Easy Alpine/Multi-pitch in the NW
Duncan Watson
I find my trad skills on the wane recently. Too much single pitch
sport/gym climbing was the diagnosis. A contributing factor has been
partner schedules and car problems.
So I find myself craving easy (5.7 or less) multipitch climbs in the
Pacific NW. I am looking for both ideas and possible partners.
Some of my targets include:
Beacon - nuff said
Ingall's Peak - 3ish pitch easy alpine climb in the Washington
Cascades.
The Tooth - 3 pitch easy alpine climb in the Washington Cascades.
Liberty Bell - The Beckey route is a 5.6 and around 5 pitches.
What do you think?
/Duncan
Mike Garrison
>
> So I find myself craving easy (5.7 or less) multipitch climbs in the
> Pacific NW. I am looking for both ideas and possible partners.
>
> Some of my targets include:
> Beacon - nuff said
>
> Ingall's Peak - 3ish pitch easy alpine climb in the Washington
> Cascades.
>
> The Tooth - 3 pitch easy alpine climb in the Washington Cascades.
>
> Liberty Bell - The Beckey route is a 5.6 and around 5 pitches.
>
> What do you think?
About what? It's not clear what you are asking for. More
choices? Comments on these? Partners?
I've both led and followed The Tooth (South Face) and
Ingalls Peak (South Face). Both are "low class 5" as the
hardest moves on the route can sort of be bypassed. Both are
fairly easy to protect (except for the fourth pitch of The
Tooth, which is easy but somewhat unprotectable). The first
two pitches of The Tooth are often done as one pitch, which
is what I assume by your "3 pitch" comment. On the other
hand, Ingalls is only two pitches, and can in fact be
seconded as one 60 meter pitch. I'm not sure if it can be
led that way though, due to some zigzagging. (Some people
may climb an extra, low-quality pitch on Ingalls getting to
the base of the route from the lake side, but it is a clean
and fun scramble to swing around the Dog Ear Crags and then
scramble up to the base of the face from the west.)
The Tooth is especially popular for beginners, so don't be
surprised to run into lines and or organized classes.
Ingalls is (rightly so) extremely popular, so again expect
delays on weekends. Ingalls is a longish day from trailhead
to trailhead, so your strategy is either to stay overnight
in Headlight Creek Basin and beat the crowds by starting on
the route early or starting from the trailhead and hope to
avoid crowds by not getting onto the rock until the
afternoon. I have come out from Ingalls by headlamp almost
everytime I have climbed it in a day.
Ingalls is most easily descended by one double-rope 60M rap.
In fact, I think the ideal rope choice for Ingalls is 60M
doubles. The Tooth can be easily done with a single 50M
rope.
-Mike
Chirs
Leavenworth. It can be called in 4 pitches and ratings from 5.7 and up
Chris
.
"Duncan Watson" <dj...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:93d1051f.03052...@posting.google.com...
Fern
> What do you think?
> /Duncan
What do I think?
I think that you posted the same question with almost
exactly the same
wording and list of routes 3 years ago, with exactly the
same thread title
and I think that is weird.
These all sound like fun routes - why didn't you climb them
after your first request
for beta?
->f
Duncan Watson
> What do I think?
>
> I think that you posted the same question with almost
> exactly the same
> wording and list of routes 3 years ago, with exactly the
> same thread title
> and I think that is weird.
>
> These all sound like fun routes - why didn't you climb them
> after your first request
> for beta?
>
> ->f
It is true, I did post a very similiar request 2 years ago.
Unfortunately 2001 was a bust for me. It was a series of bad events.
1- partner injured near st patricks day, delayed various training
trips
2- I got injured in a gym fall bouldering.
3- my partner had a gear tearing groundfall. This caused lead head
problems for everyone.
4- I had an unfortunate climbing trip that soured some relationships
with some of my climbing partners. The less details in public the
better.
I did get some good climbing in during 2001 but not one of the easy
alpine routes listed (some stuff in smith but...)
2002 was a bad year for me in that my motivation and travel see-sawed.
That is my motivation dropped when my work-related travel spiked.
