[TR] WA Pass, Liberty Bell and SEWS - Overexposure and SW Rib 5/30/2015

[NDrake]

Trip: WA Pass, Liberty Bell and SEWS - Overexposure and SW Rib

 

Date: 5/30/2015

 

Trip Report:

Went out Saturday and Sunday at WA Pass, got a late start Saturday. Arrived at the gully to find multiple groups on Beckey Route. A guide recommended bypassing them by taking overexposure. Fun route, but the 5.8 climbing is short lived.

 

Sunday we went back up to do the SW Rib on SEWS, what a fun route! We did the "classic" start of the 5.8 wavy crack. No snow left on route through the upper gully past rabbit ears. Next time I won't take the rap off rabbit ears, once you see them head right around the tree and downclimb blocky terrain to the gully instead. With a belay below the joke of a bolt on the last slab pitch a 70m came a bit short of the tat on the ears and we had to simul. Placements were 20-50 feet spread out on long slings and the rope drag was still horrendous.

 

Gear Notes:

C4 from .75-#5. Doubles of #2 and #3.

Didn't really need a #4

a #5 for bearhug pitch is nice

Metoliuos mc down to yellow, smaller cam would have been nice on 2nd pitch overexposure

Random selection of nuts

Brought some cowbells, waste of weight and space.

 

Approach Notes:

Lower trail:

Melting snow on blue lake trail, some gloppy mud. There was snow connecting to the highway in the woods at the right switch back still on Sunday, may be gone soon though.

 

Liberty Bell:

Snow in the upper gully was decent for plunge steps in approach shoes, but bringing an axe is a good idea just in case. No need for crampons IMO.

 

SEWS:

Snow in the upper area is melting out rapidly. Lots of tree wells and moats. Snow is opening up over creeks, definite potential to fall in running water soon. May consider taking rock slabs at the steeper pitch instead.

Snow is melted out in couloir and it's an easy scramble around the chockstone if doing that start.

 

NEWS:

Another party reported a heinous steep snow descent in rock shoes.