Outer Space

choice of appetizer
RPM start-
(p1) [5.6] The top of the first pitch is a double-bolted belay station about 20 feet to the right of the bottom of the double flake-cracks which lead to the roof.  You can see the slings from the rocks where we usually take our packs off.  The rope needed to get to the belay from the ground (dirt) is about 170'.   There's easy stuff at the beginning, traversing way right then cut back left.  [There's a harder way to start this via two bolts up a slab that starts about 30' left]

(p2)  [5.10b] Traverse left into the double flake cracks.  Awesome jams and finger locks up a RFC to beneath roof.  Through the roof at small cracks just above the RFC.  Straight up weakness to "Two Tree Ledge".  Good pro up and through the roof.

Remorse start-
(p1) [5.8] Start at same place as RPM.  Fourth up and back left to a dirt belay ledge. Traverse left and up.  Scary friction move then a giant ledge.

(p2) [5.6-9?]Climb up right via either side of a big block to Two Tree Ledge.  Easier to right of block. 

RPmorse start- 
[5.9] Take the RPM start to below the roof on the second pitch. Mantel up to ledge just left of roof then make an exposed (unprotected) but easy traverse left on the ledge until you join up with the second pitch of Remorse.  This way avoids the crux of the RPM start.

Original start-
(p1) [5.7] Up very easy but vegetated dihedral about 50 feet right of the RPM/Remorse start.  Climb a sandbagged 10' finger crack on the left to double-bolt belay.

(p2) 4th class on ledges left to Two Tree Ledge. Longer than 50m.

the meat
(p3) [5.9] There's 3 starts to the crux pitch (they get progressively easier right to left).  All deposit you in a LFC under a roof.  Pull right around the corner onto a very exposed hand traverse in a small-hands crack  (pic, smoot site) .  Make a couple moves up and left to a big ramp. 

(p4)  [5.8] Up over the overlap to runout knobs.  Head up and traverse left to a big RFC. Up the RFC to the top of the Pillar.  Belay on left side.

desert
(p5) [5.7] This pitch RULES! Steep, easy, perfect hands (pic, cc.com site) ; Easier to start left of crack (climb the knobs until the crack opens to perfect hands).

(p6) [5.8] Easiest way to start the 6th pitch is going left up a big flake, then do not go up LFC but make an airy step right onto huge chickenheads and traverse right one move to reunite with that perfect handcrack.  The right start is pretty fun though (boulder move over the void, protected above by a stopper).  End pitch just above a spindly bush and belay off of med-small cams. 

(p7)  [5.4 R-] Go up giant chickenheads for short distance over bulge (right).

Descent:  Follow the trail as best you can.  Do NOT turn down the first gulley.  Make your way instead down the rocky spine past it.  There's two non-trivial downclimb sections.  At a big pine, below the difficulties, head way right all the way to the stream. Double back left on a tricky traverse that stays above the stream, back to the wall. Head down a steep blocky gulley (with a big tree in it) about 30' to soft forested ground then make a hard left to traverse N below the wall. Most of the way is an obvious bootpath but it can be lost at times on the harder (rocky) sections. Would be complicated at night if it's the first time you've done it.

click to enlarge

Topo from Smoot site

Eric Hirst's Leavenworth Miniguide

Parking lot is 2.5 hours from Seattle via either SR-2 or I-90/SR-97. Get to the W end of Leavenworth and turn S on Icicle Road. Follow Icicle road for about 5-10 minutes to the Snow Creek Trailhead (on the left).

Approach:  Up a million switchbacks on Snow Creek trail `til just across from the wall. Follow faint path down to creek then go slightly right (downsteam) to crossing logs. Head back left upstream about 50 yards and find trail up through boulders and burnt-up trees.  Takes about 1-1.5 hours.

Legal bivy requires a permit.

Watch for ticks CDC on Lyme Disease,

and hang up your stuff so nose goats gitsit. 

 

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