Slesse Question

[skibum1087]

We are planning on doing the NE buttress on Slesse soon, over the course of 2 days with a bivi on the giant bivi ledge. We figure our packs will end up heavier then we would like, especially on the first day with water. I was wondering about the feasibility of hauling the leaders pack on some of the harder pitches, like the 5.9+ roof pitch on the direct route. Is the pitch less than 35 meters so the pack could be hauled with the remainder of a 70 meter rope? Any info would be appreciated.

Spencer

 

[ScaredSilly]

Take less crap and there is no need to haul. For instance, bring a bivy sac and sleep on your pack. Wear all your clothes including rain pants. No need for a bag or pad. Yeah you might be a little cold but it will sure beat trying to haul a pack.

 

How much water are you planning on bringing? We got some near the bivy at the start of the route. Seems like we did not get any more water while on route though there was some at the mid way bivy. We still had enough so went past the drips. Kinda regretted that decision as it was much later before we got the chance to fill up again during the descent.

 

BTW the upper pitches are pretty steep as well. Which be more of hauling issue than the lower pitches.

[skibum1087]

thanks for the input. We will most likely forgo the hauling. Would I be correct in assuming that once you get to the memorial that there is water availible somewhere between there and the start the the route in that basin area?

[giza]

I'd be surprised if you couldn't find water between the memorial and the start of the route, either from a melting remnant snowpatch or from runoff further up.

[Buckaroo]

there's water on the approach, an overnight bivy pack should be under 20 lbs W/O climbing gear, there's nothing really that steep on the route you can't climb with a 20 lbs pack.

[klondike]

Actualy we just did the NE buttress of Slesse yesterday. Hauling the leaders pack up the 5.9+ pitch might be feasable with the other end of a 60 meter rope as a tag if you shorten the belay stations (good pro the whole way on this pitch). Or just tying the leaders' pack to a prussik on the second's rope (just above the second) and hauling them both up at the same time. Fun route. The descent is punishing. No water at the ledges,in spite of some rain en route. The pocket (bypass) glacier gone except a small remnant. Slesse Creek FSR permanently closed to the public (I checked this out with the Canadian military duty officer). He said access to the road was OK by foot or by bike, no vehicles. I have heard mixed reports on this from others on this issue though. Road up Nashaquatch creek to the approach trailhead clear but may require 4wd in one or two isolated spots further up.I biked from the gate at Slesse. Good luck

[marc_leclerc]

Do the Crossover Descent but leave a bike at Slesse Creek incase time or weather does not permit a return via the crossover descent route. It is much less punishing especially with the new trail (at least what I saw of the new trail looked good)

[JanD]

I would echo the "take less shit" mantra. The pitches are not that steep and hauling could be a real pain on the jagged type of rock...

[AlpineK]

Yep, there are only a couple pitches where hauling wouldn't be a total pain.

 

We spent the night sitting on the big ledge up high. No bags or pads. It sucked, but you can sleep good the next night.

[Jason_Martin]

Crossover Pass sucks. We had to leave four cams on the descent down the last set of gullies. It was not pleasant and took almost as long as the route to deal with.

 

Jason

[marc_leclerc]

Crossover Pass sucks. We had to leave four cams on the descent down the last set of gullies. It was not pleasant and took almost as long as the route to deal with.

 

Jason

 

Crossover Pass is only as Suck as whoever does the routefinding

[Buckaroo]

If you had to leave gear on raps on the descent then you were off route. Still you made it back safe which is good. That descent is harder routefinding than the climb. When I did it I recond the week before 1/2 way up the descent.

[AlpineK]

We never left a thing or rapped coming over Crossover.

[marc_leclerc]

We never left a thing or rapped coming over Crossover.

 

Yep, pleasant ridge walking, an optional rappel, some easy talus and pleasant old growth forest. It really helps to know where you're going though. With a fine tuned 'wilderness/alpine sense' you can figure it out or bring a map or topo. I went up Crossover peak once which is how I figured it all out, it helps to go up something before trying to find the route down. There is a good tope that Jeremy Frimer wrote somewhere on this site.

As for hauling packs, go light + it isnt super steep except for a few moves if you do the central headwall but the holds are big. Have fun!

[bigeo]

When we did this route last sept. there was a little chunk of snow just up from the big bivy ledge midroute (top of pitch 14 according to Nelson) When klondike says no water, I assume that means no snow either?

[tsevery]

Bummer! We were up on Slesse a few weeks ago and had read the negative comment about the Cross Over. I wished we would have taken it now, the decent off the backside lacks luster to say the least. Although it is pretty, I would have rather swung right back to the car....

[Jason_Martin]

Crossover Pass sucks. We had to leave four cams on the descent down the last set of gullies. It was not pleasant and took almost as long as the route to deal with.

 

Jason

 

Crossover Pass is only as Suck as whoever does the routefinding

 

Now. Now. Let's all play nice...

 

We followed this topo and felt that it was pretty honest in it's overall description. However, there was one section where the topo was a little bit off in what he calls the "Second Crux Routefinding" area and we never found the "trail" with flagging in the woods down low, even after traversing the hillside repeatedly.

