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[TR] Beacon Rawks - Stone Soup - Aid Solo 2/10/2011


miker

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Trip: Beacon Rawks - Stone Soup - Aid Solo

 

Date: 2/10/2011

 

Trip Report:

So I set a goal for this year to Aid Solo the North Face of Beacon Rock via Ivan's Stone Soup, 5.7, C2F.

 

I started last Thursday morning and climbed the first two pitches and left a fixed rope to the ground. (Bright White static line, on the most viewed face of the rock, maybe a ranger complained, but I felt ok with it.)

 

Came back Saturday morning and jugged up and climbed pitches 3 and 4 as one long single pitch. I figured since I was aid-soloing, rope drag was not a an issue, as it is when climbing belayed. I also carry a little more gear than may be necessary, but I used everything I had and only felt I was missing something in the blue to yellow metolius's later on, but I really wanted aliens, sigh. I rapped back down and was in the car by noon that day as I waved to Ivan and friend at the top of pitch one as the rain started and Ivan headed up 2.

 

Ivan at the top of pitch one

 

This morning I came back to finish it. Could not really see the Columbia River due to the mist in the valley. I was hoping to be done by 3, but I ended up topping out at 4:30 with a 9am start on the ground. I started by jugging up my two fixed lines, which were actually covered with a bit of whorefrost, jugs didn't slip, it was just these little fuzzy bits of snowy ice. See video for more on that.

[video:facebook]1744911216388

Stone Soup Climbing Video

 

I decided to link the 5th and 6th pitches as I had 3 and 4 and for much the same reason. The traversing nature of the climb made the cleaning more arduous overall, but I figured it out. The rotten rock on those pitches is a little sceery, but Ivan has found the path of most solid rock that makes it's way through the loosy goosy. I topped out to a couple tourists who were appropriately awed by my manparts.

 

Comments:

Free climbing: I had to free climb a couple sections on 5 and the rock there is an interestingly loose agglomeration, but mostly made hard by having 50 fu$%tons of crap on my shoulders. Many parts of the climb could go free, but the aid character of the climb shines through. The intent of the climb was to have an aid line we could do in any weather and that is indeed what we have. I look forward to working some of the sections in the drier times and maybe with a top rope. ;)

 

Time:

It looks like it takes me ~2 hours per aid-pitch, a little longer for 5 and 6 with the traversing. Not counting the pitch 7 scramble. This seems consistent with how I do on Yosemite and Smith Solo Aid climbs, although bolt ladders do go a little bit faster.

 

Bolts/Pitons:

None of the bolts or pitons or bird beaks failed on me. I tapped a couple loose looking ones, but they seem to have all been well-set. I do not think the route is over-bolted, I could maybe see taking out one or two(mostly just some of Bill Coe's bolt ladder, but you know how he gets).

 

I did have a hook fail on me and a couple mini 00 and 0 cams popped on me when I was a foot above my last piece, but most of the placements, while tricky, were solid. Of all the sharp and scary pieces of metal I have to hurt myself on I actually have a cut under my eye from an oval biner that slipped from my fingers when my etriers adjusted themselves.

 

Fun times. Now what to do?

 

Gear Notes:

I had a full set of camalots up to a 5 with double #2s and a set of metolius power cams + some extras and a set of the metolius offsets along with a ton of nuts, hooks, and a hammer and irony bits if needed. I had 14 draws and about 6 or 7 free biners. I split about half the draws to leave a single biner and conserve on the long joined pitches.

 

Approach Notes:

Fall out of your car onto the start.

Edited by miker
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Well pink, first bolt on the second pitch? If you are not counting the multiple anchors on the ledge itself then the bolt halfway up it is just below the tricky arching sharp crescent that requires thin shit or a careful bit of cam hooking. The bolt is almost impossible to reach when highstepping unless you are of Ivan's gargantuan proportions and/or know where the small finger pocket is to pull yourself in to the wall, but it is nice to have just before the arch in case some pieces fail there, which one or two usually does. Now if you meant the first piton, I do not remember the particulars, I think it might have been a bird beak, then a piton, all of which look rustacular, but seem to still be solid.

Anything useful to add to the discussion?

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If there is one hard and fast rule on this board, its No Messing With Someone's TR. If you want to kvetch about this route, there are several other threads where you can do that. Joe, if you want to lobby Ivan about another thread, please do it elsewhere or via PM. If anyone wants to complain about birds, or Beacon, or just complain in general, take it elsewhere.

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MIKERRRRRRR!!!!

 

Nice! :tup: On a 2 part positive note. If someone does put up a schweet heinous free route somewhere close, you might be blessing the dudes aiding up and toproping it to get a burn in marginal weather as they will be helping to keep the moss down.

 

Next, we need to get all Pinks lines, names, locations, blah blah layed out so that we all know what's what out there. Tim O is coming out soon with the new guidebook and we missed the chance to get those in there, but it's not too late to get the knowledge out there on Barneys Rubble, Smoke and Mirrors etc etc for everyone to know about now and get in the book for next time. Unless it's suppose to be all secret. Maybe Jim could help with this by pointing all this out to folks?

 

Miker and Geoff poach a campsite in the land of 10,000 squirrels:

Geoff_Silverman_and_Mike_R_resized.jpg

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MIKERRRRRRR!!!!

 

Nice! :tup: On a 2 part positive note. If someone does put up a schweet heinous free route somewhere close, you might be blessing the dudes aiding up and toproping it to get a burn in marginal weather as they will be helping to keep the moss down.

 

Next, we need to get all Pinks lines, names, locations, blah blah layed out so that we all know what's what out there. Tim O is coming out soon with the new guidebook and we missed the chance to get those in there, but it's not too late to get the knowledge out there on Barneys Rubble, Smoke and Mirrors etc etc for everyone to know about now and get in the book for next time. Unless it's suppose to be all secret. Maybe Jim could help with this by pointing all this out to folks?

 

Miker and Geoff poach a campsite in the land of 10,000 squirrels:

Geoff_Silverman_and_Mike_R_resized.jpg

 

umm, i think this one might need to go to?

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  • 4 years later...

After doing the first two pitches of this route, Stone Soup, and jugging the rest. I have to say that this is really one bold quality route. It starts at the parking lot literally and tops out maybe only 30 feet below the actual summit. Its long, continuous, and challenging. Scary but not frightening, its a super impressive achievement. My hat is off to Ivan for this one. I would only advise that you wear a headlamp on the first pitch for the dark hidden cam placement back in the crack, its the critical placement and with the headlamp you can see where the crack is parallel sided in one spot. Why don't more people do this route??? You can park your car and walk 50 feet and get started.

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Why don't more people do this route???

 

Reasons:

 

1st) Beacon is closed. (not)

 

2nd) It seems cold, dark, damp, and foreboding.

 

3rd) Kenny breaking his back on P1.

 

Agree with the rest of your words Steve, great job Ivan. (on fixing Pinks old route?) Impressive line. Any pictures?

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Why don't more people do this route???

 

Reasons:

 

1st) Beacon is closed. (not)

 

2nd) It seems cold, dark, damp, and foreboding.

 

3rd) Kenny breaking his back on P1.

 

Agree with the rest of your words Steve, great job Ivan. (on fixing Pinks old route?) Impressive line. Any pictures?

 

 

fixing, as in pitons, bolts, etc. sickie

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