This year is better. My motivation is high. I have been climbing
outdoors every month since January (inclusive) and want to get going.
The fly in the ointment was Memorial day, my plans bombed. I lost the
whole weekend due to events beyond my control. I climbed a bit at
Broughten (bouldering) but none of the planned multi-pitch climbing I
am after.
I am specifically looking for some suggestions of routes (since
rec.climbing is looking empty) and anyone who is interested in
climbing.
/Duncan
Fern
cool, well I hope your luck will be better this year. If you
want any advice on easy multi-pitch climbs in Squamish feel
free to e-mail me, as that is my area. If you are looking
for a good weekend adventure north of the border I can
highly recommend the W. Buttress of the S. Peak of the Old
Settler (see Alpine Select in BC, K.McLane). I am not so
familiar with WA state so I think others can provide better
info there.
happy climbing,
->f
A. Cairns
Duncan Watson wrote:
> 1- partner injured near st patricks day, delayed various training
> trips
> 2- I got injured in a gym fall bouldering.
> 3- my partner had a gear tearing groundfall. This caused lead head
> problems for everyone.
> 4- I had an unfortunate climbing trip that soured some relationships
> with some of my climbing partners. The less details in public the
> better.
> I find myself craving easy (5.7 or less) multipitch climbs in the
> Pacific NW. I am looking for both ideas and possible partners.
>
> What do you think?
I think you should make public the details on 1-4 for our edification, then I would
be prepared to provide direction to amazing easy alpine climbs in PNW.
Andy Cairns
Mike Garrison
>
> I am specifically looking for some suggestions of routes (since
> rec.climbing is looking empty) and anyone who is interested in
Well if you are going to be doing the Beckey Route I would
add the South Arete of South Early Winters to the list. If
you are fast you can probably do them both the same day,
even.
-Mike
Mr Powermutant
>
Hi,
I find my trad skills on the wane recently. Too much single pitch
sport/gym climbing was the diagnosis. A contributing factor has been
partner schedules and car problems.
>
>
> What do I think?
I think your diagnosis is wrong. If you had been doing too much
single pitch sport climbing (for 3 years) I would think that your
improved climbing skills would more than compensate for any wane in
trad skills. I think a more accurate diagnosis is too little
climbing.
Cheers,
Doug.
Sketchball
And if you are REAL fast you can probably do both of them and one of
the local goats too.
Duncan Watson
> I think your diagnosis is wrong. If you had been doing too much
> single pitch sport climbing (for 3 years) I would think that your
> improved climbing skills would more than compensate for any wane in
> trad skills. I think a more accurate diagnosis is too little
> climbing.
You are right. In fact I would say as well too little lead climbing.
/Duncan
Brutus of Wyde
> You are right. In fact I would say as well too little lead climbing.
If you are looking for alpine, I think you should head to the Bugs or
the Coast Range or the Canadian Rockies (But maybe we have different
ideas of alpine.)
Bugaboos:
NE Ridge Bugaboo Spire -- 5.7
Kain Route Bugaboo Spire -- easy
E. Face Snowpatch Spire -- 5.6
Kraus-McCarthy, Snowpatch Spire -- 5.8
SW Face Snowpatch Spire -- 5.7
W Ridge Pigeon Spire -- 5.4
Ears Between Central Crescent Tower -- 5.7
Lion's Way North Crescent Tower -- 5.6
Mt. Waddington:
South Face -- 5.7
NE Chimney (via Bravo Glacier) -- 5.6
Japanese Route Mt. Alberta -- 5.6
Brewer's Buttress Castle Mountain -- 5.6
East Ridge Mt. Temple
All of these are ultra-classic adventures in the rating range you
mentioned. Being the old f@rt that I am, I haven't done most of them,
and the ones I tried I didn't exactly find "easy," including the 5.4
on the list, which was too hard for me, and off of which I bailed...
Ummmm, Of and which I bailed off of. Errr... bailed off which and I
of... Grrr... Which bailed I and off witch... Offwidth...
Something like that.
