[TR] Darrington - Exfoliation Dome - Jacobs Ladder - 5.11c or 10b C1 3/6/2010

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Trip: Darrington - Exfoliation Dome - Jacobs Ladder - 5.11c or 10b C1

 

Date: 3/6/2010

 

Trip Report:

With the beautiful weather predicted over the weekend and several dry days before, I was hoping some nice multi-pitch rock would be relatively dry and sunny at Darrington. I recruited MountainMatt and he suggested we give Jacob's Ladder a shot, with the caveat that he had to be back in town early for a concert with his girlfriend. I told him he had to lead the hard pitch.

 

The road in was a little rough on my Camry so I parked at the first washout after the turnoff before Three-o-clock rock, but would be fine all the way to past the second washout with anything with a little more ground clearance. Parking where I did only adds a 5 minute walk though. Thanks to MattP for cleaning that bit up!

 

Matt guided me up the Granite Sidewalk pretty much the best way without error, his past experience saving me any anguish and leaving me to poke fun at others earlier mishaps. It was dry in all the right spots to actually be a fairly quick approach to the base of the route (an hour or so, forgot to look at the watch).

 

Matt strolling up the sidewalk.

 

We left the sidewalk at a fairly logical point at a thin spot in the trees where a ramp kind of heads off toward the right part of the wall. A few minutes of traversing ledges and grassy platforms and we were at the start of the route. We couldn't locate the exact start or see the bolt, but I ended up leading up and finding the first anchor pretty easily anyways.

 

Here is the wall from standing on a grassy ledge at the base of the first pitch (taken on the way out).

 

The second pitch was dealt with easily by Matt, slightly runout but easy slab. I got the third pitch, which had one annoying wet bit (fortunately right at a bolt) but was otherwise great climbing.

 

I start the third pitch. It goes up to the right of the large bush.

 

Matt started out well on the trad part of pitch four but was foiled by another water streak and had to resort to pulling on bolts through the free crux. Note that he still had to stand in a sling and reach, and pull some free moves in a few spots anyways, not just easy french free. I did a little better on TR but still slipped after the crux after wetting my shoes.

 

Matt starts P4.

 

Pitch 5 was fun slopey sport climbing with a little sting in the tail to reach the anchors, again with a minor wet spot.

 

 

Matt was a bit tired and we were running short on time so I took pitch 6 as well which was probably the scariest of them all with a funny bolt protected crux traverse and then a section of paper thin flake with crappy pro through a small roof to reach the next bolt.

 

Pitch 6, note the white rock scar below me where the thin flake is likely to continue exfoliating.

 

Due to time and energy we decided to turn around here leaving the final 5.9 and 5.8 pitches to the terrace for a future trip. Fortunately the rappel route (double ropes) goes right back down (with a minor deviation).

 

You can see pitches 3-6 well here, up from me to the right of the bush then diagonally up through the rock scar. On the way down in the sun most of the wet spots encountered earlier had dried.

 

 

We packed up and headed home, another beautiful day in the hills with a good friend!

 

More pics here: http://picasaweb.google.com/matthiesen/JacobsLadderClimbExfoliationDomeDarrington#

 

Gear Notes:

Single rack to number 3 camalot plus two link cams and some extra >1" pieces, a half dozen quickdraws and at least that many longer slings. We probably would have done fine without the #3 and fewer doubles (but we didn't do the final two pitches either).

 

Approach Notes:

At the second washout after turning off the road to three-o-clock rock, head up the wash till you hit the Granite Sidewalk. Pass obstacles mostly on the left and follow the sidewalk up till you can cut left through a thin spot in the tree and begin traversing left. Cross the first slab to a grassy spot at the base of the wall, then follow grassy ledges (3rd class) to the base of the route. See picture above and the topo by MattP.

[Dirtyleaf]

It's pretty easy to pull on a bolt on that 4th pitch...even if it was dry...

[mountainmatt]

Definitely a great day out Stewart!

 

I was glad that you took p6 after seeing the loose flake, I guess the dome gets its name for a reason eh?

 

I will second the thanks to MattP for doing an amazing amount of cleaning at the second washout. Thanks man!

 

As for the bolt pulling, it was definitely nice to have the wet pitch excuse this time, next time I won't be so lucky I am sure. I would say that wet shoes did make the end of that pitch spicy as well.

[StephanieSavage]

Nice, I'm stoked for Darrington this year!

[mattp]

Hanman did most of the "cleaning." The guy just can't help turning a getaway with his wife, a climbing day with friends, or even just a day off work where he heads for the hills by himself into a work party.

[hanman]

One of my many faults. I was born with a scrub brush on one arm and a burke bar on the other. Ahhhh genetics

 

MH

[ThorDog]

Great TR, I am ready!

 

I've been planning a trip, sounds greeaaat!!!

[NicolaM]

I also found pitch 6 scary and backed off the other day after the second bolt, where another party had left a bail biner (blue and orange tape). Also the Perkins topo seems wrong here. The first bolt is on the pedestal flake and the second bolt is up and left on the larger flake that sits behind it.