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tattooed_climber
Sep 7, 2005, 4:40 AM
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Registered: Dec 13, 2003
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This Route has been awhile in the planning. graniteavenger contacted me about a month ago, and suggested that we do this route called Widowmaker's Arete.
How about some beta shall we?
Widowmaker's Arete is the only sung about route on Crown Mountain, which is seen from Vancouver and the approach is from Grouse Mountain Ski Resort. Widowmaker's Arete is considered to be the Alpine in Vancouver's backyard.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60651
The left hand peak is the summit of Crown Mountain and the right hand peak is "The Camel"
Crown Mountain, with its FRA in 1895, is a 1503m peak. According to Alpine Select by Kevin McLane, Widowmaker's Arete is a 10-12 pitcher, grades from 4th to 5.9: sounds fun, eh?
So a Week ago myself and Nick agreed to do the route on Sept. 4th but when we met in the Grouse Mountain Parking lot at 6am, the thunder clouds above were telling us all about the route. Tomorrow's the word.
TOMORROW:
At 0615 we're hard busting a nut up the infamous (I say that 'cus I would never consider that fun) Grouse Grind and after 15 Min's the 2 egg Mcmuffins I had for breakfast are causing a riot with my stomach; The diggestive process is a cruel thing. So we're slowed down a bit.
An alternative to doing the Grouse Grind is the Sky Ride, North America's largest aerial tramway. $24.somethang for a round trip or the dirtbag 'Down' ticket of $5.00.
After, be sure to tour the tourist/rich person death trap restaurants or gift shops, and see all the crap the ski resort has to offer. OR! you could follow the signs that say "CROWN MOUNTAIN" with an arrow and go do some alpine.
NOTE: be sure to Register! Its free, just fill out the piece of paper and drop it in the box at the BIG map outside the village. According to that map, from the Village, Crown Mountain is only 7.4 Km away (I’m assuming this is taking the Scramble route, which is well established)
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60653
The Dude with the hawk: Nick aka GraniteAvenger
Now, when taking the Scramble route/trail as the approach be sure to exit at Crown Pass (col between Grouse and Crown) and Follow the trail the leads down to the Gully from the top, don’t follow the trail we did which comes to dead end forcing you to descend down to the gully through thick bush (and since it rained the day before we became soaked).
At this point, follow the Orange Trail maker tape. By the last of the tape, you should see the face were the route starts, head into the bush and then up the gully to the face.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60659
Nick above his first piece on the first pitch
The first two pitches go at 5.8, and the second has more loose rock and even worst pro than the first, if you didn’t bring a helmet to this show you’re stupid and going to die. Be sure to test every hold and knock on it, but you may still get a surprise like I did on the while seconding the second pitch (basicly I avoided this HUGE loose block, and while I was above it, a hold broke, I hit the block on the way down and I landed on my feet on a ledge below the block as it slid a foot).
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60666
Nick on the third pitch
The next pitch to the aręte is low 5th slab with next to none for pro, and a small overhanging 3m wall to jump over to the next belay.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60667
Nick on the top of the third pitch
After the next belay, afew moves of 5.7, then its all scrambling babying! Free-solo if ya dare! Scramble up the huge ramp to your left to get back on the Arete. The Rock is pretty Solid here.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60643
Nick Free-soloing. The key is to follow the Narley Arete
Now the aręte comes smack into the third to last pitch which traverses around a face and back on the aręte. Nick climbed this route before but he couldn’t remember this pitch at all, over lunch, both of our ‘lead into the unknown’ spirits were withered down as we ate Babybel cheese.
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60669
The ‘Hairy’ pitch
Course, we could have onsighted it no problem if I had brought:
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60668
…a new spin on psychological pro…
To Climber’s left there is a wickedly HUGE ramp which goes down some stupid distance which we bailed down. This was both mine and Nicks first climb together and it still was a good day and a great ‘get to know ya’ climb. So we ended up going a 3/4 variation.