Brutus
Dingus Milktoast
"Brutus of Wyde" <bbin...@ebmud.com>
> and the ones I tried I didn't exactly find "easy," including the 5.4
> on the list, which was too hard for me, and off of which I bailed...
> Ummmm, Of and which I bailed off of. Errr... bailed off which and I
> of... Grrr... Which bailed I and off witch... Offwidth...
> Something like that.
Admit it Brutus. you got your ass kicked by a 5.4 and you're mature enough
to brag about it!
(I FEAR the 5.4 that rejects Brutus of Wyde!)
DMT
stinkwagen
> Duncan Watson wrote:
>
> > 1- partner injured near st patricks day, delayed various training
> > trips
> > 2- I got injured in a gym fall bouldering.
> > 3- my partner had a gear tearing groundfall. This caused lead head
> > problems for everyone.
> > 4- I had an unfortunate climbing trip that soured some relationships
> > with some of my climbing partners. The less details in public the
> > better.
>
> > I find myself craving easy (5.7 or less) multipitch climbs in the
> > Pacific NW. I am looking for both ideas and possible partners.
> >
>
> be prepared to provide direction to amazing easy alpine climbs in PNW.
I think he should definitely provide details on #'s 3 and 4 if he's
trolling for partners. As for the route rec's, you've got enough from
your earlier post to keep you busy and happy for quite a while.
Chuck
Sketchball
> > Duncan Watson wrote
> > > 4- I had an unfortunate climbing trip that soured some relationships
> > > with some of my climbing partners. The less details in public the
> > > better.
>
> I think he should definitely provide details on # 4 if he's
> trolling for partners.
>
> Chuck
Yeah, like #4 - did your partners dump you in the desrt cause they
figured you were a loser or what?
This is just like cascadeclimbers.com hey chucK ;) You think we should
set this guy up with catbirdseat and scot'teryx :O
Jason Liebgott
> (I FEAR the 5.4 that rejects Brutus of Wyde!)
purely speculation...
Pitch one: 5.3 "Snow choked chimney melting into frozen waterfall. Boot
became frozen into stream, had to chew off foot."
Pitch two: 5.4 "Land sharks started appearing out of the snow covered slabs.
Some had lazers on their heads."
Pirch three: 5.4+ "Required ackward dyno to a chicken wing."
j.
^,,^
now our brother Duncan wrote, in part, and over multiple posts:
> I find myself craving easy (5.7 or less) multi pitch climbs in the Pacific NW.
> I realize that this would have been a better list to compile during the summer
> since I am a rock guy and not a snow/ice climber.
> 1- partner injured near st patricks day, delayed various training trips
> 2- I got injured in a gym fall bouldering.
> 3- my partner had a gear tearing groundfall. This caused lead head problems
> for everyone.
> 4- I had an unfortunate climbing trip that soured some relationships with some of my
> climbing partners. The less details in public the better.
> I find myself craving easy (5.7 or less) multipitch climbs in the Pacific NW.
> I am looking for both ideas and possible partners.
[and]
> I am willing to consider snow travel, I just have limited experience and so
> want to avoid crevasse issues and other snow related issues. Anything in
> the range that has such issues will just be delayed until I get such
> experience. Easy stuff that could be handled with some common sense and
> training would be fine.
and we, as a group, responded with what were at first good, well good
enough, ideas such as 'E face of Beacon;' 'West Ridge of Prusik Peak;'
'the perpetually crowded Great Northern Slab at Index/Castle Rock;'
Spiderman/Moscow/and Superslab at Smith'
fine. so far...
but soon the thread decayed (once again) into what specific
make/model/&modifications of 4x4 vehicle of satan he/you/us might drive.
arghhh. hell, i spent 8 years with a small group of fellow
ne'er-do-wells in a '72 volvo 244 wagon for which we as a cluster had
chipped together $350. we had put 800,000+ miles on it. from talkeetna
to chileno and back/back. and she (sarah the vulva) did just fine.
