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[TR] Quit Yer Job! Sumallo is IN! - Grim Reaper - Box Canyon 2/14/2009


Don_Serl

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Trip: Quit Yer Job! Sumallo is IN! - Grim Reaper - Box Canyon

 

Date: 2/14/2009

 

Trip Report:

Marc Le Clerc, Robert Nugent, and I headed up to Box Canyon, thinking the altitude ought to have kept the ice nice, and that the settled snow ought to make for an easy approach - and, boy, were we right! There is a snowshoe track already set up the valley (a moderately popular, totally safe, rather spectacular daytrip winter hike option), and while there's a bit of wandering cuz the low snow has not fully buried all the alder and boulders, it's just wandering, nothing unpleasant. We were at the route in 40 mins, moving at my pace - young fast guys could be there in 30.

 

The route was in superb condition. I'd call it 60m 3+, 60m 3, and 40m 4 right now. Every pitch has a unique character, with the long flow in the middle of p2 being the highlight - superb! Raps are set off trees: climbers left at top, then left (a bit of uphill traverse to get to this one), then right. We were 9-3 car to car.

 

The stuff on the north side of the canyon is baked out - too bad, cuz it looks like Mr Natural would have been climbable a week ago, and that's almost a big route that's never in. We did not walk to the head of the valley (20-30 mins further in current conditions), but 'Scotch on the Rocks' and 'Engage' are undoubtedly in, and probably fat.

 

We drove Hwy 3 for a look afterwards, and EVERYTHING at Sumallo Bluffs is in and ready to go - plus there's a totally safe snowpack! Landmark looks superb - the western half of the p3 curtain has snapped off, but the E'ern half is a solid sheet. The middle section looks like p2 on Reaper - smooth, well-filled flow ice. The lower (approach) pitches look kinda sketchy, but they're not overly hard. 'Crunchy Frog' is as big as I've ever seen it. There's good ice in the 'Mess Right' gully around the corner. 'Anthrax Ripple' is in and (for this climb) "fat" - Graham Rowbotham and Jesse Mason climbed it on Sat - there'll likely be a TR which pops up here - maybe the 2nd ascent?

 

With a week of solid weather ahead and ice conditions on the bluffs the best I've seen in 30 years, I'd definitely take the whole week off... if I didn't have job pressure which won't let me do anything of the sort at the moment... fingers crossed it lasts!

 

Cheers,

 

Gear Notes:

9 screws, 2 ropes

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haha not a biggy we had more than our fair share of ice :) however we were honestly skeptical of Landmark initial pitches and the whiteness of Crunchy Frog..but I suppose you just gotta go have a look which is what we did when we saw bits and pieces of ice up high in the Anthrax Ripple line.

 

So as you mentioned Graham and I climbed Anthrax Ripple which went at 300m of WI4+ with at times challenging ice conditions. The route was phenomenal and I would do it again any time, although if this was a second ascent I suppose I may have to wait another 25 yrs?

 

Fingers crossed for good weather...talk to you this week cheers

 

A few pics, click for larger ones

 

Pitches 1,2 and crux third up high on the narrow pillar, steeper than it looks as usual

3283221872_51ef7337d7.jpg

 

second p

 

3282424041_28af068daa.jpg

 

 

third pitch

3283618672_db055db1d5.jpg

 

Crux pitch 3 from below

 

3283651046_03923e1cb4.jpg

 

 

5th and 6th on the right, more ice hidden in the forest above for pitch 6

 

3282442535_a982742347.jpg

 

 

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So not wanting to trust the weather Graham and I went back to finish off Landmark Gully yesterday

 

Land Mark Gully on the left and Buzowski Kippan on the right click photos for larger size

 

there is a log across the river, follow our tracks and leave the waders at home, about an hour approach to both routes, travel up the avy path is best

 

3294022205_b64f70c1e8.jpg

 

Landmark has never had an ascent with the pillar touching down and from what I understand no one has seen the pillar/curtain touch down in the last 30 years.

 

We climbed 6 pitches

 

pitch 1 40m WI3-

2 50m easy snow/ice

3 60m WI3-

4 60m WI4-

5 60m WI2

6 60m WI5-

 

Graham at the Pillar

 

 

3295458872_ba0c2d0a54.jpg

 

Sneaking behind

 

3295458876_603a852ba0.jpg

 

looking down from pitch 4

 

3295458858_fdfae24c6b.jpg

 

 

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Trip: Quit Yer Job! Sumallo is IN! - Grim Reaper - Box Canyon

 

Date: 2/14/2009

 

Trip Report:

Marc Le Clerc, Robert Nugent, and I headed up to Box Canyon, thinking the altitude ought to have kept the ice nice, and that the settled snow ought to make for an easy approach - and, boy, were we right! There is a snowshoe track already set up the valley (a moderately popular, totally safe, rather spectacular daytrip winter hike option), and while there's a bit of wandering cuz the low snow has not fully buried all the alder and boulders, it's just wandering, nothing unpleasant. We were at the route in 40 mins, moving at my pace - young fast guys could be there in 30.

 

The route was in superb condition. I'd call it 60m 3+, 60m 3, and 40m 4 right now. Every pitch has a unique character, with the long flow in the middle of p2 being the highlight - superb! Raps are set off trees: climbers left at top, then left (a bit of uphill traverse to get to this one), then right. We were 9-3 car to car.

 

Thanks for posting the conditions on the Grim Reaper. Went up yesterday to go climb it and it was great! The climb is still in good condition, but a little drippy in spots. As Don mentioned, the climbs on the right wall have mostly rotted out and began crashing down as soon as the sun hit them.

 

IMG_1841.JPG

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  • 1 month later...

Sumallo is still happening, Graham and I climbed Crunchy Frog today and the ice was totally dry. The other routes all look great, if your still interested in winter..

 

Crunchy on the left, 3p 4+ we only climbed the first two passed on the 2+ upper pitch. 1 Hour approach, gum boots work for a direct approach or use the log.

 

3378544158_4b15d03619.jpg

 

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