[TR] Steins Pillar - NE Corner/Face 6/23/2010

[cja]

Trip: Steins Pillar - NE Corner/Face

 

Date: 6/23/2010

 

Trip Report:

Steins Pillar, June 23-24, 2010.

 

A warning, as I begin my first Trip Report: I tend toward being verbose. A second warning, which may prove a useful addition to the first: I tend toward understatement. Continuing…

 

Last week OLS, MtnHigh, and I took an overnight venture over to the Prineville area to take a stab at the big pimply phallus. We climbed the more common, original NE line.

 

With a casual start out of P-town, around 9am I think, and with a grocery stop in Prineville we arrived at the trailhead around 1pm, if memory serves.

 

The trail is very straightforward and well-used. We crossed paths with a group of older day hikers coming down on our approach and, on our way down, with a comely youngish trail runner out with her puntable but lovable canine.

 

The trail gives a nice view of the SW corner on approach. Binoculars were appreciated here in scouting out the other traditional line there as well as the much newer (date?) and airy-looking bolted line right up the SW arête.

 

Continuing down the trail, it pretty much dead ends right onto the ledge/cave from which the route starts. We started this way, but a few steps down to the right leads to a newer alternate P1, which is bolted and said to go free at 10a.

 

(Now seems a fair time to add as well that I walked fully round the base before starting on day 2, to spy two more bolt lines besides the two just mentioned: one just west (left) of the SW corner, and the other on the WNW face, apparently another alternate P1 to the same huge ledge at the top of the P1 on this NE route herein described. I don’t know what these might go at, but the latter appeared moderate and bolted friendly enough to be less stressful than much of the rest of the route, while adding 40 feet or so to P1 to potentially enjoy more of the total height and giving a more direct line into P2.)

 

The approach had taken us about an hour in total, but we’d easily burned 15 minutes taking some pictures at the near overlook and spying through the binocs at the SW corner.

 

My reference points, going into this, came entirely from Tyler’s TR and it’s ensuing discussion here: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/560554/site_id/1#import

And from Radek’s great writeup/compilation on Summitpost here:

http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/153282/steins-pillar.html

 

Knowing that Tim had done this route before and having seen his power of recall at work, I mightn’t have looked up anything at all, but the two links above provide, in my opinion, enough beta to go on alone. My only real (I’m hoping worthwhile) addition in this report, besides documenting the climb, is adding a bit of beta for the free climber.

 

I had also gone down on this adventure with the understanding that I was chauffeur and haulboy. Thinking that Tim and Pete would be leading all pitches, I was comfortable in the belief that I’d be free to jug or attempt to free all pitches from the safety of a top-rope belay. This belief was only slightly altered when I was encouraged (told?) to tie in and lead the first pitch.

 

Referencing Tyler here, I agree that the move up onto the rock is certainly more difficult than 5.5. His 5.9 suggestion seems fair—I’d add the word awkward. But then it’s a little like a V1 boulder problem where the hardest part is getting both feet off the deck, and then it’s pretty much over. There is a bolt there (no hanger) that one could knot a sling onto and step into to circumvent the awkward step. 35 feet of 5.3 scrambling, without any pro, led to the anchor atop P1. I anchored the rope.

 

My responsibility for the day complete (I thought), I now had some time on my hands. I should have brought my book, it occurred to me. Oh well. My partners soon up on the (huge) ledge, we moved the rope across to the right to the belay anchor for P2. OLS took the lead for this pitch and aided most of it. He placed a couple pieces to work up to the first fixed pin in the dihedral around right from the belay. 15 feet or so up, one works round somewhat awkwardly to the left and onto a sort of rampy ledge system traversing back left more than up, and then up with a couple more fixed pins and 10 feet or so of free vertical climbing before stepping again left to the (smallish but adequate for 3) belay ledge atop P2.

 

Opting to try to free climb the pitch, I was up next. Having more or less described the path already, I’ll say no more than that where it was awkward to aid, it was also awkward to climb, especially as I had to clean a couple of nuts that had been weighted as I went. Strenuous because of this, but I managed without a take. I’d say it goes free at a solid 10. I don’t think it would have been any less stressful to lead it free though. The pitch takes good gear in most places where you want it, but it doesn’t give you comfortable stances to place it in all those places.

