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[TR] Washington Pass, Early Winter Spires - South Arete on SEWS, Northwest Corner on NEWS 9/29/2011


gavastik

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Trip: Washington Pass, Early Winter Spires - South Arete on SEWS, Northwest Corner on NEWS

 

Date: 9/29/2011

 

Trip Report:

It turns out that great days in the mountains make for boring stories. Laurel Fan and I climbed the Early Winter Spires on Thursday, September 29, and it was a good long day.

 

The long version with pictures is here: http://womenclimbersnw.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/early-winter-spires-2/

 

The short version is we planned to stay in the sun for most of the day. Simul-climbed the South Arete (5.4-56 depending who you ask) on SEWS (< 2 hours one-way from the base). Then Laurel led the Northwest Corner 5.9 in perfect style while I A0-ed the crux pitches "in the interest of time".

 

The NW Corner route is very physical at the crux, which is an almost overhanging offwidth inside a flaring corner. I hear from someone better than me (my fearless leader Laurel) that the nearby West Face 5.11- is an easier climb, but don't quote me on that.

 

A view onto South Arete from the summit of SEWS:

wapass_fromsews.png

 

Gear Notes:

Two 4" pieces very helpful at the crux (p4) of the Northwest Corner route on NEWS. Laurel had one #4 and a large hex.

 

We had one 70m rope for descent. It looked like a 60m would also do the trick.

 

Approach Notes:

From the base of South Arete on SEWS for NEWS, we walked a bit down and around the spires. Pretty soon it looks like there would be impassable slabs so we dropped down further, but it turned out later that the higher passage would have worked too.

Edited by gavastik
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