[TR] Illumination Rock - Northern Skylight - II M5+ 3/4/2010

[ColinB]

Trip: Illumination Rock - Northern Skylight - II M5+

 

Date: 3/4/2010

 

Trip Report:

Thursday morning, Daniel Harro, Nate Farr, and I climbed another line on the north (northwest?) face of I-Rock. No idea who's climbed it before or if it has been climbed, not that it matters much. 2 60 meter pitches starting about 100 ft left of Skylight Direct (or about 250 ft left of Skylight). The 2nd pitch had some burly mixed followed by half a pitch of mostly vertical rime. Much more ice than in December, but it was mostly rime with some good sticks in runnels and cracks. Decent gear the whole way, most of it being cams. So much potential on this mini-alpine crag!

 

Daniel leading up the 1st pitch at dawn, right before knocking off a torso-sized block.

A boatload of mini-alpine fun.

Having two people second makes for better photo opportunities.

Myself starting up the 2nd pitch.

Daniel fighting his way up the crux.

Daniel about to top out on the last bit of steep rime.

 

Gear Notes:

Cams to 3", handful of nuts, small selection of pins, 1 picket, 2 screws (not needed)

 

Approach Notes:

Walk up under the ski lifts.

[Pilchuck71]

Cool, that looks fun!

One thing missing though. What did you guys have for breakfast?

Thanks for sharing the photos!

[Joe_Poulton]

Cool....

[BillA]

Nice job boys!

[billbob]

Way to go !

[Farrgo]

I had four packs of sharkies and half a german chocolate cake cookie.

[The Cascade Kid]

That looks damn terrifying. Fine lead.

[wayne]

Jeez, What an aggressive looking route!!! Great job!

I dont know how to better get the word out about these places to Portland Ice climbers. You guys REALLY do have the best the sport has to offer. Long season too.

[wayne]

Attention all you ice crazies...

 

Please help the new guide put together a topo for this face on the Illuminated One. With multiple routes now and lots of potential, it now would make a great last minute addition.

Also if anyone has a good photo too, or can volunteer to go up there in late afternoon , it could do wonders, Thanks , Wayne

[Farrgo]

 

I pulled this picture off of this site a few months ago. It's obviously not the best shot of the face but it might be the ball rolling.

 

I'm not sure where your route went Wayne. The blue line is what Colin and I did in December it finishes in the right skylight (with the bolt). My understanding was that your line finished in the same spot (hence the bolt) but started further left. So I penciled in the yellow line but its just a guess. The red line is the route that Dan, Colin and myself climbed. It finishes in the left skylight.

 

I know that at least a few other PDX climbers have been out on the face within recent years. Anybody have some lines to contribute?

 

The wall has so many different possible routes depending on conditions and how hard you want to push it. We need a better descent route though!

[pdk]

If I can figure out how to add those squiggly lines, I can add a couple more.

 

Wayne, I've been looking for a good north face photo of I-rock to no avail. Really, something from Yocum or the far side of the Reid would be best - the RHW/Leuthold vantage point isn't the greatest.

 

If I can pull myself away from the bike on a nice day, I'll get something usable and maybe add another squiggly line.

[Farrgo]

If I can figure out how to add those squiggly lines, I can add a couple more.

 

Where are your lines in relation to the ones I put there?

[pdk]

If I can figure out how to add those squiggly lines, I can add a couple more.

 

Where are your lines in relation to the ones I put there?

 

To climbers left. One line follows the left skyline. The other starts about 1/2 way between the far left and the red line.

[pdk]

 

If you follow the left skyline up to the golden-sunny-rock section, there is a two-bolt anchor just above there to climber's right on a small ledge. The bolts are manky and need replacing. I have a hand drill and set of bolts waiting for a trip up there.

 

There are several more obvious lines heading up to the same general area. From the rap station, you can rap down either side w/ two 60m ropes.

[pdk]

 

The purple line starts on the other side of I-rock before hitting the ridge - i tried to make it a dashed line in that section...

 

Green line and purple line share a short section leading up the bolt anchor (small black "X").

[Farrgo]

Still tons of terrain up there to be climbed.

 

As for descent anchors, the two bolt anchor works well for your routes but it is pretty/really hard to reach those bolts from either skylight. We have a pretty good anchor (could be better) just above March Madness. If an anchor could be established from each skylight, it would be just two rapells back to the base.

[pdk]

I am all for bolting rap anchors on all these routes. I have a hand drill you can borrow if you guys want to add bolts next time you head up.

[Rodney_Sofich]

I would check in with the Forest Service. I-Rock is still considered wilderness.

[billcoe]

Good times dudes: here's a name "PRIME rime" rhymes. That would be a nice name for a route sometime too....hmmmm, I think I did a FA of one of the old Palmer chairlifts when it was rimed over 25 years ago, maybe? ......hmmm, but those chairlifts are wilderness now it looks like, maybe I should check with the Forest Service to see if I'd need a permit for the next ascent.

[Farrgo]

I don't need bolts... I would settle for people not booty-ing pins and stoppers from the rap stations.

[wayne]

 

 

I'm not sure where your route went Wayne. The blue line is what Colin and I did in December it finishes in the right skylight (with the bolt). My understanding was that your line finished in the same spot (hence the bolt) but started further left. So I penciled in the yellow line but its just a guess. The red line is the route that Dan, Colin and myself climbed. It finishes in the left skylight.

 

 

Now that I revisit this, It was Steve Elder that drilled that bolt after his solo on that (Yellow/blue) route. It must have been the North Skylight that Jim and I topped out on back in the 90s.