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Base Camp
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- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: July 17, 2009
- Miles Hiked: 6.0
- Elevation Gain: 1,100'
- Hiking Partner(s): Eli Helmuth &
Jeff Shafer
- Description:
- Since Jeff and I wanted to try some harder climbing but knew we
didn't have the ability to lead trad above 5.7, Jeff asked his friend
Eli Helmuth to take us up Sykes Sickle on Spearhead. Most of the
grades I found online rate the climb 5.9+. Although I don't have a
lot of rock climbing experience, I thought it was at least 5.10 on the
crux pitch. As Jeff and I ate breakfast, Eli arrived from his hike
in during the morning. There was still a relatively steep
snowfield at the base of Spearhead so we traversed to the far left of
the face and ended up completing three slabby traverse pitches across
the lower left face to reach the Middle Earth Ledge and tie into the
Sykes Sickle route after completing the first pitch of Spear Me the
Details.
- The first slab pitch went quickly and wasn't that steep or
difficult. The second friction pitch was more difficult and had a
couple of delicate moves to begin the pitch. The third pitch
started up a large left facing crack and then continued to traverse to
the right. At this point, I was tied into the rope about 15 feet
above Jeff. I moved up the crack and then waited for Jeff to work
his way up the more difficult lay back. The next piece of gear was
still above and to the right of me on the traverse. As I stood
there enjoying the scenery and waiting for Jeff I remember thinking to
myself "why is there so much tension on the rope all of the sudden?".
The next thing I knew I was pulled from my stance and barrel rolling
across the face. Jeff came off and pendulumed to the right which
pulled me off too. Jeff swung around once and I rolled across two
or three times before we were both hanging below the last piece of gear.
My hand was cut up and bleeding and I banged my shoulder and elbow
relatively hard, but nothing serious enough that required us to bail.
HTFU, right?
- After the third traversing pitch, we were almost on the Sykes Sickle
route where the more vertical climbing began. The fourth pitch had
another thin traverse before moving into easier ground and heading up.
The fifth was the start of 3 consecutive 5.9 pitches. Pitch five
started off relatively easy and ended with a couple of difficult moves
to the belay station. The sixth pitch started near the base of the
Sickle with an off-width climb, to another tricky thin traverse and then
up a large crack to the belay station 30 feet below the roof of the
Sickle. Jeff belayed and I videoed Eli as he lead the crux seventh
pitch with ease. As he slipped out of sight, I asked him what
happens if we can't climb it. He clipped an extra sling to a
fixed piece of gear and basically said pull on gear if you need to.
- Jeff went first and struggled up the crux. After hanging a
while and grabbing gear, he pulled the roof and the difficulties were
behind him. I tried to talk to him once he was through, but he was
struggling to catch his breath. He finished the pitch up to Eli and then it was my
turn. I started off relatively well but peeled off trying to stem
across the crux and cut my other hand on the rock. After I came
off, was bleeding, and had a heart rate near 200, my only goal was to
get up the pitch and screw the style points. I'm sure a real
climber watching me would have been entertained by the flailing and
thrashing about. I pulled the roof as Jeff did with a left heel
hook and felt I could breath again. I continued up a large crack
system leaving a trail of blood every place I put my left hand. I
peeked over a lip and not only did I see Jeff and Eli at the belay
station, I also viewed the 5.7 slab traverse I needed to cross to reach
them. I was gassed from the crux so the only thing that came out
of my mouth was, "You've got to be effin' kidding me".
- After leading the friction pitch on the Upper Exum route on the
Grand Teton, I've been somewhat sketched out by slab climbing. I
felt like I did very well earlier in the day on the numerous thin slabby
traverses we had already climbed with what seemed like no hands or feet.
However, at this point of the day I wasn't in the mood for any more
tricky friction climbing. Jeff and Eli joked that there were all
kinds of jugs above me and I needed to just go for it. I slowly
worked my way up the pitch past the lone bolt trusting my feet on every
move. There were no jugs. Upon reaching them, Eli took off
for our eighth and final easier pitch of the day. We shook hands
at the top of the climb but balked at scrambling to the actual summit of
Spearhead. Eli lead us down the class 4 southeast descent route
rather than going down the backside of Spearhead like we did earlier in
the week. Eli took off down the Black Lake Trail while Jeff and I
returned to pack up camp and hike out Glacier Gorge. We stopped at
Ed's Cantina in Estes Park (CO) for fish tacos and a margarita on the
way home.
- Maps:
-
Click here to view a map of the
area where this hike is located.
- Photographs:
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