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kunlun_shan
Mountain climber
SF, CA
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May 24, 2015 - 09:11pm PT
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From what I can figure, there's an obvious chimney at pretty much the northwest corner of the summit plateau that leads to a long talus field, which, since it's the standard ascent route, should be pretty easy to find the right route down without too many sucker trails that cliff out. Is that a good assessment?
With what you describe above, you have a good idea where the "standard route" descends. You should not have much difficulty finding it. If your descent route is not easy and steep 3rd class, that's not it.
Here's a pic looking down from above the top of the chimney. Tyndall is in the distance, top right, almost lined up with Milestone on the skyline.
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melon
Trad climber
Contrived description of location withheld
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May 24, 2015 - 11:29pm PT
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Thank you, that's what I figured, and thanks much for the pic!
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overwatch
climber
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May 25, 2015 - 07:39am PT
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Tyndall looks huge.
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melon
Trad climber
Contrived description of location withheld
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Jun 30, 2015 - 08:27am PT
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Thanks to all who posted up info here. It was definitely helpful (moreso than any guidebooks I have) and contributed to our success this weekend. Joe and I went up to Shepherd Pass on Friday then did the Long Twisting Rib on Saturday. A couple of things that stick out in my recollection...
If you think the route looks big, wait til you see the approach and descent. :) This is a pretty big day, especially since it will probably be following your hike in to Shepherd Pass or Williamson Bowl, which is also a pretty big day.
We third-classed the route, despite having a rope and small rack. Honestly, I can't imagine how you could rope up for this thing unless you were hoping to bivy somewhere on it. If you're even considering doing this route, you're probably in fine form to solo it. I can't speak to the full descent from the West Horn, as we rapped about 80 feet of it, but on the way up, there was always a third/fourth class passage on top-notch rock.
All the beta we saw indicated that all difficulties are passed on the left. There was only a single mandatory fifth class section on the entire ridge (in my estimation) and we passed it on the right. It looked like you could drop waaay down left to pass it, but you can take a tiptoe ledge on the right under a little roof, then make a coupe of easy fifth class moves to regain the ridge. It's tremendously exposed. Here's a picture, facing the exact spot, right around 12,500 feet.
And here's one looking down on Joe making one of the easy fifth class moves to regain the ridge. The photo doesn't do it justice, but the exposure on these few moves was just tremendous.
Anyway, that was our experience. I've posted an album of (way too many) photos of our weekend on Flickr here. There's comments on most of the photos, and some of them may provide some useful beta.
This was a really big day for us, especially starting out a bit worked from the hike in the day before. The basic ridge approach beta is good...head across the talus at around 11,000 feet and just keep heading left and up, always looking up for indication that you're on the "correct" ridge. It's a complicated jumble of rock ridges and talus fields down low. The rock is really good quality. What a day!
Thanks again,
Chris
Edit: Joe had a GPS with him recording a track log. When I overlay it in Google Earth, I see that from about 13,000 to 13,500 feet, we had wandered over to the east of what is certainly the proper route for the Long Twisting Rib. So my beta, for that stretch at least, is probably pretty useless after all! Ha! Here's a screenshot of where we went.
FWIW, the climbing in the section where we were east of the ridge was some of the nicest! :)
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Gary
Social climber
From A Buick 6
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Jun 30, 2015 - 11:22am PT
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melon,
Very nice!
Tyndall looks huge.
It does, until when on the summit you look over at Williamson.
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melon
Trad climber
Contrived description of location withheld
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Jun 30, 2015 - 01:40pm PT
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melon,
Very nice!
Tyndall looks huge.
It does, until when on the summit you look over at Williamson.
Thanks! Indeed, Williamson is a massive mountain, and Tyndall was an easy pleasure the day after our Williamson fun. This is what Williamson looks like from the summit of Tyndall...huge, complex, and prominent.
For all the up-and-down and extra surprises that the approach, climb, and descent of the Long Twisting Rib had in store for us, Tyndall was the exact opposite; a very straightforward climb with a fantastic summit ridge. Almost like dessert after the big meal that Williamson was the day before. We'd read nothing about Tyndall before we went up there and were pleasantly surprised by the straightforward climb and the beautiful, slender, almost flat summit ridge. A great, and beautiful mountain.
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