[TR] Paisano Pinnacle - West Ridge 9/4/2011

[BootsandPants]

Trip: Paisano Pinnacle - West Ridge

 

Date: 9/4/2011

 

Trip Report:

A nice three day labor day weekend had us heading back to the North Cascades to finish out the Boealps ICC class for me. Being the "graduation climb" I got to pick the route and other team members. I had heard about Paisano from a friend who wanted to do it the previous year as his grad climb, but unforeseen sickness turned them around at the base of the climb. Upon getting the beta on the climb, I thought it looked like an awesome, sustained climb on great rock that doesn't get done a whole lot. Plus we could link it up with Burgundy Spire. Convincing enough for me...we're doin' it.

 

After grabbing some breakfast from Tootsie, a generous helping of bacon and eggs in our stomachs, we headed up to the bivy site. The climbers trail is steep, dusty, hot, but uneventful. All that food didn't help much in terms of moving fast but soon enough we made it to the bivy site around 1430, about 2 hours after leaving the cars.

 

After setting up camp and filtering some water from the spring, we took off to do a recon mission to find the start of the route, and to drop off our gear so we wouldn't have to haul it up in the morning. There aren't many descriptions of getting to the base of the route, but we found our way there in about an hour from camp. We had found some carins leading off to the right off of the main trail that goes to the col. These were above a large rock slab about 20-25 minutes out of the bivy area. We built another carin just off the col trail to mark the diversion a little better for future parties.

Following a faint path (marked by carins) traverse climbers right for a bit until you reach a gully. Descend a slab while green belaying yourself down on trees. Cross the gully and look for the easiest way to get up on the other side of it. Once on the other side, stay on this little ridge between the two gullies. There's a faint path here, stay on the solid ground. Resist the urge to go up the nice looking small grassy gully now on your right. As you ascend, look for the distinctive notch and chockstone that are mentioned in other TRs. Scramble up some kitty litter filled benches and you're at the start of the route. I have a GPS track from the bivy to the start I'll post once I get it off of my device. Hopefully it will help someone in the future!

I'd highly recommend not approaching this from up high or from the col. One piece of beta I had said to do this; but it looked too sketchy for me, and I don't see what time it will save.

 

The start of the route is at the tree off to the right of this picture.

[img:center]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RX4enjcp6TM/TmfI124XE7I/AAAAAAAACo0/6g4v71Fj1i8/s800/IMG_0195.JPG[/img]

 

The view from the start was great in the waning daylight

[img:center]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-o4GTqU9a4Gs/TmfIuvJzm6I/AAAAAAAACoo/kvL3SELJmlE/s800/IMG_0192.JPG[/img]

 

After cacheing our gear, staring at and talking about the route for a while we got hungry and headed down. Fed and watered, we were in bed around 2100.

 

500 the next morning seemed to come too early. Out of bed and moving up to the start by 530. Our goal was to be at the base of the route by sunrise (630) and to begin climbing quickly after that to maximize our daylight.

 

Predawn stoke

[img:center]http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/301162_2231818368325_1633862280_2238647_177420832_n.jpg[/img]

 

We made our time, thanks to caching the gear and our recon mission the day before and were climbing by sunup.

 

I won't go into a pitch by pitch description of the climb; there are plenty of those out there, but the climbing was very good and, with the exception of the second pitch, quite sustained in difficulty.

 

A few highlights;

- The first pitch was an eye opener! Not what I was expecting at all and quite sustained. Guess I was still sort of sleeping when I started. Was definitely awake by the end of it.

 

BK Starting P3

[img:center]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-985Wc5hRtwk/TmfJF9lI3vI/AAAAAAAACpY/pws_ZuBBn-g/s576/IMG_0205.JPG[/img]

 

- I got the crux pitch (our 4th, marked as 5th on a lot of other TRs), which I found awkward and very balance-y in parts. Towards the end of this pitch, leave the ridge and look for a tree and little ledge off on the left face. Set up your belay here. Staying on the ridge is unprotectable slab and there is a nice little feature system that will get you back onto the ridge line from this tree.

