iron spike

[rl23455]

Does anyone have any beta(besides what's in the book) on Iron Spike?

thanks

[ivan]

well...uh...what more do you want?

 

looks nice n dry at the moment - 1st 2 pitches are spicy n' fun - from there it's kinda ho-hum adventurous shit to the summit...

[kevbone]

What the hell is Iron Spike?

[ivan]

i assume he means the original route to the top of beacon - starting on the n side where it's all cleaned up now - the 3rd pitch has all those original spikes in it, like a via ferrata - desposits you on the ledge who's name escapes me currently but is basically a big hobo camp - 2 dirt-wrangling, brush-bashing pitches later you're on the summit ridge

 

worth goign all the way up it once, after that just rapping from the big tree after 2 pitches is recommended

[kevbone]

I climbed it once with Jim several years ago. Fun for an outing as long as the real climbing on the south side is closed. The ledge is Rancho Relaxo.....

[rl23455]

OK. Sounds like spicy=runout. I hate runout. The gb doesn't tell how much gear to take? How Bad is the poison oak after the 4th pitch? Maybe I should take some Roundup, haha

 

Maybe that 5.9 aid is a better route?

 

Thanks.

[denalidave]

OK. Sounds like spicy=runout. I hate runout. The gb doesn't tell how much gear to take? How Bad is the poison oak after the 4th pitch? Maybe I should take some Roundup, haha

 

Maybe that 5.9 aid is a better route?

 

Thanks.

Seems I recall the run out is on the 2nd pitch but over easy terrain...

[ivan]

OK. Sounds like spicy=runout. I hate runout. The gb doesn't tell how much gear to take? How Bad is the poison oak after the 4th pitch? Maybe I should take some Roundup, haha

 

Maybe that 5.9 aid is a better route?

 

Thanks.

Seems I recall the run out is on the 2nd pitch but over easy terrain...

agreed - it's not too bad - seem to recall most of the gear on the first two pitches is either bolts or smallish nuts and cams - a couple bigger cams above there, though you can also just sling some of the spikes

 

stone soup to the swiss ledges is fun, fun on that side too - if you don't want to aid, skip the 1st 2 pitches by doing the "alpine route" to 3 tree ledge - a fun pitch of 5.7 from there takes you to the alice in wonderland ledge, where you can either do an easy aid bolt ladder or go off left up easy 5th to the swiss ledges. rap off the big tree from there w/ 2 ropes, or continue to the summit. the first pitch at the top of the fixed rope is aid, but it's short, and the 2nd pitch is mostly free w/ a great setting and only a little bit of aiding on bolts.

[rl23455]

Thanks so much. 3 of us headed there tomorrow, probably 3p. I didn't tell the others about poison oak or aid involved on stone soup.

[ivan]

sounds like i'll see you there - we'll be doing the aid-start, and hopefully my rope-gun can free the 2nd pitch

 

there is no oak on stone soup, or on the alpine start - the top of the spike route is loaded w/ the stuff, and you pretty much have no option but to wade through it on the last pitch

 

stone pipe on the swiss ledges, if you can find it

[kevbone]

 

stone pipe

 

One at the Drop Zone as well......

[ivan]

 

stone pipe

 

One at the Drop Zone as well......

ahhh, but not the same views...

[MrGecko]

Climbed the first three pitches today. Pitch one is scuzzy to start but if it were cleaned and brushed would be a really nice pitch. I used micro cams and a 0.4 Camalot. Pitch two is easier and one can also find microcam and larger placements so the runout is not an issue.

 

At the top of pitch two we got pulled into a newer bolt line that follows a slabby buttress to an upper belay anchor on the left of the buttress and just below the line of iron spikes. Looks like a new route is going in as there are fixed lines up the face to the Rancho ledge. Likely JO's gear?

 

A fun line which would be more fun with a bunch of moss scrubbing.

 

Enjoy!

[ivan]

that first pitch just won't stay clean - it gets too much run-off over the winter and no sun