until that fateful day when one mr peter lim, a professional accident
(we later learned) who had hammered 18 other vulvas in that same
calender year, did the same to sweet sarah as bruce, steven, abby, and
mine dumb self buzzed across the sf/oakland bay bridge that fateful
sunday morning at 10 am. most all of us who had lived in/on/with sarah
the vulva met some months later on boundary peak (nv) to bury her 9
known sets of keys and with that transmute her soul into the next
reincarnation. i suspect sarah is now a gifted 4 year old in tibet.
well/hell, all you need is ground clearance. for we routinely slithered
past the bogged down equivalents of what would today be a humvee or
ford, er , valdez bogged down on steep muddy logging road - simply
because sarah the vulva had just as much ground clearance, was narrower,
had snow chains on all 4 bald tires, and as we had slithered her in
argentina where there is no rescue we knew the meaning of the words
"slow" and "prayer".
which is to HINT: don't let those shiny mtv-like ads -- all of which
seem to end up doing whirly spinnies on the 'playa' at the black rock
desert these daze fool you. (a spit of earth dear to me, see
http://www.aurobora.com/bman or just as well, don't.) better still,
next time you encounter a climber of talent and earned repute (which
anyone who knows me will assure you, quite rightly, is not me -- though
i have seen a few of them, once or twice) check out what they are
driving. to date i've yet to see a climber i admire (all of whom have
some serious mileage on them) driving anything worth more than $700 at
the trade in lot.
ah guy gear... big, little, shiny or not - blah...
~~~~~~~
but i digress.
massively.
SURPRISE!!!
ah, who'd'a thunk it?
BWAAAAHAAAHAAAA&etc [tm: my brother Lupo of the sfgoth list]
~~~~~~~
anywho, by time i got home and (stupidly?) took the time to read it all,
this thread then thrashed and dangeled into the following:
> If you are looking for alpine, I think you should head to the Bugs or
> the Coast Range or the Canadian Rockies (But maybe we have different
> ideas of alpine.)
>
> Bugaboos:
> NE Ridge Bugaboo Spire -- 5.7
> Kain Route Bugaboo Spire -- easy
> E. Face Snowpatch Spire -- 5.6
> Kraus-McCarthy, Snowpatch Spire -- 5.8
> SW Face Snowpatch Spire -- 5.7
> W Ridge Pigeon Spire -- 5.4
> Ears Between Central Crescent Tower -- 5.7
> Lion's Way North Crescent Tower -- 5.6
well, being comfortable on snow WOULD REALLY HELP and there are a few
CREVASSES and BERGSHRUNDS, but the granite is as solid (MOSTLY) as the
valley or cathedral/nh and there are boatloads (too many?) fellow
climbers tripping over each other and you, and some of the very best SAR
teams in the world are within pissing distance...
sure, fine, well - good enough.
but.
> Mt. Waddington:
> South Face -- 5.7
> NE Chimney (via Bravo Glacier) -- 5.6
> Japanese Route Mt. Alberta -- 5.6
> Brewer's Buttress Castle Mountain -- 5.6
> East Ridge Mt. Temple
tell me, are you trying to kill our brother duncan? what did he ever do
to you/me/us to deserve such a fate?
sure, the routes you mention are all under 5.7 (assuming you are so
gifted/lucky enough that you can see well enough through the
snow/fog/hail to find the path of absolute least resistance - none of
which this small dog is/did)...
but then everest is 5.2 - max (not that i've been above, well, er, lets
say base camp as i would like to go back to nepal) but on this i have a
quorum of a couple of souls who have summited everest more than once.
and the west buttress of denali is 3rd class, max. and aconcagua is 4th
class. and alpamayo is 5.4 max. technically trivial rock. and if it
weren't for all those crevasses, seracs, bergshrunds, avalanche chutes,
altitude issues, pie-plate bad ice and the like they'd all be trivial.
only none of them are.
same is true of waddington, (mt) alberta, castle mtn, and mt temple.
sheesh.
