jolery's Logbook (49 ascents)

After a couple of years of one-hanging this route I finally got it clean - sweet climb, very crimpy and sustained. Nice juggy holds at last bolt. Route meanders around face - follow chalk/good holds

This was a great experience - my first real success at long alpine rock climbing. We drove in on a rented Ford Escape - did great all the way up the road to the current end of the road. Got a couple of hours of sleep, up at 4 a.m., hiking by probably 5:30. Hike to base of route much longer than expected - took 3-4 hours. Did the Ledges start, but screwed it up I think - we took the big ravine to left of the black face instead of going up the middle to ledge. This was super loose and chossy, and required some roping up to get to first ledge. From there we wandered our way up and towards the arete - lots of different options. We stayed roped up entire time, simul-climbing as often as we could. We eventually hit the actual arete, which was hard to find once we were on it -wasn't an abrupt arete like I expected. Almost kept traversing mountain until I noticed the red tower feature, WAY below us - this feature was a life saver. The large headwall to the left of the climbing headwall that is visible from the start was also a great landmark. Started snowing when we hit headwall. Some route finding difficulty, I had trouble finding the crux pitch - I remembered it being right of the belay, but I only found choss and no pro that way. Eventually headed left of belay, then up and over little bulge onto a long ramp at the top of which I found what I believe is the actual route and crux pitch - a nice long pitch of moderate climbing. Last pitch is spectacular fourth class. We topped out too late - 5:30 ish. Descent was scary - there were discrepancies about which couloirs to take - we took the second couloir after the big couloir that looks like the right way to go, so third couloir total from summit. This was ok, but we got cliffed out and had to downclimb couple hundred feet of 4th/5th class in the snow. I believe the second couloir was the proper descent route, which we eventually met up with. The descent route was flagged with surveyor tape. Lots of places to bite it on the way down. I can’t really imagine a non-climber hiking up or down this way. We got to base of mountain at pitch darkness.

Amazing route, real sustained making placing gear strenuous. Watch for the rope getting stuck in a slot near end of roof traverse - plug it with a cam, or cut left then up to the anchors, or sling any piece above this point.

Route put up 11/4/2010. Search out the best handholds for clipping third bolt - focus on getting your feet as solid as possible.

Classic route on perfect rock

Wow - I felt shorter than last year when I tried it. Cool delicate move getting thru the crux and clipping the fixed draw. Jugs from the roof to the top. Very height dependent like several of the classics at HCR.

great sustained route - pretty crucial to clip from the best holds instead of from where you'd like to clip from. Clipping anchors is a little tricky if you're pumped, but the anchors have been replaced with easy to clip super shuts, and a bolt added to the route a few feet below the anchors.

My favorite of the day - have to use some different techniques up to roof, then a cool transition over to the face to the right of arete, then classic jugs to the top.

This is a cool line, starts pretty easy, then gets steep

Nice route with some overhang climbing at the top.