[TR] Acker Rock - Peregrine Traverse and Where Eagles Dare linkup 10/5/2013

[bedellympian]

Trip: Acker Rock - Peregrine Traverse and Where Eagles Dare linkup

 

Date: 10/5/2013

 

Trip Report:

On Saturday Josh Lagalo and I climbed the Peregrine Traverse (10 pitch 5.7) and Where Eagles Dare (8 pitch 5.9) on Acker Rock. Acker is a mainly a SE to NW rock ridge with a big SW face. Peregrine starts at the bottom of the SE ridge and traverses the ridge line to the old fire lookout at the summit. Eagles ascends the SW face to a dramatic spire separate from the main summit ride. To access Eagles you have to rap 6 pitches down the SW face on an adjacent bolt line.

 

We had perfect blue skies and warm temps with only a slight breeze, a great reprieve from the early fall rain we have had. We climbed Peregrine (bottom to top) in about 2.5 hrs, took a short break at the summit, and climbed Eagles (raps back to main summit) in a little over 4 hrs.

 

The rap line to Eagles and the lower slabs were dirty (presumably from recent rain). Everything else was pretty clean and dry. Rock quality is variable but mostly solid with awesome pocket jugs and amazing friction. Both routes are well bolted with the exception of some low 5th/4th sections on Peregrine and the final (optional) chimney pitch.

 

Check out the blog for pics and more details... Mountain Mischief

 

Gear Notes:

70m rope (60 is fine), helmets!, 12 alpine draws (10 is plenty for Peregrine but you'll really want 15 for the 5th pitch on Eagles). We also brought .75-2 camalots and nuts but only placed two cams on the last pitch of Peregrines (those not comfortable with long run outs on easy 5th w/ big exposure would place more but I'd say our rack was adequate for anyone).

 

Approach Notes:

Gate is locked due to Gov Shutdown. Half mile hike on the road to Peregrine climber's trail: many downed trees and it goes in and out but there is still some pink and red flagging. The rap line from eagles starts beneath a small tower directly across the notch from the pinnacle summit where it ends and follows a water channel down the cliff.

[ivan]

snaffles MUST pay. how long you reckon the drive from portland?

[luvshaker]

Be ready for a road trip. Another half hour south on I5 from Roseburg. Turn left, and keep going and going and going.

I think it was 3 hours from Eugene, at least.

 

Super fun place though, and worth a visit.

[g orton]

You can find driving times on page vii behind the table of contents in Western Oregon Rock Climbing, volume 2, Umpqua, 2007, Mountain N' Air Books. This is currently the most complete guide to climbing in the Umpqua area.

 

Portland to Roseburg = 3 hours

Eugene to Roseburg = 1 hour

Roseburg to Acker Rock = ~2 hours

Roseburg to McKinley Rock = ~1.5

Both Acker and McKinley Rock require short hikes.

 

You can camp pretty much anywhere you like, within reason, for free on the Umpqua NF, except designated campgrounds which charge a fee and are closed anyway during the gov. shutdown. There are no parking or trail use permits required at any climbing areas on the Umpqua.

 

There is now free camping for climbers just outside of Roseburg in the Callahans. This option is just getting started so still a bit rustic. For more info call (541) 670-0412 or (541) 440-9848.

 

Also, an update on Roseburg, Oregon. In the past several years Roseburg has taken a leap towards becoming more culturally diverse! We now have more microbrew pubs, and wineries than churches.

 

Edited October 7, 2013 by g orton

[ivan]

hopefully it'll be a long life and i'll summon the furies to Force the Passage

[Crickette]

Thanks for the report on the Peregrine Traverse and drive times.

 

The reference on Summitpost to g orton's website appears to be obsolete. Does Acker Rock sometimes re-open early, in June, after its closure for falcon nesting? Been interested in combining a shasta ski and peregrine traverse climb in the same week.

[g orton]

The seasonal Peregrine closure at Acker is lifted two weeks after the young have fledged. Typically some time between July 1 and July 15.

 

The Peregrine traverse may seem anticlimactic following a Mt Shasta ski though. I'd recommend doing the Peregrine first followed by the Shasta ski.

 

And yes, climbsworegon.com has been down for sometime now. We've been transitioning to a place in the Callahans and hope to have climbsworegon.org up and running once we've made the move and I again have a place to write.

Edited October 8, 2013 by g orton