Rebel Yell (III 5.10b) Chanti Spire

 After attending Graham Zimmerman's slide show the night before Ryan and I (Who hadn't climbed together nearly all year, which is rare) decided to go up to Chanti Spire in the Wine Spires and climb Rebel Yell (III 5.10b), famous for its upper OW pitches. Ryan who had been riding a desk most of the summer claimed he was out of shape but we still made it to the base in around 3 hours. We did bring boots and crampons but not axe because we heard it was icy and boy was it icy. The snow getting up to the base just after crossing Burgundy Col was bullet hard, it was worth the weight after all.

 Ryan O'Connell on the last part of the approach. It had been snowing the last few days leading up to this and we were stoked to be in the Sun!!!!

 A newer variation start on Mountain Protect is the new way to go, instead of climbing the 5.9 chimney which is a little dirty then traversing left to the main crack system. You just start at the bottom of the Crack system via a broken but clean 5.9 pitch and then a splitter 5.10b finger crack pitch which Ryan is pictured on above.

 Ryan on the famous headwall 4-5" crack. This actually wasn't the crux nor was it very sustain, the crux was actually at the very start of the pitch and was more awkward than hard with funky jamming

 Ryan on the same amazing pitch, we went into the shade in the afternoon and it was cold

 4" splitter-ville

We each led to the tiny summit individually, it was small, exposed and cool.

4:15 hrs on Liberty Crack (V 5.10 C2+) Liberty Bell

Jason Broman and I drove up to the pass to try and climb the Liberty crack as fast as we could. I got the hang of Short fixing while climbing the Nose in a day last fall with Graham Zimmerman and wanted to try it on Liberty Bell. I hadn't climbed the Liberty Crack (V 5.10 C2+) in nearly 8 years and needed to get back on it. I knew the Roger Strong had the speed record at 6 hours car to car. I didn't think Jason and I would have any hope of beating that so we just tried to be effecent. Without even realizing it we did the route 6:25 car to car.  Liberty Crack is certainly one of the best routes at Washington pass

Hear I am starting out the first pitch with the Lithuanian lip above me. The first pitch was a little wet but I still free climbed nearly all of it, pulling only on the fixed pins and a nut or two. The first pitch is C2 or 5.11a/b or 5.10 C1.

Me Self belaying out the Lithuanian Lip C2

Above: Me farther along on the Lithuanian Lip, Jason Broman jugging pitch 4, 5 or 6, they all went so fast.

Me leading out the 4th pitch, a sweet 5.10a hand and fist crack

Above Jason flying on the Juggs and below us on the summit only 5 hours after leaving the car Jason says he didn't even feel like we just climbed a grade V route let alone a 1200ft route, we couldn't believe how fast it went down, so fun!!!!!

Clean Break (IV 5.10b/c) Juno Tower with the Crew

 Clean Break is a spectacular 1500ft route on East side of Juno Tower, one of the peaks on Vasiliki Ridge just North of the Wine Spires. From the Liberty Bell Group Vasiliki ridge looks rather unimpressive but form the east the towering 1500ft wall is quite the opposite. I had climbed Clean Break 6 or 7 year previous and remember it being fantastic so, with a crew of Mountain Madness buddies we decided to hike in and do a "photo shoot" on it, climbing as two groups of two for better photos. I went up with Jason Broman on my rope, with Tino Villanueva and Dave "Alpine" Ahrens on the other.  We hiked up Silver Star creek, which is more direct but I am not sure it is faster with a bunch more light bush whacking and a small swamp to contend with. We also left packs at the base and returned to them.

 Tino leading the first amazing pitch. Sometimes routes can be hard to find the base of, this is not the case with Clean Break. The first pitch is a .75-2" splitter up white dead vertical clean granite, thus the name "Clean Break".

 Tino getting his send on, rated 5.10b/c, no move might not be harder than 5.10b, but its pretty dang sustained but also awesome. Dave Ahrens stand below belaying.

 Dave Ahrens leading the second pitch, steeper than it looks in this photo. Below is Jason Broman leading the 5th pitch. Clean break is a spectacular route, pretty sustained with 7 of its 15 pitches being 5.10. The route gets enough traffic that it is pretty clean. route finding is pretty straight forward and it took us 3.5 hours to approach, 4 hours on the route, 1 hour back to the base and 3 hours back to the car going up and down Silver Star Creek.

Big Kangaroo, Becky-Tate III 5.9

In late September Jason Broman were up at the Pass trying to get some climbing in before the end of the Season. As we rounded the hairpin it this is what we saw. The weather forcast called for increased clearing but it had snowed quite a bit nearly down to pass level over night. The previous day we drove up to the pass only to turn around and drive back down to Mazama and climb the Sisyphus (III 5.11a) on the Goat Wall.

 Still looks pretty snowy up there.  So we opted to head for the 800ft South face of Big Kangaroo. Hoping its steep clean and south Facing aspect would make it dry enough and warm enough to climb.

 On the approach we took what we later found out was the wrong "Col".

Looking back up the verglased scree in the wrong pass. We went over the pass right next to half moon, when in fact the best pass/Col to cross is dead center between Halfmoon and Big Kangaroo, it is broad and scree covered but never as steep.

Because of the Freezing Temps we where forced to chop bollards in the snow and rap down, this was easier than trying to descend the bullet hard snow or the icy scree in our approach shoes. We had no ice axe and no crampons.

