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[TR] Rabbit Ears - Standard 5/19/2010


pac man

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Trip: Rabbit Ears - Standard

 

Date: 5/19/2010

 

Trip Report:

Sorry guys, I couldn't figure out how to post a TR in the Gorge section, so I guess I'll put it here.

 

More info including approach note can be found HERE

 

Rabbit Ears was a perfect dichotomy of blaring-balmy temperatures on the hike in and a cool downpour on the way out, easy climbing that somehow grabbed our full attention, and an adventure climb that really only required clipping bolts and fixed pro. It was interesting to have so many unique combinations in one climb.

 

After wallowing our way through the slop on the trail to the Pig Ears... I mean… Rabbit Ears, and sweating our asses off, we reached welcomed wind gusts on the ridge between the larger rock outcropping above Rabbit Ears and Rabbit Ears. After wrestling through a tree, I led the first pitch up the chossy moss fest. A tree on the left can be slung near the top, but by that time I should have just gone to the anchor. Following the path of least resistance is the only way I found the anchor, which was hidden on the other side of the ridge.

pic11.jpg

Looking down pitch 1

 

My partner came up and quickly swung leads, traversing right of a rock outcropping and quickly clipped a bolt on the other side.

pic31.jpg

Traverse around rock outcropping on pitch 2

 

After he went up a “steep” section of moss he slung a tree before a steep section of crumbly rock. He clipped into an intermediary anchor at the saddle between the two Rabbit Ears.

pic42.jpg

Pitch 2

 

As I followed the pitch, he quickly realized that he gave up the only rock climbing (sucker… I mean that sucks) of the whole adventure by missing the last piece of pro approximately 8 ft from where he was. I headed up the last bit, being forced to the left due ¼ inch layer of crumbly rock covering the right side. While taking a short break on the top and having a couple swigs, we quickly realized why the wind was picking up: a storm was making its way through the Gorge rather quickly where the river was hazy from rain.

pic52.jpg

 

We booked it down with a 30 m rappel/traverse back to the first anchor, a 25 m rappel to the saddle above the approach gully, and a 30 m rappel down the loose gully. With perfect timing it began sprinkling once we finished rappelling. We bush wacked our way back to the trail and wallowed a little more in the slop back to the car, while enjoying the rain, and possibly a couple more swigs. All in all, it was an enjoyable trip that was much less adventurous than expected, but the conditions grabbed our attention.

 

Gear Notes:

Anchors

Rope

3-4 long slings

Possibly 2 cordelettes to be used as extremely long slings (instead of 2 of the long slings)

Possibly small rack, if you can find placements (I found one just shy of the top)

 

Approach Notes:

See Website above

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bouldering at the gym is not adventurous.

clipping bolts that are spaced 6 feet apart at a crag that takes 5 minutes to walk to is not adventurous.

 

by adventure climbing I mean it is off the beaten path, not the best rock, a bit obscure, and has a sizable approach... to put it roughly.

 

this is all IMHO of course.

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