[TR] Prusik Peak from Dragontail - Stanley-Burgner 8/14/2011

[Riley81]

Trip: Prusik Peak from Dragontail - Stanley-Burgner

 

Date: 8/14/2011

 

Trip Report:

After finishing up Backbone ridge Nelson (Gaucho) and I headed over to hit up the Stanley-Burgner route on Prusik. I was planing to meet a friend at prusik pass to make it a threesome, but he had to move on with his permit group and could only leave us with some extra cams to beef up our rack.

We bivied at the start of the west ridge route only to find that the difference in mosquitos between here and our sweet ass bivy on Backbone ridge was night and day. Here they were HORRIBLE so we spent most of the evening in our bivies. We went to bed around 8:00 PM and hit the base of the route at 6:30 AM for an early start. Fortunatly it was warm which made the climbing bearable on the hands.

I linked the first and second pitch, Nelson lead the third and fourth and I took the fifth and sixth pitch.

 

Nelson heading out on the third pitch.

 

Looking up the fourth pitch of chimney and crack climbing.

 

I had been itching to battle the offwidth and was drooling over the final crux pitch ever since I looked down on it after climbing the west ridge route.

 

Getting ready to squrim through the chockstone, make sure to haul your pack unless you are an octopus.

 

Great view from the base of the flaring OW while Nelson waits for me to haul the pack. Definetly makes the section more enjoyable.

 

Enjoying the long lower section of the final pitch. Best top out ever, ever.

 

It was a quality sustained route that had a little bit of everything including a few difficult crux moves that put you right on the summit. The Flaring offwidth isn't that bad if you face the forthcoming ledge and do a knee to heel chimney move with your outside leg. I think the final pitch gets all the hulabalo because the crux is right at the top and it puts you right on the summit. Not many alpine routes stay susatained right to the summit of a mountain. Definetly 4 stars and something I would love to do again.

 

Another view of the awesome final pitch.

 

A little summit action.

 

A little summit Pron.

It was a great way to spend a weekend in the Mountains with a great partner, and even the ranger was farily generous about our circumstances if you know what I mean

 

Gear Notes:

Gear to #4 C4 doubles in the .75 to 2 C4 range and a set of stoppers. Long runners to link pitch 1-2 and 3-4 if your feeling it.

 

Approach Notes:

Climb Backbone ridge to avoid Asgard pass and snow creek trail

[Gaucho Argentino]

No kidding, kudos to the ranger for "understanding" the difference between those who use the alpine lakes to camp around them and clearly having a direct impact on the area, and those who climb the Mountains there and bivy on the rocks out of sight and without ever affecting vegetation. She even mention that a plan is being discussed to implement climbing permits, looking forward to it.

 

Back to climbing, the chimney and the last 20-30 feet of the last pitch, holy canoly they are not easy. Thanks, Buddy, for those leads and the patience on the belay, much appreciated !!

 

BTW, this w/e I'm coming back around there, and as ridiculous as I may look, I'm bringing a mosquito net , I almost suffocated inside my bivy trying to escape from the horde of freaking flying bastards

[Riley81]

The mosquitos can be easy to forget with such great climbing.