Turk's Head Ridge Beta

So, I'm hitting the lake in a few weeks and am contemplating doing the ridge to get in some multipitch practice. I've read the guidebook and MP entry and looked at the topo, but there's a few things I'm still not sure about and was wondering if anyone's done it and doesn't mind sharing beta. My questions are somewhat related and kind of revolve around the same thing:

1) Does it have more of a multipitch trad, or more of an alpine feel?
2)Is it an actual multipitch (albeit consisting of tiny pitches), or is it more of a linkup?
3) Do you have to switch into hiking boots and hike between pitches, or could you put on a comfortable pair of technical shoes (say, TC Pros) and keep them on to the top of the ridge?
4) Are the belays usually ledges on the climbs (like Weissner's), or do you "top out" between pitches and build an anchor above the route? Basically, I'm wondering how often you'll need two anchors up at once and if you'll need to be tied into the previous anchor while belaying the leader.

Again, all of the Qs basically boil down to #1, but the clarifications will help w/ gear selections and time allotment. ;)

Haha, ok. That's what I figured, but I didn't want to show up with 1 cordelette and then realize half way up that I needed to anchor in for a belay. Sounds like it could go pretty fast if you know what you're doing, then.

Hawks nest has a number of routes that break up nicely into two pitches. Also, Doorway rocks has a few nice 2-3 pitch sections you can link. Another fun option is to climb with a 50ft rope. You then have to pitch things out as you run out of rope... Also, for anchors use your climbing rope. Its strong and you always have it with you; unless you are doing all the leading of course...

Just skip turks ridge and go to weissners face and do that in 2 pitches belaying from the small ledge at the tree. Turks is good if your just learning how to trad climb, but it didnt really feel like a multipitch to me.

The climbs at lostface are really long too and could practice multipitch on them.

Ted,

A lot of the answers to your questions depend on your abilities and risk tolerance combined with that of your partner. That in addition to the path you choose. You can make it whatever you like, but here is how I typically lead it:

Pitch 0 (optional) - The tower 5.3-5.5 up and down solo, no anchor.
Pitch 1 (20') - Dirty 5.6 Inside corner to 10 foot ledge, good sit-down "stance" with a hip belay for the second. (optional 5.8 to the right)
Pitch 2 (20') - Chunky 5.4 Groove to 20 foot ledge, another good sit-down "stance" and a hip-belay for the second. (optional 5.6 & 5.8 to the right)
Pitch 3 (15') - 5.0 Groove to 40 foot ledge with a huge tree - I often link pitches 2&3 and hip belay both of them.
Pitch 4 (40') - Broken 5.4 Runnel to arete - belay from back of narrow (8') ledge at base of pitch 5. You'll need a directional to protect the second from swinging and want to reuse your gear anchor for the belayer on the next pitch.
Pitch 5 (30') - The money diagonal 5.6 crack to arete, gear anchor at top (optional 5.4 to the left)
Pitch 5.5 (30') - Move belay on 3rd/4th class traverse to the base of pitch 6, another hip-belay for the second if need be.
Pitch 6 (30') - 5.4 steps to gear anchor (optional 5.5 to the left)
Pitch 6.5 (50') - Move on 1st/2nd class to base of Wiessner Wall
Pitch 7 (40') - Wiessner Chimney to Wiessner Ledge, use a gear anchor and second will want it to remain to belay upper-half of Wiessner Wall.
Pitch 8 (40') - Upper Wiessner Crack (5.2) or Wiessner Face (5.7) at the top of this a gear anchor will be necessary as well.

I disagree with Dylan that there are trees atop every pitch to belay with. There are quite a few pitches that can be done with tree anchors, but not all. Also, there are definitely at least two places most belayers would want their own anchor - at the base of Pitch 5 (if you do the diagonal crack) and on the Wiessner Ledge.

Indeed, from most of the belays it is possible to walk off, so it is not like climbing on a 300' cliff. However, if you link it right, you can make it feel like a real multi-pitch route (It's DL make the best of it). If you want the tour Ted, message me and I'll do it with you.

Cool, thanks a lot guys. It seems like you can make the climb what you want it to be, but I'd like for it to be as technical as possible, as I'm hoping to get on some big stuff out west later. Was looking to hit Lost Face once we get up there, actually, but hadn't thought of splitting it into 2 pitches...interesting thought.

Ted Pinson wrote:Cool, thanks a lot guys. It seems like you can make the climb what you want it to be, but I'd like for it to be as technical as possible, as I'm hoping to get on some big stuff out west later. Was looking to hit Lost Face once we get up there, actually, but hadn't thought of splitting it into 2 pitches...interesting thought.

