[TR] Darringon - Three O'Clock Rock - Total Soul 7/2/2011

[mattp]

Trip: Darringon - Three O'Clock Rock - Total Soul

 

Date: 7/2/2011

 

Trip Report:

I climbed Total Soul on 3:00 Rock yesterday and the route was as fun as ever. An eight pitch slab climb, the route has quite a bit of variety to it with some fingerlocks and liebacks thrown into the mix along with the traditional Darrington knob trotting and paste-and-prey slab climbing.

 

 

The "Rappel" signage at the top of the route is missing: if you do this climb, top out and take your shoes off for a bit but then begin the rappels from a tree about 50 feet north of the top of the climb. A single rope rappel leads to a chain on the rock to the right, opposite where there is a sling on a tree. 7 double rope rappels lead to the ground.

 

The route was set with 50 meter ropes so if you are old fashioned that way it will work out just fine.

 

On the way up the trail in the morning we talked with a guy who'd put up what looks like a spectacular route on the Comb and who had replaced anchors on Dreamer. If you read this report I'd like to talk to you and maybe add some info to my website or just go climbing some time.

 

Darrington Rock Climbing

 

Gear Notes:

For Total Soul, take a medium sized rack to 3" with some smallish wires, gizmo's to 3" and any doubling up in the 1/2 to 1" range. On pitch 4, save that red camelot for the last placement between two bolts at the end of the pitch.

 

Approach Notes:

The Forest Service surprised us and fixed the road sooner than we expected. The Clear Creek Road is good to go to the Eightmile trailhead and to the base of the Granite Sidewalk leading to Exfoliation Dome.

 

Snowpatches linger at the base of Silent Running and Total Soul. Here is a topo that shows these two routes but not the 2 1/2 routes in between them.

 

North Buttress of 3:00 Rock

[genepires]

Nice. is that mr whitelaw? (the beard seems to dark)

[mattp]

That is David, during our initial exploration and development of the route.

[Riley81]

I gotta say it's a little funny that the guy in the photo looks nothing like the two guys you showed up with that night at exfo dome. A little like a bear, but nothing like a care bear.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Thanks for the road update Matt, we were happy to learn Sunday night that we wouldn't have to hike the road at all. Had a great mellow day on the Kone and Till Broad Daylight. My first time in that area.

[willstrickland]

This is a fantastic route, and one of the better slab routes I've ever done. I think Fern linked p1&2 when we did it with a 70m and a little simul climbing. Hopefully one day I can get back up to D-town, Matt is a great host and tour guide.