[TR] Prusik Peak - West Ridge 9/2/2013

[ajpederson]

Trip: Prusik Peak - West Ridge

 

Date: 9/2/2013

 

Trip Report:

We were able to get Snow Lakes camping permits for the long weekend and decided to head in to climb Prusik Peak from Sunday to Tuesday. This would make for a nice way to extend the weekend and spend a little extra time away from work.

 

After a day of cragging in Leavenworth on Saturday, a night of drinking, and breakfast in town, we started up the Snow Lake trail later Sunday morning. This made for a hot approach.

Snow Lake Trail

 

None of us had been into the Enchantments without snow, so it was exciting to see all the lakes and peaks.

Enchantments

 

We hiked around the lakes for a while and then up to Prusik Pass and to the start of the route.

Prusik Peak

 

Now for the climbing. From the balanced rock, the first pitch went up and left to a dihedral and then up to a belay station made of webbing.

Looking up P1.

 

Pitch 2 gained the ridge and followed it to the unprotected slab, up the slab to a belay before the exposed traverse.

Coming up the slab.

 

Belay at the top of P2.

 

Pitch 3 was a short one across the traverse. We stopped right on the other side so we could watch people cross.

Leading across the exposed traverse.

 

We had a short easy pitch 4 to get to the base of the next harder pitch. This was really just to move the belay.

Our P4.

 

Pitch 5 included a nicer corner, then a hand traverse, then a squeeze chimney and went all the way to the summit. It would probably be better to stop below the chimney and add one more pitch as the rope drag got pretty bad. Alicia led that pitch and somehow squeezed the entire length of the chimney, there was no way I was fitting in that and had climb to up the start of it and walk across the top.

Start of P5, the nice corner.

 

Hand traverse.

 

Sprinkles the Stegosaurus on the traverse.

 

The squeeze chimney.

 

After a short break on the summit we used 3 double rope rappels to get down and walked back to our stuff at the balanced rock. We got our stuff and hiked back down past Gnome Tarn and back to our camp at Snow Lake.

Prusik view.

 

We spent Monday night at Snow Lake again and headed down Tuesday morning, avoiding the 50% chance of rain in the forecast somehow.

 

That pipe that shoots all the water out of Snow Lake was pretty crazy to see. The water level in the lake dropped noticeably in the time we were up there.

Pipe shooting water.

 

Prusik Peak made for a great way to spend the holiday weekend.

*All pictures from Alicia and Matt.

 

Gear Notes:

Set of nuts and cams from .3-2.

 

Approach Notes:

Snow Lake Trail.

Edited September 4, 2013 by ajpederson

[mitch334]

Nice TR Aaron. I love this route!

 

Say, I found a small blue OR stuff sack on the scramble to the base of the route. PM me if this is yours, and I will find a way to get it back to you.

[wesdyer]

Nice! I love that route! The belay from the top of P2 is awesome.

[The Cascade Kid]

How did you make that first pitch look so steep? :-)

[ajpederson]

How did you make that first pitch look so steep? :-)

 

No idea. I think she snapped the pic right as she was starting up the route.

[olyclimber]

Great pictures. Thanks!