 

The rock on this pitch seemed a little better than what I’d expected, and all seemed merry to this point. Free to lollygag again, I hitched myself in with 10 feet of rope off the anchor and found a fairly comfortable seat at the left side of the belay ledge. Momentarily I wished again for my book, but this would be the last time for that.

 

MtnHigh jugged quickly and efficiently straight up the line, which vertically was probably just another 40 feet. Looking up he announced that he wasn’t warmed up properly to take the next pitch. Still warm from cleaning and with the gear on my harness I found myself in the hot seat again.

 

Fortunately P3 started off easily enough. Now I want to clarify that it’s not that I’m really a strong free climber—it’s more that I’m a terrible aid climber. My entire experience aiding consists of: a)the Lithuanian Lip, and b)the bolt ladder on the Monkey face. Yes, that’s it, and in that order. So if I could free climb it, well, hell, yes. So P3 starts off from the far left of the belay ledge. If memory serves it looked like one might climb straight up off the middle of the ledge, but this was unprotectable to the first fixed gear and covered with lichen—obviously not the usual path. I started left and put in one piece en route to the safety of that first pin. I think this turned out to be to only piece on the pitch I actually placed. One can see much fixed gear going up this and all remaining pitches from the belay, but it’s little comfort as you arrive at many of these pieces. Fortunately there seems to be a solid bolt every 3 or 4 pieces… Still, with the rock quality deteriorating as I went higher (this would prove true for the remainder of the route), I moved slowly and cautiously, testing everything before weighting it fully, trying to touch anticipated footholds too as I passed them. About two-thirds of the way up P3 I took my first take after pulling off a hand-sized hold. I didn’t fall but was stressing out and needed to collect myself upon clipping the next fixed piece. You just don’t want to fall on much of this manky old gear; I didn’t even bother clipping several pieces, when I knew I had a solid piece right below. I was nervous just taking where I did.

 

The slight bulge above that point that was the expected crux proved to be easier than I’d anticipated. While it may have been the physical crux, going up 20 feet of rotten vertical rock along suspect gear was certainly the mental (and tougher) crux for me. I’d say P3 was again solid 10b/c. It’s very difficult for me to decide which (P2 or P3) is harder. I didn’t lead P2, and while I think it was physically more demanding, the rock quality was better, and P3 demanded more crimpy face climbing. Tyler describes the P3 top belay well as a “huge split level ledge”—it makes me imagine a party with cocktails. Perhaps I was a bit wasted and delirious at this point.

 

I anchored the line and we all rapped down from where we were to the ground. We hung gear and the ends of the fixed rope and headed back to the trailhead to camp.

 

* * * *

 

A nearly full moon and moderate low temperatures proved quite enjoyable. Just past the solstice, we had sunlight for most of the time it took to cook and get a small fire going (The fire may or may not have been in my imagination, as there is a burn ban already on, but record June rainfall and the obviously vibrant condition of the foliage would allay our guilt if there actually was one.) We had brought just the right number of cold beers as to quench our thirsts, or perhaps one too few—MtnHigh was smart enough to hold one in reserve for the morrow.

 

* * * *

 

An alpine start we did not arise to make, but that was no problem. We broke camp and set off again around 10am. A light easy hike back to find our gear unmolested got MtnHigh first up ascending the rope. Soon enough we were all at the huge ledge from where P4 starts.

 

This pitch, the beginning specifically, brought the physical crux of freeing the route. I placed a cam, got up to the first fixed bolt, and burned out trying to figure it out, not being warmed up. I hung…”Lower me please, I’ll try again.” And I did—same result. Third try I left the rack behind and thought that would make the difference. This move is quite overhung, on tenuous holds, and it’s actually continuing the sequence onto even more tenuous holds that is the real problem. The rack didn’t make the difference. Third hang. “Okay, give me a hook; if I can get onto that bolt, I can probably reach the next bolt.” Actually that was OLS’s idea—I don’t even own a hook.

 

(Yes, I got up over the L. Lip somehow without a hook—thank God I had some brass copperheads when I got to the pin scar above it…I should have written a TR after THAT…had it not been for that experience though last year, I think I would have probably been wigging pretty good by now on Steins.)

