[TR] SEWS - SW Rib 7/14/2013

[Off_White]

Trip: SEWS - SW Rib

 

Date: 7/14/2013

 

Trip Report:

My son was in town visiting, and I wanted an opportunity to remind him how lovely it is around here. He's been living in Ann Arbor MI, and hadn't been climbing in almost two years, so we didn't want anything too hard, and a day at Darrington and a day on this route was just the ticket. There have been plenty of reports on this classic outing, so I'll just add some notes and pictures.

 

We were using Whitelaw's "Weekend Rock" as a guide. Linking his pitch one and two were easy, ending with a belay below the white flake crack. We thought the 5.8 hand crack around a bulge presented the hardest moves of the route.

 

The flake went fine, but then we went awry, mostly due to overdoing the beta research. Reading up on the 5.9 lieback and 5.10- finger crack alternates, I'd somehow gotten it in my mind that these were alternates to the 5.6 friction pitch WHICH IS NOT THE CASE. Consequently, we thought we were at the friction pitch, and traversed right in search of it. I think the lichen on the footing should have clued me in, but we went right and around the buttress, past another good looking 5.10ish thin crack, onto ledges above the SW gully, and all the way over to another great looking 5.10ish pocketed crack. None of this was on our menu, so we had to traverse all the way back, effectively adding 4 pitches to our route and wasting a bunch of time.

 

Just because you have beta on a trade route doesn't mean you can't still get lost.

 

Eventually we wound up on the nice low angle wide crack, which lead to a great ledge where I was entertained watching a fellow lead the Boving Roofs, which look like a really great pitch.

 

 

From here #1 son dispatched the friction pitch handily, making the shorter appropriate right traverse.

The bear hug was fun and secure, the next pitch was short, and I determined that you can't make it to the rabbit ears in a single pitch even with a 70 meter rope.

 

 

We missed the ramp down bypassing the rabbit ears, but the short rap was no big deal. The last bit was clean and fun, and we snapped the traditional summit selfie.

 

 

We fumbled our way down the South Arete which I hadn't been on in probably 15 years, and started to rappel at the top of the chimney. Three half rope raps, which seemed completely unfamiliar, led handily down to the ground.

 

 

Taking in the surroundings, Ben remarked, "Its nice here, yes?" and I knew my mission was accomplished.

 

 

We scampered back to the packs and down to the road. There was someone leading the bear hug pitch in the golden light at 8pm, but we were happy to be headed down. Got back to Tenino just before 2am, quite aware of where the risk in this outing really lies.

 

Gear Notes:

Single set small cams to a small purple c4, doubles up to #4 c4, and a set of nuts were fine. If 5.8 is your leading limit you might want a #5. We carried RP's, a couple tricams, and some small wired hexes but should have left them in the car. Drink up and leave the pack at the base, you'll have more fun.

 

Approach Notes:

Shortcut through the woods cut off the trail bit that parallels the highway and offers the bonus of permit free parking.

[keenwesh]

Nice! I love doing trips with my dad. The route looks great.

 

I should become a regular for the next month or so at the quarry. See ya there