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| Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic |
bobmarley
Trad climber
auburn, california
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 11, 2006 - 11:24am PT
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anybody been up steck-salathe recently, or something else over there? was curious about conditions on the route, and how that descent gulley looks? thanks.
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bobmarley
Trad climber
auburn, california
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Topic Author's Reply - May 12, 2006 - 11:09am PT
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so no one's been up there huh? anybody know if the narrows are typically wet early in the season?
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Brutus of Wyde
climber
Old Climbers' Home, Oakland CA
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May 13, 2006 - 12:31pm PT
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I've seen them dripping a little in May and early June, but not enough to be concerned about. The descent gully is the real crux for early season ascents. The worst part when snowy, though, is after the descent joins the main gully. You can easily eye conditions here from the Valley floor.
Brutus
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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May 13, 2006 - 03:34pm PT
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A few shots of snow from early June '95...
Brutus is the hot model...
Starting up the descent gully... 300 foot snowfield. Getting up this in running shoes was sorta scary.
Skirting the left side of the snowfield at its base.
Snow up near the notch (close to the top of Sentinel)
Bonus Shot: Brutus leading the Wilson Overhang (pitch 4).
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bobmarley
Trad climber
auburn, california
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Topic Author's Reply - May 15, 2006 - 11:34am PT
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that's a sweet shot of the wilson overhang!
i was in the valley over the weekend, and sentinel creek was raging. you gotta cross that creek twice on the descent. i'm wondering if it might be a bit too early season, for the steck.
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ZAllen
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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May 15, 2006 - 12:43pm PT
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So, why were you guys hiking up the descent gully?
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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May 15, 2006 - 03:02pm PT
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I wondered if anyone would notice that... :-)
Brutus had been doing some bolt maintenance on the route and had a load of gear up there. Ropes and such. The day before we climbed it, we hoofed up, dropped off comfy bivy gear, grabbed the other stuff and hiked back down. Brutus had all the food (and I'd guess most of the weight in retrospect) in his pack and sorta snuck off to stash stuff in that snowbank up near the notch. The next night, after the route was behind us (holy sh*t was that a beating!), Brutus disappears for a while to retrieve the food...about an hour later, we're passing wine around and the surprises just kept coming. For dinner, we had grilled prawns, wild rice and chicken breasts. The next morning, while I'm still groggy in my bag, he brings me an ice-cold 20 oz. Mountain Dew. Nectar of the gods!
Brutus is one helluva guy! 5.14 on the person scale!
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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May 15, 2006 - 03:07pm PT
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First time I ever saw the Valley was to do the Chouinard-Herbert on the Sentinel with one guy I'd never met and my usual partner. We topped out the second day right at dark. Had to onsight the descent gully in the dark by headlamp half in the bag with dehydration. It was like the three drunk stooges coming down that gully. I still remember how good the water from the creek tasted. I'm standing in it refilling my bottle while my regular partner is going on about giardia. I didn't give a crap about no amoeba just then.
Take that gully seriously. That thing is dangerous and loose.
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bobmarley
Trad climber
auburn, california
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Topic Author's Reply - May 22, 2006 - 01:01pm PT
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bailed off the steck-salathe on friday morning. got to pitch 3, clouds rolling in. we called it and bailed. bailing off the sentinel sucks! as of friday, the conditions were excellent. sentinel creek was flowing, but definitely cross-able, after the descent gulley.
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| Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic |
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