[TR] Clyde Minaret - SE Face (5.8, 12p) 7/31/2010

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Trip: Clyde Minaret - SE Face (5.8, 12p)

 

Date: 7/31/2010

 

Trip Report:

Having my girlfriend living in Yosemite NP for the summer is great since I get to go visit, and not so great since she's away for several months at a time. I took a long weekend from work and went down to visit her last weekend.

 

Last year we had a great time running up Mt. Conness so we planned for another nice alpine climb and this time settles on the SE Face of Clyde Minaret. Neither of us had been in the Minarets before and at 5.8 it seemed like a good moderate option, plus it's on of the lauded 50 classics so it must be good. We decided at the last minute to make it a three day trip to give us a whole day for the climb since we'd heard it was a long 12 pitches and read several TRs of folks getting benighted or returning in the dark. We packed up, got our mandatory bus ticket (no personal cars on the road between 7AM and 7PM) and ride to the trailhead for Shadow Lake.

 

A late start (2:30) made for some pretty light passing all the beautiful lakes (Shadow, Ediz, Iceberg, etc). I found the area very similar to the Enchantments but with easier to get permits.

 

 

(Clyde is the highest point with the last half of the SE face on the left skyline)

 

We got in to camp at Cecile Lake just before 8:00 and passed a guided party of 5 (2+3) who were just returning from their early start on the route. They reported no ice axes were needed for the descent in the gully which was nice, we made a quick dinner and hit the sack.

 

We got up early but still didn't hit the trail until after 7 and it was 8:00 by the time we neared the base. Just as I was thinking we had the route to ourselves (no one else bivied at the lake) we spotted a pair of climbers just a few minutes behind us coming up from Minaret Lake. Fortunately we found the original (5.6) traverse start and they headed for the direct (5.10a) start and never got withing two pitches of us. The first traversing pitch and the next few rightward trending pitches were fun and mellow until a route finding error sent me up a stiffer face past some scary balanced death flakes which I tried to keep from murderously sending down. I also lost a water bottle when it slipped from my pack as I bent to move a balanced rock (the cord lock on my pack had broken). The route follows a series of rightward trending ramps and flakes, but get too far over one way or the other and you get harder climbing.

 

 

 

 

(note death flakes right of the rope on the face climbing bit)

 

Another pitch or so brought us to the 5.8 traverse to get into the upper dihedral. I managed a long pitch and brought Courtney up.

 

 

 

 

From here I continued up the dihedral past some fun old school 5.8 crack climbing (hard looking but with jugs a few moves up). I ran out of rope before the notch in the ridge we were aiming for and then had another minor route error trying to avoid a loose looking section, but we made it to the notch shortly and end of the difficult climbing. Although we had only done 7 pitches to here all but one of them was over 60 meters and it was starting to get well into the afternoon. Courtney had planned to lead some of the easier ridge pitches, but we instead chose to have me keep going do some simuling. I took some easier 4th class options on the right around the first gendarme and then we did one more pitch to the actual summit.

 

 

 

 

 

It was after 5 by the time we hit the summit, but we took a little break anyways to rehydrate (with what remained after my dropped one) and fuel and enjoy the views. We packed the rope up for some exposed 4th class scrambling, but made it without too much difficulty to the Clyde-Ken col (follow the ridge NW, drop down as far as you can, then traverse right till you can drop into the next bowl). The gully was loose and nasty but we found the rap anchors eventually and made a short rappel to just above the large chock stone and then a long one (with my 67 m rope) that got us down past the overhang and a snow patch). A few more minutes of scrambling had us back to the base, but we still ended up putting the headlamps on for the last five minutes to camp.

 

 

 

We didn't hear or see the party behind us, so perhaps they ended up bivying or came down the opposite side. I wouldn't want to have to do the upper part of the descent scramble in the dark. We thoroughly enjoyed dinner and some whiskey to rehydrate.

 

The next morning we took it easy and then packed up heading out past Minaret Lake this time and catching the bus back to the Mammoth ski area parking lot.

