[TR] Index - 11/8/2009

[RJRiha]

Trip: Index -

 

Date: 11/8/2009

 

Trip Report:

Less than 2 days until I'm in SoCal sampling the Joshua Tree goodness. What better way to spend a day than a trip to the best granite crag in the world.

 

I can't let rock season end yet. My girlfriend Tiffany has never led on gear, but yet some reason she agreed to come along to a trip to Index for some aid. I'm an aid newbie and wanted to get on City Park, but wanted something that we could all climb, so I thought Toxic Shock would be a good idea. I'm thinking, the 5.8 double cracks have really straight forward gear placements, and Even Steven would probably be a good clean aid route for me, so we head up to that area. The Skykomish valley was drenched and more rain was coming down, so we set up a tent at the base of the double cracks, and start aiding. Belaying out of a tent is the way to go.

It turns out that that tons of #2/3 BD Camalots would make the pitch up to the rappel flake go very easy, but I don't have enough cams....my buddy Bounder fills in the gaps with my hexes, and an hour later he's down at the base with a top rope set up.

At this point our late start, and Bounder's hour long lead don't inspire Tiffany to want to give this alien style of climbing with gadgets a go, so I strap on some rock shoes over socks and clean the pitch. We should have done it free in the first place; the water running down the rock doesn't create the problems that I envisioned in the first place.

 

Tiffany sees the fun that I'm having and decides to sample to goods herself.

 

 

For someone with such disdain for pure crack climbing (she completely tore a ligament in her hand on Classic Crack on her first crack climb ever), she did pretty well.

 

At this point we've satisfied the climbing bug (although I didn't get any aid in, much less City Park), so we head back to the car. I roasted some Costco chicken meatballs over a camping stove, and called it a day.

 

Gear Notes:

Rain gear/tent to belay

 

Approach Notes:

Wet

[Pete_H]

Looks like fun. But different.

[Sherri]

Spring is already feeling so far away...thanks for the wet-season stoke! Nice to see Index in any weather. Love your determination and creativity.

The photo of the tent belay is classic.

 

 

[el jefe]

hmm... and i thought the beaconfanatics were weird when it came to climbing in the rain. looks like there's a seattle contingent of loonies as well!

[highhatt]

Well guys its good to see you at least got out!

 

I will let you know how the postholing goes Wednesday!

[LostCamKenny]

It turns out that tons of #2/3 BD Camalots would make the pitch up to the rappel flake go very easy, but I don't have enough cams....my buddy Bounder fills in the gaps with my hexes

Hexes, stoppers, and offsets... you don't need no stinkin cams!

 

I roasted some Costco chicken meatballs

those are tasty meatballs

 

You should go get on the UTW... its cool!

[RJRiha]

It turns out that tons of #2/3 BD Camalots would make the pitch up to the rappel flake go very easy, but I don't have enough cams....my buddy Bounder fills in the gaps with my hexes

Hexes, stoppers, and offsets... you don't need no stinkin cams!

 

I roasted some Costco chicken meatballs

those are tasty meatballs

 

You should go get on the UTW... its cool!

 

Those are pretty big cracks up to the obvious chockstone. I didn't see where any stoppers or offsets would plug...maybe deep within the crack up against one of the many chockstones.

 

I plan on getting on the UTW after I finish the obvious aid lines on the LTW like City Park, Iron Horse, Shirley, TPMV, and Stern Farmer. So far I've only aided one route and that was Steel Monkey in the Quarry.

[YocumRidge]

For someone with such disdain for pure crack climbing (she completely tore a ligament in her hand on Classic Crack on her first crack climb ever)

 

IMO, that Classic Crack at Broughton would be a total bitch as a first crack climb. It is over-used and polished to the point the jamming sucks big time. So, I dont blame your gf for hating it.

 

On the contrary, The Sheer Stress (also on the Red Wall, to the right off the Classic Crack) is a completely different ball game.

[rocketparrotlet]

Fun?

 

So should I go in the rain and wet? How do your shoes grip? I would be leading anything I climbed, and I don't want to fall on lead.

 

-Mark

[RJRiha]

For someone with such disdain for pure crack climbing (she completely tore a ligament in her hand on Classic Crack on her first crack climb ever)

 

IMO, that Classic Crack at Broughton would be a total bitch as a first crack climb. It is over-used and polished to the point the jamming sucks big time. So, I dont blame your gf for hating it.

 

On the contrary, The Sheer Stress (also on the Red Wall, to the right off the Classic Crack) is a completely different ball game.

 

It was the other Classic Crack (Leavenworth). I've never been to Broughton, but I would imagine that the degree of wear on it is absolutely nowhere near that of CC in L-worth. But then again, I have seen polished basaltic rock that is damn near impossible to get any friction on.

 

Can anyone think of a route that gets more ascents (and skittering feet) in the PNW than Classic Crack in L-worth?

[lancegranite]

Sabre?

 

[RJRiha]

Sabre?

 

I thought about Sabre or Midway, but no way do those get the kind of traffic that CC gets. I've seen Sabre open many times, and have never been to 8 mile rock without someone either on, or gearing up for CC. On top of that, CC is short, so people have generally set up a TR and lap it for handcrack practice.

 

That ledge traverse on Sabre though is polished more than any other granite route I have ever seen. I think that is because beginners shuffle their feet across it instead of lifting their shoe to consciously make each foot placement. The rest of the route isn't polished to any degree close to that one ledge.

 

Speaking of that ledge, I'm surprised that nobody has pulled that loose block off yet. That sketchy piece of rock is going to come off on someone and do some major damage at least, and I could see it end up on the highway and cause some major issues with the cars below.

[RJRiha]

Fun?

 

So should I go in the rain and wet? How do your shoes grip? I would be leading anything I climbed, and I don't want to fall on lead.

 

-Mark

 

My suggestion that you go free climbing at Index in the rain was somewhat in jest. If you want it enough though, it is possible, just pick a route that has very few friction moves, if any at all. It's amazing how slick that rock gets when wet, especially if there is any lichen at all on it.

 

As to falling on lead, isn't that a risk you take anytime you go climbing? If you're going to climb on wet rock though, be cautious on how you place your gear. The friction is reduced, so any cams you place better be in somewhat of a constriction, because they could pull out. Hexes place passively though are absolutely bomber, wet rock or not.

 

Do you have aid gear, or a partner who does? Index is the place to be for clean aid when the rock is too wet to free climb. You don't have to worry about people getting pissed if you hog routes like Iron Horse.

 

[ryanb]

Can anyone think of a route that gets more ascents (and skittering feet) in the PNW than Classic Crack in L-worth?

 

5 gallon buckets at smith?

The veneer on some of the stuff in the smoke bluffs makes and 11worth polish seem down right rough.

[kevbone]

Can anyone think of a route that gets more ascents (and skittering feet) in the PNW than Classic Crack in L-worth?

 

Classic Crack at Broughtons in Portland.

 

 

[RJRiha]

Can anyone think of a route that gets more ascents (and skittering feet) in the PNW than Classic Crack in L-worth?

 

5 gallon buckets at smith?

The veneer on some of the stuff in the smoke bluffs makes and 11worth polish seem down right rough.

 

Maybe 5 gallon due to the longer season. It probably hasn't seen the total number of ascents that CC has though considering CC has been climbed for decades more than 5 gallon.

 

I'll agree that some Smoke Bluffs routes are quite worn (Burgers and Fries). That rock is more fine grained than L-worth though, and if CC was that type of granite, it would be literally marble smooth.

Edited January 11, 2010 by malcolm777b