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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 22, 2009 - 04:17pm PT
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I posed this question on a TR of the East buttress with no answers so far. We got way off route on the East ledges decent since we had never done it before. We came across this fixed line in the picture below. Solid chains on top held a traversing single line, which was held at the mid point by manky pins, and the second half leading to another tree. Below this a sheer vertical 200 foot drop with a small ledge about 60 feet down. From there we had several more rappels to get to the main gully. We are just trying to figure out where we were, as an internet search has yielded nothing. We realize now where we should have been, but are still clueless as to where we were. Thanks!
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Oct 22, 2009 - 04:45pm PT
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yeah, you dont wanna go that way man...
You should have rappeled straight down from the first set of big bomber chains on your own ropes to another staition on a ledge a bit to the rappelers right.
that is station C in the supertopo.
That old fixed line is on a free route that nobody does. Werner knows the name of it.
Glad you made it down safe!
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mongrel
Trad climber
Truckee, CA
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Oct 22, 2009 - 04:49pm PT
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You also don't wanna be doing it at night either, but you probably figured that out too. (Full disclosure, I've done a wrong-way E. ledges descent too - in the dark of course.)
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2009 - 04:59pm PT
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yeah we were warned not to do the decent in the dark if we have never done it before. lesson learned. next time we will at least research the decent a bit more. beginners errors can be made anytime i guess, cool calm decisions got us off that thing,........... we got lucky as well i suspect. I blame myself......i am usually the beta guy for our adventures.
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Oct 22, 2009 - 05:21pm PT
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I am not sure why that rope is even there...it's a sucker rope for unsuspecting parties. Would be a good one to remove.
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Shimanilami
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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Oct 22, 2009 - 05:22pm PT
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The first time I did it, my partner and I were hunting around trying to figure out the way. Tommy and Beth come tromping along, "Follow us."
Damn straight, I'll follow you. They fixed a nice new line for us to use, too.
It was very cool, although we probably would have figured it out any way. Probably, I think.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Oct 23, 2009 - 04:15pm PT
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Here's another topo, if you don't have the supertopo:
(topo redrawn nicely by Greg Opland)
The fixed line you used was anchored to (5) and (4).
Your photo was probably at (4).
As Matt mentioned, you are supposed to rappel straight down and slightly right, 145', where there is a choice of anchors.
The anchors I like are shown with arrows, they have ledges.
There are other anchors straight down which are hanging stances.
I think most people use the "alt. rappel route" to the left, which I believe can be done with a single 60m rope (although the supertopo shows some length 100'). The supertopo of the East Ledges descent is on p.70 of "Yosemite Valley Free Climbs", 2003 pdf version. This "alt. descent" is anchor series C on the supertopo.
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 23, 2009 - 04:35pm PT
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damn I wish we had that when we were clambering around in the dark with no moonlight and only headlamps. :)
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 23, 2009 - 04:46pm PT
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meh.......
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Oct 23, 2009 - 04:51pm PT
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I am no valley local. I do clearly recall my heavy, bigger partner making the ledges on a set of rappel anchors. I kept ending up a little short and had to get clipped off to the anchor and slide off the end of the rope. Exposure generally doesn't bother me, but it is a tad unnerving to be sliding off a rappel rope on your first decent of El Cap. I didn't enjoy it. I was with a well known local who should have known better and apparently enjoys testing valley visitors in immature ways.
Long ago, I learned that scoping the descent could improve your experiences immensely. This lesson was learned in my first descent off the Grand in crappy, blinding weather. Numerous other adventures reinforced the need to be cautious about knowing how to get off before going up. Some lessons we need to learn more than once. AND simply climbing with someone who has gotten off this formation before is not always a good enough insurance policy. A headlam isn't sufficient insurance either. Somehow we didn't fall down a hideous descent gully from Snow Creek Wall in Leavenworth, but we did spend all night picking our way down. Truly, it is my vision of what hell must be......
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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Oct 23, 2009 - 04:51pm PT
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I'm knott giving you a hard time. Maybe Chris should make it even more obvious there is a free topo of the descent?
I'm jus' sayin'....
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Lambone
Ice climber
Ashland, Or
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Oct 23, 2009 - 06:33pm PT
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In the topo above, if you have 60m ropes you can go all the way from the second rappel to the ground (and skip the tree anchor to the right). It is a rope stretcher and requires some 3rd class downclimbing at the bottom.
Also, I usually rappel the slabs from the spot marked "lowest pine tree." If your pig took you over the edge you'd be done. Throwing your ropes down the slabs is the crux, and I have found it's best to leave them packed in rope bags that you rap with so it feeds out easily.
Most people rap down (5 raps) on fixed lines from the Alt Rap route, but often those lines are in poor shape and I have found that if you have to pass a bunch of knots and do some jingus stuff, it's not much faster then doing 3 raps on your own ropes.
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JakeW
Big Wall climber
CA
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Oct 24, 2009 - 01:06pm PT
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As mentioned, there are two main rap routes. The one on climber's left is lower angle, easier, and possible to rap with one 60m rope(not sure if that was mentioned yet). I did this once when there were no fixed lines, it was a while ago, but I think you have to use some trees...obviously a longer rope or multiple ropes make it easier.
Of course I have to mention that permanently fixed lines are prohibited in the wilderness, and they do get removed from this location when they're unsafe.
Always be prepared to rap using your own rope(s)! I know this seems like its a lot harder, but when I did it was amazingly simple and easy, assuming you know the standard rap route on climbers left...even in the dark.
That random fixed rope up there is on some old route...its in the green guide and apparently a lot harder than it gets rated. The rope's on our endless list of trash to eventually be removed.
Jake Whittaker
The Yosemite Climbing Ranger's Subby
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Eric Beck
Sport climber
Bishop, California
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Oct 24, 2009 - 02:54pm PT
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In 1963, after doing the East Buttress with Dan Doody, later killed ice climbing on Mt Washington, we headed for the East Ledge descent. The instructions from Roper included heading down until it was clearly no longer 3rd. We tied both ropes together at point (5) in Clint's topo. I went down to a big ledge. Dan followed and we pulled the ropes down and were stuck. This was before it became the established rappel route. Dan led 60 feet of aid up and right to get us back on the East Ledge.
For some reason we spaced past the instruction to then do a pitch down the East Ledge.
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corniss chopper
Mountain climber
san jose, ca
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Oct 24, 2009 - 08:09pm PT
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Its a telling point that there are no good photos of the
East Ledges descent.
Folks have beer & burgers on their minds.
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 24, 2009 - 08:13pm PT
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How do people fuk up this descent?
It's almost impossible to screw it up.
If you can't find it you're not a climber ......
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brotherbbock
Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 26, 2009 - 12:13pm PT
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Wow WBraun......that's one of the dumbest things I've seen written in a while.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Oct 26, 2009 - 12:30pm PT
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Werner's laughing.
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Oct 26, 2009 - 03:00pm PT
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Here's a photo of the general area of the East Ledges Descent, taken from After Six.
I'll try to add an overlay version with the different rappel and climb options drawn in later.
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SuperTopo on the Web
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