Lost Face and Wiessner's are two distinct places, both are in competition for the tallest cliff at the park.

Wiessner's has a really nice natural ledge that makes two-pitching it feel natural (this feeling is also aided by the 10' traverse from the top of the lower chimney to the base of the upper crack and face).

Lost Face is certainly tall enough to two-pitch, but there isn't as good of a natural ledge. I can say that, from looking at it, I imagine you could sleep overnight and throw quite a multi-portaledge party underneath the overhang on Lost Face. But doing so would be against park rules and you probably wouldn't want to admit to having done it on a public internet forum even long after the statute of limitations has run out. Still though, it looks like you could.

Dylan B. wrote: Really? My recollection was that Scylla and Charybdis were the only climbs that stretched 30 full meters.

LF and the WW are not the tallest, but I think it's fair to say they are "in competition" (I'd say they're in the top 4 or 5 tallest cliffs).

The stuff around Grand Inquisitor might be even taller than the stuff around Charybdis and Scylla.

Turks Head Ridge is awesome! Where else in the Midwest can you get a good 300 feet of kinda unbroken rock climbing? Sure, the pitches are short and generally easy but it's 5th class climbing all the way to the top of the bluff. Every time I do the ridge I have a good time. The trick is not to want it to be more than it is. Maybe that's a good life lesson too.

I haven't been on lost face in awhile but I recall there being a nice slopy triangle ledge to the right of the roofs on the normal 5.6 version of the route that could make a nice semi hanging belay that would feel "multipitchy". You might not even need to be weighting the anchor though, I cant remember but I don't think its too slopy.

EDIT: I'm thinking about where the 5.6 arrow is pointing

side note: As for long routes, Grand Inquisitor, on east bluff can't be rapped or TRed with a 60m if the anchor is at the top of the bluff. :)

Turk's Head is more of a "mountaineering" route - it will feel technical interspersed with scrambling, like a lot of easier mountaineering (especially a lot of < 5.6 routes in the Tetons).

If you are aiming for more sustained multi-pitch stuff (usually harder mountain routes), then start digging into the routes where you can belay in the middle of the cliff - ignore how short the pitches are and realize that what you are practicing is changing over at the belay. (And learn to lead in blocks rather than swinging leads.)

Both sorts of routes are worthwhile, they just have a different feel.

Joel Allen wrote:I haven't been on lost face in awhile but I recall there being a nice slopy triangle ledge to the right of the roofs on the normal 5.6 version of the route that could make a nice semi hanging belay that would feel "multipitchy". You might not even need to be weighting the anchor though, I cant remember but I don't think its too slopy. EDIT: I'm thinking about where the 5.6 arrow is pointing side note: As for long routes, Grand Inquisitor, on east bluff can't be rapped or TRed with a 60m if the anchor is at the top of the bluff. :)

Yes, slopey ledge on 5.6 exists.

On second thought, that ledge on lost face would be a great belay ledge. I distinctly remember placing gear there without holding on. Very similar to the ledge on the Pedestal.

Joel Allen wrote:On second thought, that ledge on lost face would be a great belay ledge. I distinctly remember placing gear there without holding on. Very similar to the ledge on the Pedestal.

Totally agree, but it's still not as good as the ledge on Wiessner's :-) Which could comfortably sleep 3-4 and could probably fit double-digits uncomfortably.

Yeah that ledge on weissners is pretty great, nice bivy ;)

Cool. They're not far from each other, too...which is convenient. From what I remember the climbs at Bill's Buttress are quite long...Pushme Pull You, Cheetah, etc. 60M rope doesn't reach the ground there.

I remember doing Lost Face in 2 days. 1 double ledge and a single ledge. It was the longest known ascent of LF. It was done with James and Jay. Maybe ground assistance from Ron Long?

Snider,

If that happened, and I'm not saying it did, we would have rapped in from the top and jugged out (so not technically an ascent). I'm sure we would have enlisted the help of a select few usual suspect members of the DE/VS family to drive us to the fire road, walk to the top of Lost Face, and rap in for a few beers...allegedly.

matt snider wrote:I remember doing Lost Face in 2 days. 1 double ledge and a single ledge. It was the longest known ascent of LF. It was done with James and Jay. Maybe ground assistance from Ron Long?

That's fucking awesome! allegedly.

Joel Allen wrote: That's fucking awesome! allegedly.

It's funny what some young men can pull-off in the halcyon days before their amygdalas fully-form. Possibilities seem limitless when one is incapable of properly calculating the consequences. Allegedly.