[TR] Chablis Spire - East Face 7/3/2015

[peter_mcb]

Trip: Chablis Spire - East Face

 

Date: 7/3/2015

 

Trip Report:

Phil, Anna, and I did this climb last week, and thought it worth briefly commenting on the current conditions and route details, particularly where the latter differed from some prior reports.

 

We were relieved to find that the "mosquito apocalypse" reported a few days earlier: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1140661 had largely subsided (or been slaked), though headnets were still de rigueur in camp. The skeeters maintained a sporting presence all the way up through Burgundy Col,

though beyond there they went completely off our radar.

 

Here's our route as seen from "Chianti Col" to NE:

though the lower traverses felt more horizontal and less convergent than they appear from this angle.

 

 

Right off the deck I got to enjoy impeccable rock while traversing the handrail flake.

 

 

Beyond the overhanging block (with FP), making sure follows are protected.

 

 

This is where the apparent discrepancies began. Continuing north (right) along this ledge system, I ran out the full 60m rope before ascending the "gulley-chimney-thing" (shadowed in photo). I set up a belay on this ample ledge, deciding to add in a short vertical pitch--"1B"--to reduce rope drag on both pitches 1 & 2--and as insurance against coming up short on the heralded 5.6R bit. Thus:

Pitch 1 (red), "1B" (blue), P2 (red), and P3 (blue). The upper half of 1B is lower-angled slab with no protection for 15-20'.

Note that the lower rap station (yellow arrow) is about 20' above the belay ledge at top of P2.

 

Anna finishing Pitch 1B:

 

 

After traversing back south on P2, I extended a long sling off the base of a 2" spruce [not sure about the kN rating of that setup] rather than add even more rope drag seeking a gear placement further south. Then I doubled back up and rightward over the solid, featured, and truly gear-free 5.6 section. Here Phil tops out on same, with spruce-anchor waiting below:

 

P3 runs back rightward/up (NW?) over easy ground, then P4 turns back left and up the licheny corner under the summit blocks. This is one climb where the last 15' really is the best; while I found nowhere to "leave gear in place" on that final monolith, I was happy to find a nice series of small positive holds bared amid the summit lichen. Last surprise was the small, slung horn at the top, allowing an easy rap off. But not before that vertigo-testing view down the west face!

 

Phil gains the summit:

 

Note: the upper double-rope rappel is somewhat low-angle and prone to rope hang-ups--way too many cracks and crevices to lure a down-slithering rope. Finally got ours down with only a short retrieval needed.

 

Anna enjoying the cleaner and steeper lower rap:

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe, two 60m ropes; single rack to C4 #3 fine.

 

Replaced slings on upper two rap stations, so all three have fresh/solid material.

 

Approach Notes:

Water: the spring at Bench camp (follow tread to N a few minutes' walk) is still flowing; beyond that, one slow seep along tread about halfway up to Burgundy Col. For those camping at col, a snow finger extends up to col from east side.

[Rad]

Thanks for posting a TR.

 

 

What a crooked line!

 

[genepires]

may be crooked but the granite is very white and clean.

 

[peter_mcb]

Very crooked indeed Rad, providing 4+ pitches of climbing on mostly-fine rock in under 400' of vertical gain. (If I recall, the yield on the Grimface Traverse was about the same.) I'm contemplating a corkscrew strategy for the next go....