buttress of Macabre do you know where someone might have written that route up, the length/position/exposure look like it might be really good if the rock was sound. Thanks Drew.

 

[G-spotter]

Macabre route was climbed by Sheffield & Spagnut & should be in an old VOCJ.

 

CAJ is not online - you have to get a DVD with all the issues on it. It used to be free to members but now I think they sell it for $25?

[jordop]

CAJ is not online - you have to get a DVD with all the issues on it. It used to be free to members but now I think they sell it for $25?

 

Has anyone actually received this? My cc got dinged last fall but no show on the DVD.

 

Web site still says "coming soon".

 

2008 is out and a good read. Great to see the Heathens finally report in on their stellar activities on the Homathko.

[DougBrownVancouver]

A friend at the ACC told me the CD ROMs should be available at Christmas, so hold on just a little while longer! I also got a hold of the 1987 CAJ article and it sounds like the Serl/Fowraker route was quite a bit harder "True North" IV 5.10 A3 and not really recommended. Based on the story I'm guessing they took the right hand side of the North Butress / Prow feature up to the same rappel point where they joined the original route (as opposed to the more left hand route followed by the Driscoll/Fairley route & pictured in the post above). It was however a pretty good story and if Don felt like reposting it it might help flesh out the history of the area to the internet generation.