Hard to belive how much warmer it could be in the sun. We went from Freezing cold to hiking with no shirts. This was my first visit to the South Face of Big Kangaroo and it is quite an impressive face. If this wall faced the highway it would be climbed every day, but instead its semi-secrecy and 3 hour approach makes it rarely climbed.

 The Face of Big Kangaroo, The Becky Tate follows the right trending ramp in the middle right part of the face. I would return a few weeks later and Free Climb the Kearney-Thomas which climbs steep cracks on the right side of the face.

 The View as we approach the base of the Wall

 Jason leading the 5.9 fingers technical crux which was excellent, but for those unaccustomed to Wide cracks the array of sometimes run-out chimneys will likely prove more difficult.

 Jason Sending pitch number 5 on the Becky-Tate AKA the 1967 route

Me climbing up pitch 6 and enjoyable 5.8 undercling

 Jason on top of the South face at the col between the South Face and the True summit. From here we attempted to tackle the direct route to the summit. DON'T its horrible, so loose, instead descend down scree 150ft and cross North into another gully and ascend 4th and low 5th class rock for 3 pitches until the final 5.6/7 slab

Freedom Rider (V 5.11b or 5.10d scary) Liberty Bell

 In Mid September Andy Dahlen and I went to climb the Freedom Rider (V 5.11b or 5.10d scary) on the East Face of Liberty Bell. Andy had never climbed Liberty Bell and I thought it was funny that his first route would be something else besides the Freedom Rider. Some people love the Freedom Rider, in Fact its AAC president Steve Swensons favorite route in the Cascades. Everyone agrees it burly, stacked with sustained 5.10 pitches a few of which a pretty loose. The crux is either a burly (Only really burly for about 8 feet pulling a small roof in a 7" crack. The 5.10d crux is more rarely done and is a little run out and very delicate with very small pro. Andy and I didn't have much time so we drove up from Seattle and hopped on the route. I did think the Freedom Rider was burly but fun. It took me 9 hrs on the route, twice as long as it took me to climb either Liberty Crack or Clean Break for reference.

 Andy Following the first pitch, supposed to be one of the "Easiest" pitches on the route, it is only 5.8 but 5.8 R at a minimum.

 Andy leading the 5.10 second pitch, it was pretty good

Andy Following the crux 5.11b pitch. We opted, like more people for the harder but less scary OW. It is mostly mid 5.10 Owing but pulls a small 2ft roof at 7" and that us solid 5.11b. You could aid through it on a big Cam. After the roof you climb up a bit farther before steeping right into a splitter finger to hands crack which feels like a dream after the hand stacking madness. The other 5.10d Var starts and ends in the same place, it is slightly less direct but it means you don't need big cams. It is very thin, and very techy with a little spice through in. It isn't quite as clean because it isn't done as much.

Andy of the 4th pitch, this pitch follows a straight forward crack before making an exposed move left.

Andy on the top of the 7th pitch where Freedom Rider joins Liberty Crack for 2.5 pitches before going though the Medusa Roofs.

Andy on the summit of Liberty Bell after 9hrs on the Freedom Rider

The boys in Blue on the top

You gotta love the East face of Liberty Bell

Gato Negro (IV+ 5.10d) With Rebecca

On Rebecca and I's third day in the Wine Spires we decided to go and Climb Gato Negro (IV+ 5.10d) on the Whine Spire. The Whine Spire is a sub-peak of on the East face of Silver Star. Gato Negro is a newer route first climbed by Larry Goldie and Scott Johnston in 2001. It has mostly awesome pitches with a few looser sections. The route is certainly worth doing but it is "kinda in your face" for most of the route.  Adding to that is all the pitches on this route are long, with many around 180-190ft with none shorter than 150ft.

Rebecca approaching the base. This patch of snow seems to always be here and can be a little tricky to get across. There also some scree moats which are a pain to get across.

Me leading up the spectacular first pitch. Don't start on the easier looking chimney around the corner and to the right. This pitch is even better than it looks with many excellent finger locks and great jamming. 

 Rebecca following the first pitch

Rebecca cruising up the 1.5 pitch getting to the base of the 5.10a "Sport" pitch. 

Rebecca following pitch #2

 

Rebecca following the super fun bolted 5.10a bolted face climbing on pitch #2. The climbing is never that hard but sometimes feels committing on fragile feeling flakes.  

 

 Rebecca following pitch 8, a cool rising traverse under a green roof. The rock gets a little loose and hard to protect toward the end of the pitch.

Me climbing the final awesome 11th pitch. A few committing moves down low lead to splitter cracks on this final head wall.

A close up on the same pitch

Making a few raps over the top leads into a steep and extremely loose gully. being mid September it got dark early. I had descended this gully once before and it was a little unsavory, lots of 4th class loose down climbing, a few rappels, stuff falling down everywhere. Well we better hurry it gets dark soon.

Trying to battle our way down this complex extremely loose gully in the dark was hard and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It took us nearly 3 hours in the Dark to work our way down it and back to the Base.

Rebecca wishing we where down, back in camp. We where hoping to hike out that night and drive to Bend for a Wedding, man its going to be a long drive tomorrow.

Me wishing we where back in Camp

So happy to be back in camp, mid-night. I guess thats what happens when you leave after 7:30 in hopes of it getting warmer.

We wished we could sleep in but we had to pack up, hike out and drive 9 hours to Bend Oregon.

Rebecca on the hike out. Looking as cute as ever. Below she crosses Early Winters creek before the final up hill hike back to the car. Upon reaching the car we drove 9 hours to Bend for Chad and Diana's Wedding. We where kinda worked on the Drive.