now no doubt my brother brutus can climb circles around me - while
wearing roller skates and boxing gloves. and no doubt his intentions
were honorable (i've read a fair number of his posts and have yet to see
evidence otherwise). but sending a soul who has the self knowledge,
honesty, and chutzpah to acknowledge that he is "a rock guy and not a
snow/ice climber" looking for some <5.7 multi-pitch rock cruises on
which to swing back into his groove to such loose piles of FBS
(FossilizedBirdShit) replete with all manner of objective dangers on
such routes where even 'the great ones'[tm] more often than not have a
hell of a time staying even close to on-route (and with it in this
lifetime) is,
well,
to this small dog,
rather,
um,
un-good.
i mean really.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
but then, what do i know....
be well, fight nice (better yet, leave the pee-cee behind
and go climb something), keep the shiny side up, don't trip
over your own... & etc
^,,^ [akc: dogboy - or just dog, as dog-boy is redundant]
now: SARONG; STAND FAR OFF was: SARONG; NOT SKIRT
FERAL; NOT IMMORTAL FERAL; NOT GOTH
TOO CLOSE; SO FAR IMMORTAL; SO FAR;
TOO CLOSE; STAND FAR OFF
~~~~~~~~~~~~OB:OtrPplQuoteWad Follows~~~~~~~~~~
"I know I am intelligent, because I know that I know nothing." -Socrates
"Good manners are the pocket change of morality" -Dave Barry
"Be firm till I return from hell.
I am very hungry. I am incomplete.
And none can tell when I may dine again.
No man can give me any word but Wait,
The puny light. I keep eyes pointed in;
Hoping that, when the devil days of my hurt
Drag out to their last dregs and I resume
On such legs as are left me, in such heart
As I can manage, remember to go home" - Gwendolyn Brooks
~~~~~~~~~~~~OB:OtrPplQuoteWad Ends~~~~~~~~~~~~
don't anthropomorphise ^,,^ -- what's the point?
Sketchball
> > Mt. Waddington:
> > South Face -- 5.7
> > NE Chimney (via Bravo Glacier) -- 5.6
> > Japanese Route Mt. Alberta -- 5.6
> > Brewer's Buttress Castle Mountain -- 5.6
> > East Ridge Mt. Temple
>
> tell me, are you trying to kill our brother duncan? what did he ever do
> to you/me/us to deserve such a fate?
>
> sure, the routes you mention are all under 5.7 (assuming you are so
> gifted/lucky enough that you can see well enough through the
> snow/fog/hail to find the path of absolute least resistance - none of
> which this small dog is/did)...
>
> but then everest is 5.2 - max (not that i've been above, well, er, lets
> say base camp as i would like to go back to nepal) but on this i have a
> quorum of a couple of souls who have summited everest more than once.
> and the west buttress of denali is 3rd class, max. and aconcagua is 4th
> class. and alpamayo is 5.4 max. technically trivial rock. and if it
> weren't for all those crevasses, seracs, bergshrunds, avalanche chutes,
> altitude issues, pie-plate bad ice and the like they'd all be trivial.
> only none of them are.
>
> same is true of waddington, (mt) alberta, castle mtn, and mt temple.
>
> sheesh.
>
There is no glacier, ice, or even snow on Castle Mountain. It's a
crag. Who you trying to fool.
"Sheeesh"
Brad Cooke
Sketchball wrote:
> There is no glacier, ice, or even snow on Castle Mountain. It's a
> crag. Who you trying to fool.
There's snow on it now... which begs the question that myself and a regular
partner pondered quite a bit this winter: why is there no ice on Castle?
Bizarre. Any answers? Anyone?
Anyway... All the routes listed seemed like good choices to me! And
everything in Selected Alpine Climbs is true too, dammit.
BC
A. Cairns
"^,,^" wrote:
> mountaineering
For essence of ^,,^, and we'd better take brevity when we find it, I nominate this post for Best of Rec.climbing '03, a concept I don't understand, but this post deserves recognition if only for being a rare and generous act of un-sandbagging.
Andy Cairns
Chiloe
of some writing by Andy Cairns, not that there's any connection
except taste.