 

So that worked. Hooked in, I was able to clip the next bolt. “Okay, lower me again please.” Yeah, I know—you guys all would have hated me; you’re probably grumbling just reading this. But I needed the rack, right? Yeah, I could’ve hauled it up to me, but I’m putting up the pitch, and not because I wanted it, so just give me another chance. So now I’ve got the rack again, a light rack, because there’s again a line of fixed pins and manky bolts I’m depending on to slow down a fall, like a big screamer. Fourth burn: the moves go. It was mental again, but I really did NOT want to fall on that first bolt, from above it, because even if it held I would likely have hit the ledge, or swung badly with my upper body hitting the wall before my feet. I’d give this move 11b. I know—I’m not as hard as J. Thomas (FFA 11a), who didn’t even have the good bolts every so often…but most of us aren’t any more, and perhaps 35 years ago a lot of that crap was in better condition, And perhaps there were ever some jugs up there before that just aren’t anymore.

 

Anyhow, P4, once past the beginning boulder problem, was much the same as P3: crimpy face climbing on (slightly less than) vertical choss. And then toward the top of the pitch, I ruined my free ascent. In what was probably just a 10ish traversing sequence, I got spooked again and grabbed a draw. No take, just French freed a step over onto better rock and didn’t look back. A short little scramble up bumpy decent rock and I was at the anchor with one bomber bolt and two, well, meh, maybe 5/16 bolts with thin little hangers. Good enough.

 

The other lads jugged again and I acted like I was napping. I was ready to be on the way down at this point. One pitch left to go however. OLS put this one up—free 8ish climbing up to the first pin leads to the mank ladder that Tyler describes well in his TR. Getting toward the top OLS escaped right up the gully, placing a couple cams, and then walked back over left to find the anchor at the top. So as not to confuse, the anchor is right at the top of the bolt line, but the bolt line gets worse and worse, to the point one doesn’t even want to rest body weight on it, and there’s no gear. This route off to the right, perhaps 15 feet from topping out, is recommended, whether freeing or aiding.

 

Similar to my experience of pitches 2 and 3, it’s hard to say whether 4 was truly harder than 5. I did free P5 with little trouble, but I didn’t lead it, and therein lies the rub. There are some hard moves on P5, about halfway, where I couldn’t have done is without pulling up hard on an undercling flake at one point to reach a confidence-killing crimp. I remember distinctly thinking, thanking, that I wasn’t leading this section. Was this sequence harder than the crux on P4? It was harder to figure out, but it didn’t seem more difficult. Then again, were I leading it, it would have been really hard to commit to it. I’d give P5 an 11a.

 

The top is Great, and should be enjoyed. We were hot and thirsty, and didn’t appreciate it properly. We shortly rapped off to the top of P3 on two ropes and then the same to the ground. Last one down ought pull the know down over the lip at the top.

 

Gear notes: Didn’t use a hammer or nails, but only aided 2 pitches—probably a good idea to pack it up the route even if the leader doesn’t carry it. Light rack, stoppers and cams x 1 to 2.5inches. Hand full of extendable slings for rope drag, and shorter slings useful for tying off janky mangy mank. OH! And wear a helmet!

 

Other notes: We didn’t find a summit register, which is a pity, I think. Perhaps someone going up this year might take something to leave there.

 

Prepare to be impressed by the rats’ nests, not the old-lady hikers’ hairdos, but literally the giant nests fashions from many fist-sized rocks and other debris, both at the start of the route and on the summit. Maybe the summit register is part of the nest now.

 

In summary, it’ll go free at 11-, but one ought be pretty confident at that grade. I was close to being in over my head, and probably a bit lucky.

 

A worthwhile trip. Thanks for reading. Hopefully Tim will post some of his photos shortly.

 

[billcoe]

Looking forward to the pics, good read!

 

ps, 11b is what it is isn't it?

[MtnHigh]

Chris, thanks for the post. The most exciting part of the climb was belaying your lead on pitch 4. Excellent job on incredibly delicate rock.

 

Our old man two day siege approach to the route allowed for an evening of copious beer drinking and story telling at an excellent camp spot.

 

In summary I believe the free grades go at:

P1: Boldering move to 5.easy

P2: 10b

P3: 10b

P4: 11-

P5: 10d

 

The Porn

East Face

The NE route takes advantage of numerous comfy ledges, dark blobs in the pic.

 

Pitch 3

 

Pitch 4 Start

 

Ledge Top of Pitch 4

 

Jugging Pitch 5

 

 

[cja]

Thanks for the photos Pete.

A couple more photos...all on P2, Tim leading

 

 

 

[g orton]

Looks like a fun trip. Nice pictures!