 

If you look closely, you can see 4 climbers in this section I'm talking about above. There's the obvious one (black jacket/tan pants) finishing up the crux, two on the ledge by the tree belaying (green jacket and tan jacket) and one leading the pitch back to the ridge (black shirt/white helmet)

[img:center]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UsWMWSu1BY0/TmVj_L5pXbI/AAAAAAAAPXo/WyVnfzUEg9Y/s512/P9040689-2.JPG[/img]

 

- The pitch after the crux pitch (P5 for us, P6 in other beta), you'll eventually come to a big blocky ledge where some beta states that you can set a belay. Climb up over the next step to the next ledge. It's also big and blocky and sets you up to knock a pitch off of the climb

 

Pic of the above described belay spot

[img:center]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Vj65L2PDtmg/TmfJNKRAC7I/AAAAAAAACpk/W7721GDW6RM/s800/IMG_0209.JPG[/img]

 

- If you stretched the previous pitch a bit you can combine part of P7 and 8 into one. Climb on P7 until an obvious big blocky ledge and set your belay here (this is partway into P8 in other beta). There's a nice bulgy crack on this pitch that's not rated on the topo. I'd give it an 8, just for reference.

 

- With your new and improved belay spot, you can make the summit in one pitch from there. Booya, shaved off a pitch with no sketch factor or heinous rope drag!

 

Belay ledges are generally really well defined and comfortable.

[img:center]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r2I6hh35XZo/TmfJAyJjInI/AAAAAAAACpQ/Gi8UHfUooh8/s800/IMG_0204.JPG[/img]

 

 

 

BK were both on the summit in about 5 hours after starting. Nailed it. Both Matt and Aaron were standing with us 20 minutes later. Chugged some water, scarfed some sandwiches, and took in the views

 

[img:center]http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/302722_2231820008366_1633862280_2238659_130539835_n.jpg[/img]

 

Matt and Aaron

[img:center]http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/303037_2231820448377_1633862280_2238662_1192414783_n.jpg[/img]

 

We discussed our plan of continuing on to Burgundy from here, and while both teams weren't on the summit by our 1230 cutoff time, we were damn close. However, not all of the team was feeling up to it, so rather than split up, we decided to stick together and head down.

 

Summit Shot

[img:center]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-nDFoVE8iSbw/TmfJOE2Pb8I/AAAAAAAACpo/JipjlL25xAE/s800/IMG_0213.JPG[/img]

 

A scramble down to the rap station, and two raps later and we were on the ground, chossading back down from the col to our bivy.

We decided to stay that night rather than hike out, because why not? We didn't have to work in the morning. Shenanigans ensued

 

What else are you supposed to drink while climbing the wine spires?

[img:center]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-FCmJGVngb3k/TmfI75NyakI/AAAAAAAACpE/a6DTVZ_33Ow/s800/IMG_0200.JPG[/img]

 

Whiskey bouldering in the meadow

[img:center]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gF4nRiWLHqQ/TmVkbPdIlhI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/rPPU-6W9NEQ/s512/P9040755.JPG[/img]

 

Whiskey Bouldering!

 

All in all, it was a great weekend with some awesome friends on some fantastic rock. Thanks guys for a great ICC experience.

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

We took gear to 4", but if just climbing Paisano, gear to 3" is enough

 

Approach Notes:

Steep and dusty

[Alex]

I found the Bandit Cab to be actually pretty good!

[ajpederson]

Predawn stoke

[img:center]http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/301162_2231818368325_1633862280_2238647_177420832_n.jpg[/img]

 

 

I look lame without a sweet climbing beard, maybe that's why you guys are better climbers than me. Thanks for inviting me with, it was a fun climb.

[Brandon Kotulka]

Great climbing with y'all. Just checked the weather, its raining everywhere this weekend, wtf? Well we certainly enjoyed it while we had it: North Face of Maude, South Face of Prussik, Serpentine Arete, Paisano Pinnacle, not too shabby, can't wait to step it up a notch (or should i say above the notch)!!

 

lets light this candle,

bk

 

btw, we totally could have had burgundy. next time!!

 

 

[Otto]

Those Bandit wine boxes are excellent. We've been enjoying the Pinot Grigio to the utmost!

[hefeweizen]

We walked by you guys the night before on our way out. Nice work. The Bandit is a favorite for ski touring as well!