[TR] WA Pass - Clean Break-Paisano-Burgundy Linkup 7/21/2014

[Rafe1234]

Trip: WA Pass - Clean Break-Paisano-Burgundy Linkup

 

Date: 7/21/2014

 

Trip Report:

Having done both routes car to car in the previous week I felt a car to car linkup of both was also a fairly doable prospect, as it seems like the descent is the more tiring part and you have to do that no matter what.

 

I estimated 18 hours for round trip and was a little off, and it ended up being more around 21 hours. I don't think I accounted for the bike ride back to the car, hauling the bikes out of a talus field in the dark after a huge day (crux), stopping to eat or drink and get water.. or really do much else other than hike and climb nonstop. Needless to say, all things listed above ended up happening, as one would imagine, and skewed my highly optimistic assessment of ascent and descent time.

 

Plan was to hike from Silverstar creek, climb Clean Break, traverse to Paisano descending as little as possible, climb the West Ridge of Paisano and finish on the North Face of Burgundy. As a side note, I don't really get what's so classic about the North Face of Burgundy, just the history? Anyways, we started up Silverstar trail at 3:15am and found ourselves at the splitter first pitch at 6:30.

 

Leah is 5'1 and has proportionately sized hands so I gave her the first pitch.

 

Clean Break went as planned, with climbing time at five hours. I'd hoped for more like four and a half, but not much of a setback.

 

 

Next was the descent/approach to the base of the West Ridge of Paisano, for which I'd budgeted 1.5 hours.... which also took a tad longer.

 

Along the way to Paisano it was being hinted that my credibility in accurately predicting approach and descent times was in jeopardy!

 

"I can see the first pitch from here! We'll be there in like 15 minutes."

 

Paisano and Burgundy went down in a little under two hours a piece, putting us on the summit of Burgundy at 6:45pm. During the ascent of Paisano the smoke rolled in from the Methow valley at an amazingly fast pace. Within just a handful of hours, smoke that had been visible at a fairly vast distance from the summit a Clean Break was now obscuring even visibility of Highway 20 from the Wine spires.

 

 

Descent from Burgundy Col was uneventful and we arrived at our bikes with them still were we had left them, thankfully... and we arrived back to the truck at about 11:30pm!

 

 

 

 

 

Approach Notes:

3.25 hours to Clean Break. 5 hours climbing Clean break. 2.5 hours approach to Paisano. Paisano/Burgundy 4 hours. Rap Burgundy 1 hour. Descent to MP 166 parking lot 3 hours.

 

2600' climbing, around 6500' gain. 27 guidebook pitches, climbed in 19.

[Rad]

Nice! Clean Break is awesome. The upper part is longer than one thinks. We got off route at the very end and that cost us some time.

[Jason4]

I saw pictures on FB, looks like a big day of climbing and great pics!

[Bronco]

That's an athletic day, nice work!

 

As a side note, I don't really get what's so classic about the North Face of Burgundy, just the history?

 

I believe it's the allure of the most technical by the easiest route to reach the summit in Washington. Still fun sections of climbing on ok rock, no?

[Rafe1234]

Thanks! Got a few blisters where I didn't know I could get em!

 

Yeah and the North Face does have interesting climbing and is a cool route, I guess it's just the chossfactor up till Burg ledge thats a little..ehhh. It does have a pretty sweet position though too.

[matt_warfield]

Thanks for the TR. Being a few hours off of your prediction is shy of the day or two that many encounter in the Cascades.

[kascadia]

We went back to do Burgundy Spire a 2nd time, led on somewhat by a guidebook comment to the effect of those in the know do it more than once. Had the same reaction you had the second time. There's some good rock on it and it's a spectacular setting, but I'm not sure I'd call it a **** climb. Speaking of choss, we talked to a friend who had done it before we did it the first time and he mentioned a loose chockstone in the 3rd pitch. When I asked him how big it was, he replied, "About the size of a tombstone". Is it still there? This would be the 3rd pitch from Burgandy Col, so you may have missed this gem. Certainly glad to have done the route, no need to go back and do it a third time!

 

Nice pictures, excellent ambitions and effort!

Edited July 29, 2014 by kascadia

[Rafe1234]

Yeah actually this was the third time I've done it, and I think the same thoughts have crossed my mind each time. All that said, I would certainly do Paisano/Burg linkup again in the future as the years come and go.

 

I don't recall a tombstone sized chockstone! The pitches bypassed are first and second with the linkup. Didn't notice it on the third. Wasn't keeping an eye out for one on rap either though.