Don_Serl Posted January 16, 2005 Posted January 16, 2005 (edited) Climb: Hope Ice Route-Thacker Falls Date of Climb: 1/15/2005 Trip Report: executive summary: general incompetence and blundering (plus a "little black book") yeilds a new route and a fine day out. Robert Nugent and I went out to Hope, but couldn't "put together" the river crossing at Sumallo, despite guidebook assurances. we walked a shaky log (in crampons, with ski poles). I ended up breaking the ice supporting one of the balance poles and had to make a splashing exit. then we discovered we were on an island, with a bigger channel beyond! (this was just upstream - west - of the Buszowski-Kippan). we came back to the highway (splash/dash ford at a riffle), drove back and forth looking, went down to the riverbank in a couple places, and never did discover a reasonable place to cross. so we abandonned Sumallo Bluffs, turned the heater on high to dry out, and headed back to Hope. cuz i had an idea... see, there's this fine waterfall on the right wall of the chasm of Thacker Creek, immediately south of Exit 173 at the east end of Hope. you don't see it eastbound, but it's briefly visible westbound. and it seldom freezes. plus you don't want to be in the chasm if there is any avvy hazard at all. we drove as far as Flood to get some photos (2 cars at Mousetrap), then came back and parked halfway down the eastbound exit ramp at the creek drainage. there's a short spur road left of the creek, then open bushwhaking to the chasm; then it's up the drainage - 70 mins to the base. the climb lies out of the main drainage, on the right wall. it's a broad, steppy flow: two 55m pitches at Gr3+4- (wld get the lower grade with better ice). first pitch is a bit steeper, the second featured somewhat funky ice. we belayed and rapped from a convenient 6" cedar on the right at the top. and then the fun started (or resumed). Robert had forgotten his headlamp (no trouble, i had a spare in the car), but while i had tucked mine in my Blitz Crag, Robert had left his at the base. and the day was wearing on. plus Rob's belay plate was at home with his climbing gym gear - no problem belaying with a Munter, but rapping damp stiff ropes that way wasn't too appealing. so, i rapped first, to the first station (which Robert had left in) to set the Abalakov, then Robert pulled the plate back up on the rope. the V-thread did not go well, and i had to try 3 times to get something satisfactory in brittle ice. meanwhile, Robert arrived, clipped into the belay and then muttered "ahh, fuck, i left my tools up above"... stuck in the duff above the cedar! luckily, we'd rapped direct from the tree, so Robert took the headlamp and my tools and re-climbed while i Munter-belayed around the tree from below. poor tree... in the end, he finally regained the belay, and we finally regained the ground, but there was certainly a lesson to be learned that even the most experienced of us can push ourselves into "epic" circumstances when we slip up on minor details. good route, btw. watch for it... cheers, Gear Notes: headlamp belay plate Approach Notes: left of drainage halfway down eastbound exit 173 at Hope Edited January 17, 2005 by Don_Serl Quote
Dru Posted January 16, 2005 Posted January 16, 2005 If I'm not mistaken Jordan's photo is of your route? Quote
jordop Posted January 16, 2005 Posted January 16, 2005 Wow, somebody told me that thing is like "Carl's Berg stacked on top of Carl's Berg" That's the last time I ask any questions about unclimbed routes in this forum Quote
jordop Posted January 16, 2005 Posted January 16, 2005 Way to go Don, that thing was to have been the plan for today if the weather hadn't f*&^ked off Tho I think that is "Thacker Creek", is it not? Quote
Dru Posted January 17, 2005 Posted January 17, 2005 The maps do have it as Thacker Creek. I suppose it could still be called Thornton Falls though Quote
Don_Serl Posted January 17, 2005 Author Posted January 17, 2005 (edited) Way to go Don, that thing was to have been the plan for today if the weather hadn't f*&^ked off Tho I think that is "Thacker Creek", is it not? oops. yup, it's Thacker Creek, therefore Thacker Falls. will edit... the mind is slipping... (as for Carlsberg stacked on Carlsberg, somebody has got to learn to read ice from a distance...) cheers, Edited January 17, 2005 by Don_Serl Quote
