Best rappel route down Upper Town Wall at Index?

[MX]

Index Upper Town Wall question beta needed: I'm planning to climb Davis Holland/Lovin' Arms and rappel back to the base. I've done the route before, but it's been over ten years, so I'm looking for some current beta. Two questions:

1. What is the best rap route? Is it SWIM, or something else?

2. Can this be done with a single 70m rope? I gotta believe the answer is yes, and would love to leave the second rope behind.

 

Thanks for any help or tips.

 

 

[Quarryographer]

We rapped straight down Lovin Arms with a 70. Good idea to have a prussik on the rap though. We almost missed the anchor below the ledge where lovin arms starts!

 

[Buckaroo]

Walk off is safer and very easy. Go west until u hit an old roadbed, take road to cable blockaid. Pick up well worn trail south. This connects with main upper wall trail about 500' from upper wall base.

 

As wet as its been i would expect the 4th pitch to be wet and difficult

[MX]

Thanks all. Hoping it dries out....

 

[Jens]

Heaven's Gate descent is pretty easy.

[keenwesh]

Did the route 3 weeks ago, 4th pitch was super wet, a couple damp jams on P1 as well. We rapped heavens gate.

 

super straightforward and can be done with a 60 (so I'm told). 70 makes it plush.

[Sol]

doesn't that last rap on heavens gate require a 70?

[Wallstein]

I'd say Swim is probably the easiest. Hard to miss the 1/2" bolts with chain straight down a clean face. I've done it at night without a headlamp. (twice now....)

[keenwesh]

doesn't that last rap on heavens gate require a 70?

 

no idea, we had an 80.

 

I remember reading a description somewhere saying that it could be done with a shorter cord....

[Tod]

There is some good info regarding rapping with a 60M using Heaven's Gate to Golden Road anchors. It works fine, I've done it multiple times. See the comments (below the beta section) for Lovin' Arms on mountainproject.com.

 

http://www.mountainproject.com/v/lovin-arms/106194690

[backcountrydog]

You can rap DH/LA with one rope. From the top of the 3rd pitch of DH, rap straight down (2 raps get you to the ground). A 70m gets you all the way to dirt on the last rap, a 60 gets you to the ledge about 20 ft up on Calling Wolfgang, which requires a downclimbing.

[glassgowkiss]

Did the route 3 weeks ago, 4th pitch was super wet, a couple damp jams on P1 as well. We rapped heavens gate.

 

super straightforward and can be done with a 60 (so I'm told). 70 makes it plush.

Last rap requires 70m for sure, 60 WILL NOT REACH unless you traverse and do some funky shit.