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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 12, 2009 - 02:10am PT
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After my recent posts I am rather reticent to finally post something climbing related that doesn't involve abject imbecility. At the risk of ruining my hard-earned reputation I must confess to having gotten up at least this route. I did have to import help but it was quality of the tartan type - Alan Petit of Gargunnock. I know Petit doesn't sound very Scottish but remember that thing with Mary Queen of Scots? A good part of her posse was imported from south of the Trench.
Anyway, we think we did about the 8th ascent. We saw no sign that anyone had preceeded us except for one soft pin left near the top. It was quite the magical experience...
The Minaret from the col
The 'walk' down to the base from this col proved most unpleasant for Thom Nephew from Seattle later. He stepped on a big boulder which rolled him and broke his back. He did walk again but with some difficulty. Oh, the bivy ledge is at the very top of the Minaret where it joins the main mass of the tower.
An early pitch with the Headwall looming
The start of the 3 or 4 pitch Big Corner
You will note my alpine footwear. I turns out that Alan could wear my EB's with a pair of thick socks which is the way they liked to do it anyway. Talk about a dream team! We each took 5 pitches with the Slave in boots and carrying the pack. It really went quite fast.
Here we are at the foot of the Headwall about 14 pitches up or so, don't quote me. Rather a stunning piece of stone, eh?
This is starting the Headwall.
A tad further but not as far as the wonderful ice-filled chimney. It was just warm enough that we were able to suck a few icicles but the ol' EB's weren't liking it terribly much.
This is Alan wondering where he dropped his sleeping bag and teddy bear. Oh yeah, we didn't bring our teddy bears or sleeping bags. We're a Scot and an Irishman; one doesn't need them and the other doesn't know any better. Actually, upon examining this shot again I realized it isn't the bivy ledge. This was the shoe changeover at the foot of the Headwall.
The real bivy ledge was about 8' x 12', perfectly flat with two sides of it dropping sheer. I have a pic somewhere, but not to hand. This was the sunset from said bivy...
This was the next morning. It was colder than a loan shark's heart! We each had a parka and stuck both our legs in the pack. Then we sang songs all night in German; I went to a Kurt Diemburger slide show once and he said that worked well for him. It would have helped if either of us spoke German.
This is what Snowpatch looks like from the summit.
Le Descente
Down but not out!
Actually, that isn't entirely accurate. We rapped over the 'schrund (ok, I know that much German) and slid on our butts down to this point. From here it was a stroll to the col. Alan went about 75' and went into a crevasse up to his armpits. "Ach, Reilly, woood ya mind tossin' me an end of the wee rrrrrope?"
Adieu Howsers!
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Dirka
Trad climber
SF
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Feb 12, 2009 - 02:16am PT
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Bravo!
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Fletcher
Trad climber
the campfire just a ways past Chris' Taco stand
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Feb 12, 2009 - 02:21am PT
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Awesome! Highly enjoyable. My favorite line:
"This is Alan wondering where he dropped his sleeping bag and teddy bear. Oh yeah, we didn't bring our teddy bears or sleeping bags. We're a Scot and an Irishman; one doesn't need them and the other doesn't know any better."
Fletch (also an Irishman of sorts)
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RDB
Trad climber
Iss WA
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Feb 12, 2009 - 02:25am PT
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BRAVO! EBs and wool knee highs what could be better?
Great pics, thanks Reilly!
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Gabe
climber
San Clemente, CA
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Feb 12, 2009 - 02:31am PT
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Skully, are you out there? This is the kind of post you have been waiting for. Stellar!
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adam d
climber
CA
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Feb 12, 2009 - 02:33am PT
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Thanks for sharing this great story and pictures. The B-C is an amazing route. It certainly feels more traveled today and less out there, but still a wonderful piece of stone to move over. I'm bummed I didn't take pictures when I was on it!
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T2
climber
Cardiff by the sea
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Feb 12, 2009 - 02:39am PT
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That was Awesome Reilly!!
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Delhi Dog
Trad climber
Good Question...
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Feb 12, 2009 - 02:41am PT
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Cool stuff R.
