The original
plan was to get up early to go climb Hyperspace on the Snow Creek Wall. We
leave the bus around 6:30AM and drive straight to the trailhead. Even before
we park the Jeep, it becomes clear that the weather isn't cooperating: we
can see the wall from the road, and it is already in full sun. The clouds
were supposed to stick around until 11AM according to yesterday's forecast…
but they're clearing up way too soon. It doesn't take us long to give up on
that idea. It is simply going to be too hot up there. A few years ago, we
had to bail after climbing RPM because of the heat… don't want to do that
again.
Lucie
suggests we try climbing on Careno Crag, right across the road. We walk down
the road a few hundred feet to get a look: not that great! Looks very broken
and a bit bushy. But what the hell, we're here, so we might as well hike up
to go get a closer look. We are not at all enthused but we go up the trail
anyway. Even in the shade on this side, the heat is getting to us. The trail
is steep and we are sweating like dogs. Fortunately the approach is pretty
short. When we reach the base of the routes, our level of enthusiasm does
not improve… the first pitch of the regular route looks OK, but very short,
and ends at a tree! The other route further left looks worse yet…
Lucie
doesn't want to climb. I do. After a bit of sitting around, we go for it.
The first pitch turns out much harder than it looks from the base. Just looking
at it beforehand, I doubted it would be any harder than 5.9 (it is rated 5.10).
Well, it is 5.10 all right, and the pro at the first crux in the crack is
pretty bad indeed (ground fall potential). Then onto the bolted face, which
feels really steep. The holds are small and there are only just enough of
them to get through. Quite sequency. We both get nicely pumped, but make it
through. Vast ledge and chain anchors at the top.
The next
pitch looks quite good, though a bit short again (90 feet). It is a clean,
classic dihedral with a hand and finger crack. It is rated 5.7, so I convince
Lucie to lead it. She's not too confident at first, but the climbing is good,
sustained but with great rests. She grows into it. Huge ledge again and chain
anchors at the top.
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Eric
just above the crux on pitch 1 (5.10).
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Higher
on pitch 1.
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Lucie
leading pitch 2 (5.7).
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A
sweet and clean dihedral.
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The
third pitch is 5.8. Lucie stemming the twin cracks at the crux.
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The third
pitch is rated 5.8 and looks good too. Not as clean as the second but there
is a fun-looking 5.8 lieback/stem section half way up. Lucie's lead again.
She's a bit more confident now. She does very well through the crux section.
Higher up, just before reaching the huge pine tree on the next palatial ledge,
she freaks out at a risky move above a ledge. Probably about 5.8 (mantle and
slab moves out of a finger crack), but with ground fall potential. She gives
it a shot but not seeing any pro above the crux move, decides to bail, taking
a short fall onto a medium nut. She sets a belay in the crack and brings me
up.
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The
last pitch goes up a thin fingery crack/seam (5.10b).
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Following
the last pitch.
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Views
from the top.
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I finish
the pitch to the gigantic ledge and build a trad anchor. The last pitch goes
up a thin fingery crack/seam straight up from the ledge. The initial moves
pass an overhang at the undercut bottom of the wall. Pro is available but
must be placed while sidepulling an insecure edge. One tough pull and things
get easier, with good pro at intervals. The crack ends at a horizontal break
(good pro here), then reappears through a steep 5.10 bulge. The moves are
quite committing and strenous, and protection at the crux is really poor (the
fixed pin is no longer there; instead you get a really bad medium nut placement
in a flare, and a half-engaged Alien). I am convinced the pro won't hold a
fall, so I am pretty gripped through the moves above. Two thin moves before
the crack opens up again and you get an insecure rattly finger jam and some
flared weirdness above. At least you can get a decent Alien in the finger
section. Not really unsafe, thanks to the good cam in the horizontal below
the crux, but still pretty scary. Bolted anchors at the top (two sets... !?).
I belay
Lucie up, then lower her back down to the ledge, before rapping on one rope,
after dropping the other. I thought there were bolted anchors further left
on the ledge, but this is not the case, so we end up rapping off the huge
tree. I don't want to leave slingage, so we run the rope around the tree (I
know... but it's big and with thick bark). I am worried about the friction
while pulling the rope but that goes fine. The 60m rope is a bit short reaching
the next ledge so we have to downclimb a couple of moves. We should have done
a double-rope rap from the top anchors all the way to the ledge at the top
of p2. Two more 30m raps and we're on the ground.
It's pretty
damn hot and sunny by now. We pack the gear and leave. Not a very worthwhile
climb IMHO, mostly because of the very broken line (large ledges) and short
pitches, though the climbing is actually not bad. P1 and P4 are potentially
dangerous, due to poor pro at the cruxes and the proximity of the ground/ledge
below.