 

 

(The route starts at the upper left of the snowfield and traverse up and right hitting the large left facing dihedrals about half way up and then going to the obvious notch and up to the summit behind)

 

It was really an awesome trip and I'm so glad we took three days to do it. The climb was definitely one of the most sustained moderates I've been on with absolutely no walking in between pitches, yet still with great belay ledges. The metamorphic rock took great gear and made for some nice positive edges in the harder bits. We did it in 9 pitches with some simuling, Croft gives it as 12 but each of those must be at least 40-50 meters. I'd highly recommend a visit to the area if you enjoy the Enchantments up here!

 

 

More pictures can be found here: http://picasaweb.google.com/matthiesen/SEFaceOfClydeMinaretWithCourtney#

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Standard rack to #3 camalot (we had a 3.5 which wasn't needed) and lots of slings for long slightly wandering pitches. An ice axe was nice to/from the base but not needed above at this time of year. You could probably do entirely without if you wanted to by now. A 60 meter rope is fine but a 70 was nice, two ropes are not needed for the gully descent if you do a short rap first.

 

Approach Notes:

The Devil's Postpile area requires you to take a bus to the trailheads between 7AM and 7PM (when the busses run). If you hike out after the busses have stopped, you'll have a long road walk to your car (unless you drove it in real early). The bus does give you the option though of hiking in one way and out another as we did and it worked out well.

[dhrmabum]

Good job. Pics are nice. Looks like a great climb in a beautiful area. I used to work on in that area, on the John Muir trail, etc. when I was 19. Young Adult Conservation Corp. One of the best summers of my life. Love the area.

I'm hoping to head to that area in a couple of weeks with my son, and climb Ritter via the class3 route, along with a general pack on the loop, Minaret Lake to Ediza, etc.

I'm wondering, where did/do you park your car to catch the shuttle?

Thanks.

[mountainmatt]

Awesome Stewart and Courtney! You have to love all the old skool ratings in the area. Sounds like a fun adventure for sure!

 

Sorry we didn't touch base when we were out there, but we headed back a little early to break the long drive down into a day and half. Thanks again Courtney for all the hospitality in Tuolumne!

[Lisa_D]

ah, that looks so fun. I have been working too much and climbing too little this summer.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Good job. Pics are nice. Looks like a great climb in a beautiful area. I used to work on in that area, on the John Muir trail, etc. when I was 19. Young Adult Conservation Corp. One of the best summers of my life. Love the area.

I'm hoping to head to that area in a couple of weeks with my son, and climb Ritter via the class3 route, along with a general pack on the loop, Minaret Lake to Ediza, etc.

I'm wondering, where did/do you park your car to catch the shuttle?

Thanks.

 

We parked at the Mammoth Ski Area. The bus leaves from the "Adventure Center" or some such thing where the gondala leaves from. There was plenty of parking, except for near the adventure center which was marked off as no overnight parking. You have to get bus tickets inside, $7 gets you a round trip and the buses run every 20 minutes or so between 9 and 4 and a little less frequently other hours between 7 AM and 7:45 PM. No pass or anything needed to park your car. The bus was kind of a pain but manageable and nice to be able to do the hike out a different way (started at Agnew Meadows and came out at Red Meadows). There is overnight parking at the trail heads if you come in real early or late, but you still have to pay $7/person. Also remember to get your overnight permits, when Courtney went to get one in Lee Vining the Minaret Lake area was full but Shadow Lake was not and I thought that side was prettier anyways. Have a great time down there but don't forget the bug spray and headnet/bug shirt!

 

[dhrmabum]

Well, hopefully the bugs will have died down in a couple of weeks. Last two weeks of Aug. usually equals no bugs in the backcountry.

Anyway, thanks again for the beta. Bit worried now about getting a permit. Shit. . . we'll see. Wouldn't mind driving down to Devils' postpile, but, doubt that we'll be ready to go before 7am. Given my slowness,(and we'll probably be heading to Mammoth from Tuolomne), it might be after 7pm. . . But, most likely, the bus.

[fgw]

Excellent stuff!