^,,^
> There is no glacier, ice, or even snow on Castle Mountain. It's a
> crag.
you are entirely correct.
as such, i stand corrected -- on two legs even, a trick you kids do all
the time but i can only pull off for a few seconds and a few paces.
my bad. strikingly so as it is an example of precisely the route
misinformation that i was so vainglorious as to preach against.
mia maxima culpa. for my penance i am wearing the requisite hairskin
nether garments and will avoid contact with WOTOGs
(WomenOfTheOpposingGender [tm-Lupo, sfgothlist]).
though i will cut my fool self this much slack - and with it spare
myself the hot wax on my wrists: if one's positively gotta screw up on
route info, better to err on the order of "oh be sure you have double
boots and snow flukes for that july attempt on tangerine trip" rather
than at the other extreme, on the order of "oh c'mon, a pair of running
shoes, a stylin' doo-rag, and a pocket full of fig newtons are all you
need to do the cassin on denali, dude..."
for the former will only piss them off, the latter could well kill them.
in a larger focus (or as the MBA's slobber: "let's shoot up 30,000 feet
and see the big picture...") it might be worthwhile to consider in a
quiet moment - which these days either while sitting on the toilet or
caught in traffic with your radio shot - precisely who our enlightened
brother dante chose to put in the lowest bolge (level) of hell.
judas? nope. judas resides in the penultimate level of hell. at least
according to dante. and if you believe in such a thing as hell. fwiw,
this dog doesn't. this dog is dead on "without knowledge" (a-gnosis).
that and this dog figures that if there is such a thing as an all
powerful conscious creator then that entity would surely be far bigger
then a piddling human sense of 'justice' and 'punishment.' someone
wrote somewhere that god made man in his image. to my eye i suspect the
opposite is far more likely.
but the lesson dante offers is a powerful regardless of where one fits
in the great gray scale of theology.
dante reserves the lowest grimmest level of hell fire for those who (in
his opinion, of course) commit the very worst (ibid) of sins. the one
he saw as truly unforgivable: leading those innocents who rely on you
into disaster.
as such Dante deposited the hero of my bookish romantic youth, brother
Odysseus (latin: Ulysses) in that lowest crevasse of hell. stunned me
when i first read the inferno. but then at the time i had read only the
greek side of the story (Odyssey, Illiad) - not the roman side of the
story (or better stated, end of the story). and as dante read latin but
not greek he only had the roman version of the tale. hence the
confusion. or so i figure. but what do i know. to get a sense of the
romans view of the greeks odysseus, Tennyson's "Ulysses" is a good and
easily available vehicle as any. Just be forwarnedthat for the
romantics among you -- both the poem and the poet are sweeter then
mexican cough syrup. and at the right moment equally intoxicating.
also equally addicting.
yeow, that was a galaxy class digression. stuns even me.
~~~~~
well, back to important and pertinent facts
[bwaaahaaahaaa&etc tm-Lupo]
as for your contention that "There is no glacier, ice, or even snow on
Castle Mountain," you are only part right. sure, that's true today.
and true for a pretty long time now.
but back in my 'ute when my paleolithic hunter gather clan first hung
out at castle mtn the area was _way_ glaciated and sabertooths were a
significant objective hazard. however, the giant ground sloth hunting
was great so we had a hell of a 3 week picnic. if you dig around a bit
at the far edge of goat plateau you'll likely find our fire pit and a
few shards of heat treated chert marked ^,,^ wuz here - 10,254 BCE
(yeah, we knew full well that we were all born 10,000+ years too early
to have a soul...)
and, fwiw, the guidebook is wrong regarding the first ascent. the FA
was not by Brewer and Irwin in 1961 -- though granted they were the
first to do it in a very, very long time. in fact the first ascent was
in the summer of 10,254 BCE (or was it 10,253 BCE, oh how i suck with
dates...)
anyway, the route was first climbed by Ts'chu Chan Irok ('he who is way
honed') and Angh Bhasu Ts'chlong ('he is hung like a cave bear'). i
know because i sat on the (then) glaciar scratching my mark on some
chert debitage while watching them do it. in very good style - though
Angh Bhasu Ts'chlong did hang off an elk sinew quickdraw on the 7th
pitch. just don't tell him i told you so, he has a bit of a temper, and
is twice my size.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so what does any of this have to do with any of this?
well, um... give me a minute. or 20...
