[TR] Sheriff's Badge - Cowboys & Indians V A3+ 8/21/2010

[dberdinka]

Trip: Sheriff's Badge - Cowboys & Indians V A3+

 

Date: 8/21/2010

 

Trip Report:

 

"A man can be himself only so long as he is alone" - A Schopenhauer

 

Apparently aiding climb is about as popular as Barack Obama these days. While considered a classic (I think) the Google did not turn up a single scrap of beta, photos or TR on Cowboys & Indians. Well here's to changing all that!

 

So maybe standing in aiders isn't particularly fun but being alone on a 1000 feet of stone, laying in your portaledge making sandwiches, what could be grander?

 

This was a fine line on great stone. The pitches are all really long and sustained, they just go on and on and on. A nice aspect is that the crux comes low and the route gets progressively easier the higher you go. Once you pull the roof it's almost all A1 to the top, pretty sweet considering how committed you've just become! The crux itself is tenuous for sure, be ready for lots of positive hooking way out from anything that's going to hold a fall. Finally don't underestimate the descent. Once you "top out" it's still a long way back to the ground. It took me six hours (without water) shuttling loads to get all my 100+ pounds of junk back to the car. That Sasquatch Ledge is a real treat I tell you.

 

 

The Badge from the new Casino. C&I climbs just right of center topping out at the highest point of the white scar. Sasquatch Ledge cuts across top of wall. After doing lots of routes that I mentally chalked up as training it was nice to finally jump on something that felt like the real deal.

 

 

 

Looking up from the base. Fixed lines on P1&2. P3 traverses left on obvious crack. P4 follows clean flake then rivets, hooks, pins and bolts through roof.

 

 

 

Looking back across the "A1" traverse on P3. This is the underside of a huge, brittle, expanding flake. In my Squamish Guide (pub. 2000) there's a picture of Rich Prohaska half way through this. In retrospect I realize he now looks sad. For good reason, I though this was the scariest section of the climb.

 

 

 

The beautiful A2 flake system that makes up the start of P4. Absolutely no perspective on the size of the roof.

 

 

 

Pulling back into the anchor after rappelling p4. Notice the absolutely enormous shit stain on end of P3, lower right. It's not really big wall climbing until you have to climb through someone else's rectal explosion. WTF? After pulling into the anchor you could let go and take a 60' pendulum into space. Fun! Terrifying!

 

 

 

Pigs in Space! Hah!

 

 

 

Looking back from the edge of the roof. The roof is passed mostly on high quality rivets and bolts though there are some hard to place, but bomber, pins as well as some consecutive hooking. Save plenty of rivet hangers (8?) for above the roof or back clean madly like I had too.

 

 

 

Morning over Howe Sound with a well timed moon set.

 

 

 

Looking back at the top of pitch 4. An exposed but well configured anchor from which to bivi.

 

 

 

Final pitch to Sasquatch. Easy aid in a low angle corner.

 

 

 

Brings lots of this.

 

 

 

Plenty of these as well.

 

 

 

Don't be afraid to bust out the hammer.

 

 

 

And make damn sure you've got a Hawk!

 

 

 

As much as I enjoy being alone, if there's anyone out there with the skills and desire to get on lines like Humpty or the original Badge give me a shout, I think my wife would really appreciate it. No drug addictions or significant personality disorders please. If you're middle aged with a healthy pallet of responsibilities; career, family, mortgage we might even have something to talk about.

 

 

Note on the bolting

 

The route was established solo by Squamish legend Perry Beckham, the first 2 pitches in 1989 and the rest of the route in 1999. The difference in bolting technology (and security) is pretty astounding between the two eras. Pitch 2 consists of several short bolt ladders between long stretches of hooking, beaks and heads. While there are several relatively good 3/8" bolts most of them are terrifyingly rusted 1/4" buttonheads with Leeper hangers, there are even some 3/16" buttonheads. The holes are frequently cratered and they all look like they could have been placed 40 years prior. After pitch 2 Perry switched to using 1/4" SS Hilti wedge bolts. They look like they could have placed yesterday and feel totally bomber. If you go to do this climb you might consider bring the tools and skills to upgrade pitch 2. It would make sense to upgrade the buttonheads to the same hangerless Hilti rivets used higher on the climb and would probably knick the + off the rating. Just make sure you know what your doing with a drill.

 

 

Gear Notes:

Rack (I carried a lot more unnecessary iron than this)

 

micronuts: 1-2 sets (offsets useful)

nuts: 1-2 sets (offsets useful)

cams: 2 ea .4" (offsets useful)

3 ea .5"-1.5" (offsets useful)

2 ea 2”–3” (double #3 for P3 only)

 

8 peckers: 4 #1, 2 ea #2, #3

5 KBs: 1 ea #2 - #6

5 LAs: 2 ea #5, 1 ea #4, #6, #7

4 angles: 2 ea ½”, 1 ea 5/8”, ¾”

10 heads: #1-#3

hooks: 1 Grappling hook

1 pointed Cliffhanger

1 Hawk (modified cliffhanger)

1 bathook

rivet hangers: 15 (Moses keyhole) bring 6 or so 1/4 nuts & washers as well

 

Many (20+?) slings and draws. The pitches are huge.

 

 

Approach Notes:

It's now the third trail off the road. About 30' in is a BC Parks sign that says Sheriffs Badge.

[spionin]

wow! those are some fierce photos!

 

[ivan]

aid climber w/o a drug addiction or personality disorder?!? good luck!

[fenderfour]

I'm an insufferable asshole, does that count?

[Rad]

aid is aid. but aid is climbing. nice job, Darin

[summitchaserCJB]

props on the wall. Great pictures.

[genepires]

Daddy Darin does it again! nice.

[Matt_Alford]

Healthy pallet of responsibilities? Check.

 

Now if I could only remember how to tie in....

 

Well done D.

Edited August 27, 2010 by Matt_Alford

[mountainsloth]

doesn't anyone know how to shit in a tube? That shit is gross!

 

I was up in Squam this Summer looking up at that wall wondering.

Thanks for the inside glimpse.

 

Nice photos too!

[Tyson.g]

You sure make doing bad ass stuff look easier than it is!

Way to go.

Great pics.

 

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Nice job, I've looked up at that line too. I've only done Wrist Twister and University Wall up there, but next time you need a partner let me know. I might fit the bill aside from the family and mortgage, and that I can't copperhead worth shit.

[david c]

Pretty bad ass. I'll let you know when I get some kids and a mortgage and learn how to use a hammer.

[northvanclimber]

nice work dude. nice to see that some people are still willing to go have an adventure.

[Choada_Boy]

Triple Direct as a training climb for the Sheriff's Badge. Interesting perspective.

[Sol]

[curtveld]

Another top-notch TR Darin!

 

If you're middle aged with a healthy pallet of responsibilities; career, family, mortgage we might even have something to talk about.

I'm highly qualified for this part and would be up for a beer some time. But as far as hanging for hours in the harness, then hooking stubbly little rivets out huge overhangs ...

[olyclimber]

DAYEM

[stillcrankin]

Very, very sweet! How were the first two pitches?? (never mind-I just re-read your post)

 

Edited August 30, 2010 by stillcrankin

[JosephH]

Well, you basically cut out the entire S. Washington aid contingent with those requirements - better check with the boy scouts.

[JoshK]

The P3 pic and the pulling back in to the anchor pics made my palms sweat. Looks terrifying! As for that shit stain, well...that's just nasty heh.

[khyber.pass]

Hola, +1 for a shit-stained TR.