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Base Camp
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- Statistics:
- Date Hiked: January 24, 2010
- Miles Hiked: 1.5 (Estimate)
- Elevation Gain: 700' (Estimate)
- Hiking Partner(s): Jeff Shafer
- Routes: WI3+
- Description:
- We had originally planned on climbing a day or two down by
Silverton/Eureka (CO) on some easy multi-pitch ice to escape the Ouray
Ice Park. Unfortunately, Red Mountain Pass was closed for our
entire trip down, so Bob, Brian, John, and Kevin took off for Telluride
(CO) early Sunday morning to catch the fresh kung-pow that had fallen
overnight. Since we couldn't go to Silverton (CO), Jeff and I took
the opportunity to climb Dexter Creek Slabs outside of town. The
route was in different shape than last year, but we persevered and
completed the climb.
- The approach pretty much sucked as it was 8-12 inches of fresh snow
on rock/dirt/tree/etc. It wasn't a nice boot pack like last year.
It took us longer, but we finally made it to the base of pitch one.
Jeff led the short pitch one (WI3) to a tree anchor. The next
section of the route was a snow climb last year, but I didn't feel
comfortable free climbing it this year because it was a long stretch of WI2
under a new deep layer of snow. You couldn't see your placements
or feet very well. I led this section clearing as much snow as
possible and getting a couple of screws in to get us to the base of the
steeper ice using an ice screw anchor to bring Jeff up on. Jeff led this good ice
pitch (WI3+) which ended up being a fairly steep section for us.
He got several screws in and when he yelled down that he was passing an
old V-thread, I told him to clip it. Free pro right? He
finished the pitch and brought me up on a tree anchor again.
- I followed the pitch miserably. My technique was bad, my
footwork was worse, and I had the screaming' barfies when I got to the
top. I was beginning to think I drank too much the night before.
Once again, the next section was a snow climb last year, but this year
it was WI2 covered in snow which made it harder than it should have
been. I knew I couldn't reach the top of the ice in one rope
length, so I built an anchor about half way up when the difficulty
increased to WI3. When Jeff got up to my anchor, I realized that I
had left my V-thread chord and hooker in my pack at the base of the last
pitch. We could have easily lowered off my ice screw anchor,
retrieved the necessary gear, and resumed climbing, but I decided to
test my mountain skills.
- I hit my V-thread hole on the first shot and blew the excess ice out
like I was playing a tuba. I slammed Jeff's tool in the ice and
cut off an appropriate length from his anchoring chord for a V-thread
using the top of his ice tool pick. I put a sling into one of the holes,
inserted the chord in the other hole and through the sling, and then (as
Will Gadd would say) pulled on the sewn sling like I was pulling a skier
off my sister. It took me about 8-10 tries to get the chord
through the V-thread without a hooker, but it finally worked and I tied
a double fisherman's knot to finish our V-thread.
- I felt a little redeemed from my previous bad climbing and was ready
to finish the route. Jeff allowed me to finish the climb which was
about half WI3 and half WI3+. I felt much better physically and
mentally on this portion of the climb and brought Jeff up on a tree
anchor. Similar to when I followed Jeff's harder pitch, now Jeff
had cold hands as he finished off the climb. We rappelled off the
tree back to the V-thread I built setting off a fairly sizable slough.
We then rappelled off my V-thread back to our packs at the base of the
start of the harder climbing. We used an existing V-thread to
rappel back to the tree above pitch one, and then rappelled off the tree to get
back to the base of the climb. Mountain Project seems to indicate
that the last pitch is harder than the previous, but I think both times
I climbed it Brian and Jeff led the harder pitch which was the second to
last. The last one
is moderately steep, but it isn't as sustained.
- Maps:
- Photographs:
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