[TR] West Chimney - Crown Point - Columbia River G

[Plaidman]

Trip: West Chimney - Crown Point - Columbia River Gorge - Alpine Choss

 

Date: 9/12/2009

 

Trip Report:

The plan was to climb the West Chimney then hike up the slot canyon at Moffet Creek and then pop over to Beacon Rock and do a lap on the South East Corner. Plans are great.

We took one car up to the top of Crown Point and parked it then drove down from Corbett to the freeway and stopped across from Rooster Rock on the on the East bound side of I-84. There is a road to the railroad track with a locked gate. We just pulled way off the freeway and hopped the fence. We ascended the forested slopes by way of a gully 50 yards short of the fence on the South side of the tracks. The going was rough in Tevas. We wore sandals because we were going to go up Moffet Creek later. We thrashed our way up the blanketed slopes full of brambles and nettles. I am convinced that a machete and a blowtorch combo flamethrower should be standard equipment in the Northwest. We bushwhacked for an hour and got to the base of the climb. We started up and right off I realized this was alpine climbing at sub-alpine elevation. Very loose rock. I was encouraged by finding lots of fixed pitons and found my way up the first pitch. The first belay was awesome. One 3/8" bolt and two very good pitons. I added a Brown tricam to the mix. The next pitch was the crux. My first piece was a piton that I backed up with a nut and then placed a cam on the traverse right. Went 12' right then straight up. It was a bit loose but not too bad until I got further up toward the chimney. I had my wife move climbers left so that she would not be in the fall line. It was spooky. Every hand and foot hold were suspect. I got to the next belay. Good pin and the chock stone was bomber. I slung the chock stone and used the pin. Upon my wife arriving we needed to move around a bit and there was not much room so I climbed up above her in the chimney. I led off into the deeeeeeep chimney that actually goes all the way through to the other side at a 45 to 50 degree angle. It is filled with dirt and rock. I climbed on the rock and stayed off the dirt any where from 5 to 10 feet. In the middle was the squeeze section. After arriving on the other side in the sun I yelled off belay. No response. I yell loud. But I yelled louder. No response. Three tugs on the rope. No response. Cell phone. Wife answers. You are out of rope. I answered you are on belay. As my wife climbed I started musing hmmm. How do we get off. The guide book didn't say. I think we are in for an adventure. My wife came up the gully and wondered way we needed a rope if we were just walking up the dirt. I told her that is not how I climbed it hence the protection that was placed high in the walls. Oh she exclaimed that would be more fun and requested that I lower her down so she could re-climb it. I nixed that. She arrived at the belay and we had a discussion as to how to get off the climb. I chose straight up. And because I was the leader I got my way. I thought it would go. It would have been at about 5.9 if I could have got it done. The rock was crap. I found a good crack and stuck a cam in and then a good nut. As I got higher there was a ledge with a bulge right at the ledge. I could not find any gear so I placed a pink tricam in a crack and didn't like that much. Out came the hammer and I drove in a good knife blade #2 bugaboo. I was on aid now. I hung out there and placed another knife blade #1 bugaboo and had to tie it off. Above that I found a really good horn that I slung and clipped a biner to that and put a 48" and two 24" runners on that. Climbed up them until I was standing on the 24" runners. I was just over the bulge and ready to fire up and over when my wife yelled up. Hey I don't think I can make that move. Crap. She was right. So down I came. I back cleaned and tried a traverse along the ledge. I tried to nail it up and rocks the size of my head were coming off. She said that's it come down now!! Hrump.. I conceded she was right. I built a rap anchor with the #2 bugaboo and a large brass nut. Down I came. Back to bushwhacking up an around to the right. I thought it would be a good time to teach my wife how to simul-climb. So now we are in Tevas again and I am kick stepping in mud and moss. Using my piton hammer as a ax to cut steps in the dirt and we are having a royal good time. We made it to the top with out too much yelling at each other but there were a couple of close calls were the anxiety level was elevated. We made it to the road or should I say under the road. The road is supported by pillars near the top at Crown Point. We traverse under the road and I let my wife use my knee to jump over the wall onto the road. my last piece of gear was a runner girth hitched on a piece of conduit so I could get up and over the wall by stepping into the runner. We made it off before dark. My wife told me later I was not yelling at you earlier. I said that's funny I didn't see anyone else around.

 

West Chimney Videos:

 

Start:

 

Start Second pitch

 

Start third pitch:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Q7D_GSjtk

 

Top of third pitch and start of 4th pitch and Tyrolean traverse.

 

High Point of 4th pitch

 

Top out. Great hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Pitons and a full rack of nuts and cams.

Pitons helpful. Hammer a must for testing fixed pitons.

One set of nuts and a few small cams would be enough.

 

 

Approach Notes:

Bushwhacking up and left to the base of the wall.

Took one hour.

Edited September 14, 2009 by Plaidman

[LostCamKenny]

So i guess a link up of the nose and half-dome in a day is out of the question, now?

[pink]

fucking sport climbers

[billcoe]

 

 

 

!!!!!!!

[Plaidman]

Videos now posted!!

 

[pink]

sweet movies

[ols]

Right on, Scott!

You must have used the GCC.

Yah, it is a walk off descent after cruising through the deeeep chimney.

[King Beatard]

Sweet!

[letsroll]

Your wife must be something else to put up with the likes of you Great story, the two guys at beacon I saw should have had cell phone for the same reason.

 

It was nice to meet you at Beacon.

 

will