imagine putting both the general topic (route
recommendations/descriptions) and my pinball variant (the mistake that
wins one a quick trip to the lowest level of hell, or so says dante)
into a cyclotron or particle accelerator. yeah, lets send the electrons
that make up this message as it rockets to your pee cee to CERN or fermi
lab. and crack 'em together at a hair under the speed of light. and
see what we get.
or better still, lets make this an exercise in speculative physics
rather than quantum mechanics.
perhaps better minds than me (and that certainly doesn't limit the field
much - here or anywhere) might be well served to consider the question
of route descriptions/route recommendations as served up on this
newsgroup.
of course such a flow of info is one of the best things a newsgroup can
offer. trolling (sic) for little known gems, or any gem i have missed
in my wanderings is perhaps the main reason i check this list out when i
have access to A/C and an ISP.
but at a certain point good natured, accurate, route advice generously
given can, will, intersect with dante's lowest bolge of hell. for being
accurate and factual isn't always enough. at times a higher standard
might well be required. the higher standard of being sure that what
info you do offer isn't likely to lead a newbie - or even an
accomplished climber who simply doesn't know the area - into disaster.
given the limitations of this or any newsgroup, i suspect it would be
well nigh impossible to give someone new to an area enough detail to
make a prudent and informed decision about a route of some seriousness,
let alone all they needed to actually pull off such a climb. your dog
defines 'a climb of some seriousness' not in terms of lofty YDS or WI
grades, but the "big picture". which is to say that some 5.14 at Rifle
with its line of high quality bolts properly inserted, or some mind (and
forearm) plowing ' out from behind the icicle via overhanging blue ice
then onto the 'easy' vertical icicle on top rope at the ouray park is is
certainly _way_ hard. but not serious. for if you blow pretty much all
you risk is a wicked harness wedgie, looking silly, and get goofed on by
your pals.
OTOH, any route on Waddington is serious, regardless of the fact that it
might only be a 5.6 - or even 4th class.
as such, it seems to my old gray eyes that it would not be rude in this
venue to respond with something on the order of "look it up, ask around,
go there and scope it carefully and get local expertise." that or are
all reasonable and excellent responses.
for it was the recommendation of routes on Waddington that inspired my
prior post.
i did a quick web search to see if other climbers recollections of the
waddington routes were in the same ballpark as mine own. soon i found
something striking -- as in anyone who agrees with me is not only
dead-on right but a genius as well -- at the site of a guide outfit out
of victoria/BC called Slipstream. note that i know nothing of this
group, though i have tripped over tim pochay and mike prochaska over the
years and both impress me.
http://www.slipstreamadventures.com/Mountain/waddngtn.htm
anyway, as a group they guide waddington and here's what one/some/all of
them say, in part, on their site about the south face route:
-"At 13,177 feet, Mt. Waddington is our primary (and the highest)
objective in the area. An awe inspiring steeple of ice sheathed rock"
-"Depending on conditions on the peak, the climb can involve steep snow
and ice climbing (Waterfall Ice III) and rock climbing to 5.7. The lower
and mid portions of the route often require picking a route through
incredibly complex glaciated terrain. Conditions on the mountain can
vary greatly from year to year but a summit attempt on Waddington often
takes between 3 and 5 days and involves long climbing days with a heavy
pack.
-"The route up Waddington itself is a serious expeditionary undertaking
that involves exposure to very real objective hazards. Previous rock,
snow, and ice climbing experience on alpine routes is essential."
-"Comparable alternatives to Mt. Waddington would be Mt. Robson, Mt.
Logan, or the Ferrari Route on Alpamayo."
well, i rest my case.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
time to try to land this mutant. or at least crash land it into some
uninhabited area where innocents won't be killed.
> Who you trying to fool.
i was of course trying to fool you, specifically, sibling sketchball.
and i clearly failed. ah, i never stood a chance of slipping one by you.