Don_Serl Posted January 17, 2005 Author Posted January 17, 2005 (edited) If I'm not mistaken Jordan's photo is of your route? yup, that's the one. we found lots more ice. p1 went to the angling ledge (belayed in centre of flow). for future interest, there were big drools off the lower left end of the slanting ledge, almost reaching the ground. would make a fine 35m WI5 pitch to the tree if it filled in. there's also a short (say, 15m) column in the main drainage at the same point. cheers, Edited January 17, 2005 by Don_Serl Quote
jordop Posted January 17, 2005 Posted January 17, 2005 Way to go Don, that thing was to have been the plan for today if the weather hadn't f*&^ked off Tho I think that is "Thacker Creek", is it not? oops. yup, it's Thacker Creek, therefore Thacker Falls. will edit... the mind is slipping... (as for Carlsberg stacked on Carlsberg, somebody has got to learn to read ice from a distance...) cheers, Or maybe to stop trying to protect ice FAs with (poorly) attempted misinformation Quote
jordop Posted January 17, 2005 Posted January 17, 2005 And at the end of the day you have your black book routes well protected and that is the only thing that matters in this world and the next . . . Quote
fern Posted January 17, 2005 Posted January 17, 2005 too funny. we almost went up this thing today too. Instead we opted to go climb something that was actually IN the book and couldn't find it Quote
artesonraju Posted January 17, 2005 Posted January 17, 2005 Way to go, Don. Glad to hear you got up something after the ordeal at Sumallo Bluffs. After searching up and down the road for another hour or so, David and I went right back to the spot that you had tried earlier, and finally found a way across the second channel. A very tenuous crossing on thin snow-covered alders above a 4' deep channel. After another hour of thrashing uphill, we managed to get up three pitches (3+, 3, 4+ maybe) of Landmark Gully which was quite good. The enormous icicle wasn't touching, and we really weren't into drytooling at twilight. So, we rapped, got back to the base just at dark,and headed out by headlamp. Another couple of parties did the Buszowski-Kippan that afternoon as well. A good time was had by all. Cheers Quote
David_Parker Posted January 17, 2005 Posted January 17, 2005 Way to go, Don. Glad to hear you got up something after the ordeal at Sumallo Bluffs. After searching up and down the road for another hour or so, David and I went right back to the spot that you had tried earlier, and finally found a way across the second channel. My middle initial is "P" for perseverence! I was more interested in doing one of those 3 climbs than trying to find something else using an old guidebook in an area I know nothing about! Our 4th and final v-thread was built in deteriorating light as our headlamps were at the base in our packs. Quote
Don_Serl Posted January 17, 2005 Author Posted January 17, 2005 Way to go, Don. Glad to hear you got up something after the ordeal at Sumallo Bluffs. After searching up and down the road for another hour or so, David and I went right back to the spot that you had tried earlier, and finally found a way across the second channel. A very tenuous crossing on thin snow-covered alders above a 4' deep channel. After another hour of thrashing uphill, we managed to get up three pitches (3+, 3, 4+ maybe) of Landmark Gully which was quite good. The enormous icicle wasn't touching, and we really weren't into drytooling at twilight. So, we rapped, got back to the base just at dark,and headed out by headlamp. Another couple of parties did the Buszowski-Kippan that afternoon as well. A good time was had by all. Cheers good going. persistence pays. as for the crossing, i'm thinking cable, next summer sometime... great climbs when they come in. didn't Crunchy Frog look superb? (at least, i guess that's what it was. fit the description: 2p steep, then an easier pitch...) cheers, Quote
Dru Posted January 17, 2005 Posted January 17, 2005 The problem with those Sumallo log jams is tha they come and go every time it floods. Last year there were lots of jams as a result of the October 15/04 flooding, it sounds like they have washed away now. Quote
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