After completing Horn Peak https://www.mountainproject.com/route/112076405/north-arete last summer, then doing it a second time because it was so good, I knew I had to check out another one of these 1970/71 Rowell, Jones, Henzie FA’s. Looks like they bagged some fine lines those years. South Arête of the Angel Wings is on that list and Rowell returned in 1971 to do the North Face of Glacier Ridge (5.7).
Big Bird was another fine climb. I mean, I think we were in the right dihedral. I would’ve imagined they picked that big, beautiful and obvious corner on the NE Face too. A mix of grassy cracks and clean splitters were encountered, with a few sections of 5.10a/b climbing. Is today’s 10a/b 1970’s 5.8? Topping out in the Tablelands was a very cool and different experience. Wild adventure climbing at its finest. Figured it to be a little over 1000' of climbing. We did it in 6P ~200' pitches like this:
P1: 5.9+ dirty start to cool chimney w/ double cracks.
P2: 5.6/7 some veg. scrambling.
P3: 5.2 scrambling to the start of the big corner 5.7
P4: crux 5.10b squeeze to hands, fingers. sustained.
P5: fun 5.9 crack/corner to 5.8 chimney exit.
P6: 5.6 slab/corner to finish just left of the summit.
70m rope. doubles 0.3"-1", single #0.1,#0.2,#2,#3. #9,#11 hexes, stoppers, 11 alpine draws.
Approached from Bearpaw area over Lightning Pass. Could also be approached via Pear Lake or Deadman Canyon. There is an incredible camp at a pond in the Tablelands up above 11k on the Kings/Kaweah Divide, 'top of the world'. Topped out 30 mins from our camp.