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