the old A1 bolt ladder (...with a few 3/8" bolts t...
Description
Climb this corner (5.7) to an exiting point 35' above and to the right onto a large ledge. Locate a two bolt anchor and belay the second from this anchor. Directly above this set of anchors is an A1 bolt laddder. There are 12 bolts in all, mostly 1/4" thread bolts and buttonheads, with the occasional 3/8" to keep it safe yet sporty. Climb this bolt ladder to the summit (30'), where a two bolt anchor with rap chains are located. Fix the line to the anchors for the second to jug. Near the anchor is a pile of rocks that secures the summit register (courtesy of Greg Vernon, placed in Feb 2000). A single rope rappel WILL make it back down to the notch, at the base of the route.
As a side note, this location seems to channel most of the wind passing over the ridge and can be a very chilly location when climbing in the winter and early spring (bring warm clothes!!).
Location
As described for the approach to the notch of Old Woman Statue, scramble up 3rd class terrain via chockstone in a large crack and onto short ledges around the norhtwestern shoulder of Old Woman's base. Scramble to a notch above. The notch is ideal location for the intial belay and start of The North Face. Next to the notch is a near vertical left-facing corner crack (roughly 30'). This is the start of the route, which eventually leads to the summit.
Protection
Key equipment: - small to medium nuts - cams to 1" - 24 oval carabiners - two sets of etriers - a set of jumars - a bolt kit (should one of the ancient 1/4" bolts blow out!) - (1) 60 meter rope - And a cool head!
Photos of The North Face Of Old Woman Statue Slideshow
By C Miller Administrator May 10, 2008 rating: 5.7 C0
A very cool formation in an unique and remote setting.
As for gear, all that should be need is a light rack to 2" or so and a dozen draws plus slings. The bolt ladder is short and can be done by yarding up on the bolts (etriers work better but aren't necessary). The rap anchor was replaced by me in 2001.
Now Chris.....rusty 1/4" bolts make it sporty "C0+". Had there been actual gear placements or bomber 3/8" bolts the entire route, I'd be sold on C0. ;)
Just went and soloed the old woman. What an adventure! I left Vegas 05/08/09 at around noon drove out there and started hiking around 4.30pm. The hike up the gully sucks and when I topped out on the ridge it was so far away still! I continued on and arrived at the base at 7.00. The first pitch went as good as a 5.7 corner goes, I hurried and rapped grab one ladder and rushed back up to the ledge so I could top out before dark. I lead the bolt ladder in under 5 minutes and was standing on top. I topped out at 7.30 just as the sun was setting, I called my girlfriend and sent out some summit pics to my buddies, then rapped and started the hike back down. It was way hot and I dank all water (gallon) and the snakes where crazy! I must have passed 6 on the approach so be careful. A great adventure, fun summit, and from the register no one had been up there in about a year.
Congrats! You are now officially a "Desert Rat." It was John, and I up there last year on 5/14/08. Your adventure sounds like ours! It was pretty hot on the hike up for us too that time of year, and I remember I also chugged quite a bit of water, and I too was thinking, "Crap, it seems so far away" when we got to the ridge. The first 5.7 pitch was super fun, and we enjoyed the Aid pitch, and the summit was incredible! And yes, it's a great area to see snakes in snake season! A 4-5 foot speckled in a tree was nice enough to warn me (They don't always rattle when you are that close), as I brushed up against the tree that the speckled was hanging out in on my scramble down in the nights darkness by headlamp. It's very rare to get bit by a rattler though; you'd pretty much have to accidentally step on one, or put your hands where they don't belong. You could even walk past them, within an inch or two of them, and they most likely won't strike.
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