 

I think I could do it a lot faster now that I wouldn't be looking for signs of humans passing before me. There are very few carins to follow, only a few rap anchors to speak of, and no worn trail anywhere on the descent.

 

We also upset a beehive on our way down, which really wasn't very much fun...

 

That said, if I were to do it again, I would go down Slesse Creek.

 

Jason

Edited September 11, 2009 by Jason_Martin

[marc_leclerc]

Crossover Pass sucks. We had to leave four cams on the descent down the last set of gullies. It was not pleasant and took almost as long as the route to deal with.

 

Jason

 

Crossover Pass is only as Suck as whoever does the routefinding

 

Now. Now. Let's all play nice...

 

We followed this topo and felt that it was pretty honest in it's overall description. However, there was one section where the topo was a little bit off in what he calls the "Second Crux Routefinding" area and we never found the "trail" with flagging in the woods down low, even after traversing the hillside repeatedly.

 

I think I could do it a lot faster now that I wouldn't be looking for signs of humans passing before me. There are very few carins to follow, only a few rap anchors to speak of, and no worn trail anywhere on the descent.

 

We also upset a beehive on our way down, which really wasn't very much fun...

 

That said, if I were to do it again, I would go down Slesse Creek.

 

Jason

 

I wouldnt go into the alpine If I couldnt find the descent because they was no sign of other people going that way, you don't do much new routing do you? That just reinforces my previous comment about the routefinding. If you know you dont have the mountain routefinding sense to descend crossover pass quickly then yes, go down Slesse Creek.

[Matt Kidd]

You bullying again Marc? Shouldn't you be writing up the TR instead of picking on people?

[pink]

You bullying again Marc? Shouldn't you be writing up the TR instead of picking on people?

 

 

[Jason_Martin]

Marc,

 

You must be really really really good. Thanks for putting me in my place. I must be really really bad. It was really nice of you to point out my deficiencies. I'll be sure to keep them in mind.

 

I don't get the flaming on the internet. Is this what you want to hear from someone you don't know? This is a legitimate thread that should be kept clear of this kind of junk.

 

I actually feel pretty comfortable with new routing. I've got about thirty

FAs...mostly in spots where the descent was the crux. I guess I could keep spraying about myself, but then this would turn into another useless dick measuring thread...

 

The Crossover Descent isn't new routing. Indeed, based on all the feedback I saw on the net prior to our experience this is a well-traveled descent. But as I stated, it's likely that people are going all over that ridge and as a result a trail has not begun to form. Had I been aware of this, I wouldn't have been looking for a trail or for carins.

 

I guess the take-home point of this entire thread for the person who is thinking of this descent, is that it could be cruxy...but if you nail it spot on, could be okay...

 

Jason

[marc_leclerc]

Marc,

 

You must be really really really good. Thanks for putting me in my place. I must be really really bad. It was really nice of you to point out my deficiencies. I'll be sure to keep them in mind.

 

I don't get the flaming on the internet. Is this what you want to hear from someone you don't know? This is a legitimate thread that should be kept clear of this kind of junk.

 

I actually feel pretty comfortable with new routing. I've got about thirty

FAs...mostly in spots where the descent was the crux. I guess I could keep spraying about myself, but then this would turn into another useless dick measuring thread...

 

The Crossover Descent isn't new routing. Indeed, based on all the feedback I saw on the net prior to our experience this is a well-traveled descent. But as I stated, it's likely that people are going all over that ridge and as a result a trail has not begun to form. Had I been aware of this, I wouldn't have been looking for a trail or for carins.

 

I guess the take-home point of this entire thread for the person who is thinking of this descent, is that it could be cruxy...but if you nail it spot on, could be okay...

 

Jason

 

My goodnes.... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings now. I'm sorry. But you wrote a comment stating that the Crossover descent flat out sucks and told everybody not to do it and then when you described how it sucks it was apparent that you were completely and totally off route and went down one of those disgusting gullies instead of just taking 20 minutes to traverse into a nice old growth forest that even has flagging leading you in the right direction for goodness sake. And therefore it was not fair to completely bash the descent and tell nobody to do it after a gross routefinding error occurred. Im not going to recommend trying it in the dark or in a storm or when you are absolutely dead tired or anything but its just like a typical ridge traverse with a rappel (that can be by-passed) at one point and then talus walking and a flagged old growth forest. Pretty decent IMO.

[Jason_Martin]

Marc,

 

Did you look at the topo I posted? It clearly says to go down those gullies. Obviously, it's not a great topo if there is a better way to go.

 

Jason

Edited September 13, 2009 by Jason_Martin

[genepires]

The photo of the banana head is spot on for a self description of marc le-banana brains.

 

 

[marc_leclerc]

Marc,

 

Did you look at the topo I posted? It clearly says to go down those gullies. Obviously, it's not a great topo if there is a better way to go.

 

Jason

 

Where are the gullies you are speaking of then? At one of the 'critical routefinding' spots? I thought you went down a gully in the forest above the memorial.