[TR] Prusik Peak - West Ridge Car-to-Car (FKFA) 7/19/2013

[The Cascade Kid]

Trip: Prusik Peak - West Ridge Car-to-Car (FKFA)

 

Date: 7/19/2013

 

Trip Report:

Nick Till and I made the FKFA (first known formal ascent) of the West Ridge of Prusik Peak last Friday, going car to car from Stuart Lake to Snow Creek trail heads crossing the Enchantments in just over 13 hours.

 

 

The weather was beautiful, thought the enchantments were full of bumblies camping on lake shores and right next to the trail.

 

Rough times are as follows.

 

Left Stuart Lake TH — 00:00 (6:15 am)

Mountaineer Creek turnoff — 00:40

Colchuck Lake –

Top of Asgard Pass — 02:55

Top of Prusik Pass — 03:55

Base of the West Ridge — 04:05

Summit — 06:30

Back to Our Packs — 07:30

Snow Creek trail head — 13:10

 

 

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Photos, map, topo, and further TR on Mountain Lessons

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Route: It was easy to reach prusik pass and to traverse on the north side of the ridge to the notch just about the balanced rock. The beginning of the route was glaringly obvious, heading directly up to a very clean #2 camalot crack in a large block. We simuled to below the slab, making just one 5.6 ish move over mostly low-5th terrain. The 12 ft slab was interesting but over quickly, and there's good gear at the base to back up the FP there.

 

After the 3rd class ledges, we opted to climb a 5.8-ish clean finger crack in a dihedral, then finishing with the direct offwidth (5.7?) rather than traversing to the S side. 5 easy rappels beginning at a bolt and a slung pinch took us to the ground.

 

The deproach was a little bit painful. Walking out snow creek is a knee buster down granite slabs and switchbacks.

 

Gear Notes:

Cotton shirts and shorts all day long.

 

9.1 60 m single rope

Single set of nuts

Metolius TCUs yellow, orange, and red.

Camalots .75, 1, 2

8 slings/QDs

 

Even with the offwidth finish directly up the summit block, there is no need for any larger gear.

 

 

Approach Notes:

From SL TH the walking was easy as pie. Asgard Pass still has running water. This was my first time up this joyful pass, and I have to say, it's overrated at this time of year. I can see how it would be bad if it was icy, but it's downright civil and not even terribly loose. There's a trail for god sakes.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Very stylish climb. Carry on now. ;-)

[JensHolsten]

Nice guys!

[olyclimber]

Hey, bumblies might not be rad climber dudes, but many of them are OK people!

 

I think this is more of a "FPCA" or First Popped Collar Ascent.

 

Thanks for the TR, looks like you had perfect weather.

 

PS, I moved your TR to the Alpine Lakes forum.

[The Cascade Kid]

thanks for relocating it.

 

I don't really care if folks are climbers, just that their access doesn't intrude on mine (as much as that's possible). I don't go to the mountains to hear people yelling obscenities at one another across a lake, or to see them bathing with soap in alpine lakes. The scorn is directed not towards hikers, but towards the uneducated.

 

FPCA it is.