Thanks for sharing!
Love the pics...
Cheers,
DD
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Feb 12, 2009 - 03:02am PT
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Thank you! When did you climb it? Mid 1970s, I guess?
Maybe I'll scan and post a few slides from an ascent in 1991, if I get a chance.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2009 - 03:03am PT
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Anders, I'm pretty sure it was '74.
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cmclean
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Feb 12, 2009 - 03:29am PT
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Nice! Looks like your shot of Snowpatch "from the summit" is actually from the top of Bugaboo Spire though.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2009 - 03:36am PT
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cmclean,
We're not gonna let a little Alzheimers come between us and journalistic integrity, are we? Maybe I should do an E Ridge of Bug thread to bail myself out?
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Feb 12, 2009 - 04:20am PT
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Nice! EBs, knickers, nuts & Titons!
That descent down the ridge looks sketch - the rap route used up until last year is fairly friendly - you rap all the way until past the schrund. (Although my lead line hung up partway down it, so and adventure is still possible...).
Besides the correction Cory (cmclean) mentioned, the photo labelled "starting the headwall" is actually about 3 pitches up on the left side of the headwall, so it's slightly out of order, too. It looked almost exactly the same in 2007! (I'll post a photo or two). Meantime, you can use the Edit button to fix up the captions.
Cory & George's 2006 trip report:
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.html?topic_id=251489&msg=251489
actual corner which starts the (left side of) Great White Headwall (Cory's photo):
Descending the gendarme on the Kain route on Bugaboo Spire, 1974 - not ready for the Beckey-Chouinard!!
Great stuff!
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Feb 12, 2009 - 05:05am PT
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Here are some photos from 2007 - the route is about the same (maybe that's not surprising). We didn't bivvy, and I wish we had more sun, but it was our one shot to do it before a storm came in.
Steph on 3rd class below the climb
Clint at about p4
Steph below the first 5.10 pitch
(Reilly has a nice shot leading this)
Steph starting to follow the first 5.10 pitch
Below the long midway corner
Leading p2 in the long midway corner
(same as Reilly's photo)
Steph on the crux of p2 of the corner - freeing in her approach shoes with a pack
fist crack on p1 corner left of the Great White Headwall.
(I think I'm trying to booty a green alien here, while Steph freezes in the cold wind...)
(same as Cory's photo)
Steph following our p2 left of Headwall; bivvy sites visible below.
(I started doing 30m pitches, so I could haul both packs separately on the haul line; I didn't want to lead the squeeze with my pack, and kept thinking the squeeze was on the next pitch)
Steph following our p3 left of Headwall
Hauling our p4 left of Headwall (fist crack to short squeeze).
Same as Reilly's photo - same flakes in the left crack!
Rappel route used in 2007.
In 2008 there was a big cornice above it, so people made a new rappel route further north.
Sunrise over Snowpatch from partway down the rappel route on South Howser.
Photo by Steph Abegg
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le_bruce
climber
Oakland: what's not to love?
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Feb 12, 2009 - 05:13am PT
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It's going to be sweet sweet dreams tonight. Thanks for the mindblowing picks!
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steelmnkey
climber
Vision man...ya gotta have vision...
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Feb 12, 2009 - 08:13am PT
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Excellent!
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Feb 12, 2009 - 10:08am PT
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Ahh, the sweetness! Thanks for posting Bugaboo stories, all!
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J. Werlin
climber
Cedaredge
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Feb 12, 2009 - 12:13pm PT
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very cool thank you
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 12, 2009 - 12:18pm PT
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JW, thanks, I wanted to reply to Clint but I didn't want to invoke the wrath of the Bump Police!
Clint, thanks for filling in the gaps photographically and mnemonically. You've some good shots there too. It is a good thing we didn't know that 3rd pitch or so was 5.10!
Rapping down the ridge was the only option as far as we were concerned. There were actually a few bits of webbing here and there down there.
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
Otto, NC
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Feb 12, 2009 - 12:27pm PT
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Must...visit...bugs...
Thanks Reilly!
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