[TR] Early Morning Spire - Southwest Face

[Z-Man]

Trip: Early Morning Spire - Southwest Face

 

Date: 9/14/2009

 

Trip Report:

I read another TR on here that didn't care much for this route. I thought it was great. Doing it in September may have helped avoid the wetness which seemed to detract from others' experiences. A long two days worked just fine for us. I tried to save weight by not bringing crampons, but ended up chopping so many steps below the route that it would have been faster to just bring them.

 

 

 

 

Lots of grass visible, but this was actually some of the best climbing. The tufts were easily avoided by stemming.

 

I thought this short step was the hardest climbing, but was well-protected, and again the grass was easily bypassed with some footwork.

 

The traverse around the corner was easily spotted and pretty damn cool.

 

 

Getting off involved some moat shenanigans, but that's why we carry all these fancy tools, right?

 

Edited March 27, 2011 by Z-Man

[curtveld]

Very nice! Best pics of the actual climbing I've yet seen for this route.

[goatboy]

Two days seems very speedy!

 

Did you come all the way out to the car the same day you climbed the route?

 

Great photos, thanks. Nice work Z-Man!

[JasonG]

Here, Here, that would be pretty fast for a slow poke like myself. I agree that this route is quite good and worth the walk. Solid, fun climbing at a reasonable grade, in a spectacular setting- what more can one ask for?

 

As Nelson has indicated, and you, myself, and others have found, September is a great month to do this route.

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Thanks for the great photos of a relatively obscure route. This is now on the list for this season..

[Friedrich]

Hell yes! What Tom said. And Curtvelt.

 

Also, nice to see someone else is rocking the Scarpa Brios