> "Sheeesh"
amen.
though fwiw, in my variant of canine vocabulary the word "yeeesh" would
have been more appropriate at your end of this conversation; "sheeesh"
more appropriate to my end.
those few of my friends among your [universal 'your' - no 'dis] "can
walk upright on two legs for long distances yet don't enough to be
polite and sniff butts when meeting new creatures" clan who have learned
to translate my dialect of dog speak will tell you that:
"sheeesh" expresses in a exhale the realization/frustration that I
personally have fook'd something up. big time.
[while, OTOH]
"yeeeesh" expresses in a exhale the realization/frustration that some
other soul, group, natural event, or (most commonly) mindless soulless
shark of a corporate entity has fook'd something up. big time.
which finally gives me my exit:
SHEEEEESH!
canis fidelis est,
^,,^ [akc: dogboy]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"ULYSSES" -Alfred, Lord Tennyson
It little profits that an idle king,
By this still hearth, among these barren crags,
Matched with an aged wife, I mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a savage race,
That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.
I cannot rest from travel; I will drink
life to the lees. All times I have enjoyed
Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those
that loved me, and alone; on shore, and when
Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades
Vexed the dim sea. I am become a name;
For always roaming with a hungry heart
Much have I seen and known---cities of men
And manners, climates, councils, governments,
Myself not least, but honored of them all---
And drunk delight of battle with my peers,
Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.
I am part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untraveled world whose margin fades
Forever and forever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end.
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
As though to breathe were life! Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains; but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this gray spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.
This is my son, my own Telemachus,
To whom I leave the scepter and the isle---
Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfill
This labor, by slow prudence to make mild
A rugged people, and through soft degrees
Subdue them to the useful and the good.
Most blameless is he, centered in the sphere
Of common duties, decent not to fail
In offices of tenderness, and pay
Meet adoration to my household gods,
When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.
There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail;
There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,
Souls that have toiled, and wrought, and thought with me---
That ever with a frolic welcome took
The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed
Free hearts, free foreheads---you and I are old;
Old age hath yet his honor and his toil.
Death closes all; but something ere the end,
Some work of noble note, may yet be done,
Not unbecoming men that strove with gods.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks;
The long day wanes; the slow moon climbs; the deep
Moans round with many voices.
Come, my friends.
'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
the sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down;
It may be that we shall touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are---
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
Sketchball
There is waterfall ice on Castle Mountain - in the Protection Valley
"MiniMecca", where Superlight etc is.
I heard the wet corner on "Happy Corner" aka "The Anus of a Pig" also
freezes up.
Brad Cooke
Sketchball wrote:
> There is waterfall ice on Castle Mountain - in the Protection Valley
> "MiniMecca", where Superlight etc is.
Superlight is on the SE face of Protection, no? I was more thinking that there might be some
sort of mini alpine route in one of the 'cleavages' of Castle itself...
> I heard the wet corner on "Happy Corner" aka "The Anus of a Pig" also
> freezes up.
I'm not sure I'm following you... where, exactly, is this?
Cheers,
Brad.
Sketchball
> Sketchball wrote:
>
> > There is waterfall ice on Castle Mountain - in the Protection Valley
> > "MiniMecca", where Superlight etc is.
>
> Superlight is on the SE face of Protection, no?
No, the "mini Mecca" is in the "valley"/giant gully between Protection
and Castle. Its all SW facing, just a bit further inside the mountain
than, say Bass Buttress
I was more thinking that there might be some
> sort of mini alpine route in one of the 'cleavages' of Castle itself...
You could climb the gullies at WI2- in winter, no doubt. But waterfall
ice is gonna be hard to find since there's not much collection area
for seepages up top. And the strata dips to Rockbound Lk, so water
might flow away from the highway when its percolating inside the
mountain....
>
> > I heard the wet corner on "Happy Corner" aka "The Anus of a Pig" also
> > freezes up.
>
> I'm not sure I'm following you... where, exactly, is this?
>
It's on the lower tier below the hut ledge, same as for
Ultrabrewers... you will have to dig out the CAJ back issues, or wait
for Banff Rock new edition, or bribe Reisenhofer, for beta....
Keith
humbled. Could I ever hope to hit the nail on the head(and shoulders and
everywhere within miles of said nail) with such naked eloquence? I think
not.
Thanks.
K