[TR] Slesse - NE Buttress Bypass Direct 8/28/2014

[bramski]

Trip: Slesse - NE Buttress Bypass Direct

 

Date: 8/28/2014

 

Trip Report:

Had a most amazing and wonderful journey up and down Slesse with my girlfriend. No speed records were broken. No major soloing was done. We bivied. Twice, with very lightweight bivy gear (one sleeping pad + down blanket + pocket rocket) and I took some great photos. We had an amazing time on this incredible route.

 

I'm attaching detailed photos of the pocket glacier and some additional beta for the descent. The good news is that the pocket glacier is mostly gone but pretty stable looking. Getting onto the cirque is a little funky but manageable and should get better in the next few weeks. There is water in snow form on the summit scramble ... probably 40L worth. Maybe it will last a few more weeks.

 

We did the direct "direct" variation for lack of a better name. I found the "think wires" which StephABegg seemed to have missed in 2008. Go straight up and left to the splitter finger crack from pitch 3 (the one with the trees). It is full value and quite pumpy, A+. Bring an extra finger sized piece or two.

 

My notes on the climb. Unroped low angle slab with a death cliff below and death seracs overhead is a fantastic way to terrify your loved one beyond belief. Also, most ladies don't find hours of scree scrambling as sexy and fun as you do. Bivying with your loved one however can definitely be most enjoyable and warm when done right, but still not very sexy. Photos when I get a bit more time...

 

 

Gear Notes:

SR to 3". Doubles in .2 to 1.

[stamati]

Nice on the double bivi! My buddy and I did it in 19 hours a couple of days before you did and the next time I do it I will spend a couple of days up there. Going fast is fun, but there's something to be said for just hanging out on a beautiful peak.

 

How did you descend off the summit block? It seems like there are a million different ways- we chose a rather sketchy one....

[bramski]

The summit block of crossover ridge? There is a huge cairn about 15 meters next to a sandy gully. About 15 feet away from that cairn is a well used rappel station. One rap there over dirty overhangs into gully #1 leads you to another rap station over loose blocks into the "goat gully" which flinder's descent describes.

[bramski]

Pictures + additional beta:

 

Snow remaining at the summit:

 

 

Photo from across valley of the pocket glacier at this time:

 

Lots of annotated topo imagery to help you with your descent.

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2014 by bramski

[dave schultz]

Those marked up topos look like they'll be very helpful. Thanks!

[stamati]

Man I wish we had that descent topo.... You know where it says "don't go this way"? We went that way, almost to where the gully disappears on that picture. Sketchtown, BC my friends!

[kilpatrick]

This is fantastic info. I'm headed there this weekend.

 

What's the condition of Nesakwatch FSR? The ministry website says that it's washed out 4km in, and hiking starts from there. However, your notes indicate that you parked at the trailhead. It's drivable then? 4wd high-clearance?

[allenataylor]

Were there any other snow patches on route other than the summit snow patch?

 

How about on the way down?

 

Prob heading up there tomorrow. Thanks.

[northvanclimber]

My buddy and I were just up there the last couple days. I'd say you'd want a vehicle with decent clearance for the drive it as there are some pretty good water bars along the way... But for what it's worth, my forester got right up to the trailhead no prob. Was cold last night. probably lows around 2 celcius at the memorial.

[MikeyG]

For anybody else doing Slesse this season - I left a locking carabiner on the first rap off the summit - there is now that locker, a non-locker and a quicklink that is full of old crappy webbing. Too much stuff.

 

Could someone either: grab the non-locker and move it down to one of the lower raps that only has one non-locker, cut some of that webbing off so quicklink is usable, or booty my locker (I bootied it myself so do not care). I would've cleaned some of the webbing off but was dehydrated/dumb and trying to be quick as possible.