The Bail off down the ramp with a lot of 4th class down climbing, some manky raps, a questionable FP, and lots of wet rock. Down and down we went.
*What we didn’t climb, after this hairy pitch, comes the crux pitch of 5.9, with a short OW. Then its all aboot the Camel!
THE CAMEL:
Info pulled from Bruce Fairley’s A guide to Hiking and Climbing in Southwestern British Columbia the Camel has 11 short routes up it. There is a Rap block and a rap anchor. Grades are from 5.0 to 5.9 (so there is some fun TR and leads to be had after the nice Alpine route). After you climb the Camel, Rap into the col and continue to the Crown Mountain Summit. Follow Descent Trail back to Grouse.
Then we went into the loose crappy gully from which we came, then up the loose crappy gully from which we came, then back up to Grouse Mountain.
Dehydration, sore, and tired, after 15 hours we return to our vehicles in the parking lot (via the SkyRide).
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squish
Sep 7, 2005, 7:12 AM
Post #2 of 10
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Registered: Sep 2, 2003
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Nice TR!
The "4th to 5.9" rating is actually kind of funny. The old Dick Culbert guidebook had the whole route as "4th class."
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tattooed_climber
Sep 8, 2005, 5:27 AM
Post #3 of 10
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Registered: Dec 13, 2003
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In reply to: Nice TR! The "4th to 5.9" rating is actually kind of funny. The old Dick Culbert guidebook had the whole route as "4th class."
After reading alot of beta of peaks from Bruce Fairley’s guide, there's a shite load of stuff origianl graded 4th or low 5th thats now pretty moderate stuff... The old-school mentality I guess. But with abit of Alpine climbs, the route is limited to a slab or ridge which there could be many ways up it, easy or not.
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macherry
Sep 8, 2005, 3:06 PM
Post #4 of 10
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Registered: Sep 10, 2003
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In reply to: Nice TR! The "4th to 5.9" rating is actually kind of funny. The old Dick Culbert guidebook had the whole route as "4th class."
i love old school ratings!!!
nice tr phil!
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graniteavenger
Sep 10, 2005, 6:41 AM
Post #5 of 10
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Registered: May 8, 2004
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Good TR matey, Perhaps another attempt some day, or perhaps we should just go to the pub and get blathered!! 8^)
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tattooed_climber
Sep 10, 2005, 5:07 PM
Post #6 of 10
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Registered: Dec 13, 2003
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hummm?going back down that gully????or getting blathered!???....getting blathered sounds goooood!
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peas
Mar 23, 2006, 8:58 PM
Post #8 of 10
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Registered: Mar 30, 2002
Posts: 400
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Is "The Hairy Pitch" pic taken from the notch just below where you actually start climbing onthe Camel proper? If yes, then I think that I traversed out left from a cleft just below the notch, then up. If not, then I don't remember ever seeing or climbing through terrain like that .
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graniteavenger
Mar 24, 2006, 5:43 AM
Post #9 of 10
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Registered: May 8, 2004
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Yeah, the pic is about 1 or 2 pitches below the Camel (depending on route). I remember the first time I did it we went round to the North face of it and up a nasty off width (in situ large cam [not], I tried to clear it, but was unable to...).
There was a sling up on the East face above the notch, about 12m up, as well.
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JMace
Sep 18, 2007, 12:19 AM
Post #10 of 10
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Registered: Sep 17, 2007
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Too bad about the bail, I just wanted to let you know that this pitch you labelled Hairy Pitch
http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=60669
The ‘Hairy’ pitch
is not near the end, in fact is only the second headwall of 3. You climb the obvious flake in your photo then go straight up..about 5.8.
Here is my shot of Graham climbing the flake, I also have a TR on bivouac.com
http://www.flickr.com/...6031@N00/1399548114/
We climbed the route as a threesome in 6 hours which falls in the middle of Mclanes suggested time.
Good Luck next time
Cheers
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