BETA PHOTO: Bear Creek Spire viewed from the Dade Lake area. ...
Description
A fine alpine rock climb with a wonderful prospect over Little Lakes Valley.
P1 5.6. Snowline dependent, cracks in slabs to a ledge where it gets steeper.
P2 5.8. Steep flake crack on the left to a ledge.
P3 5.7. Up and right over flakes to where the arete relents a little. Route-finding can be tricky.
P4/5 Easy 5th. Up the crest of the arete in a wonderful position to a ledge below the final impasse, a steep off-width crack.
P6 5.8 crux. The crack awkwardly.
P7 Easy 5th. Tunnel through to the other side of the ridge.
To finish, join with the Northeast Ridge and follow it to the top, or it might be more in keeping with the rest of the route to doggedly stay on the very crest of the ridge/arete to the summit. Either will deposit you on the crest of the summit ridge and just excellent and scenic scrambling/climbing for a pitch or two.
Don't forget to mantle onto the summit block!
Location
Approach: From Dade Lake hike across benches and then snow up to just right of the lowest point of the buttress.
Descent: Descend down Class 4 rocks on the East side to sand, follow left of the north ridge then cut over it eastwards and down snow/scree and steps back to Dade Lake.
Protection
Standard alpine rack. Ice axe and crampons seasonal.
The off width pitch is a little loose but I found it to be a lot harder then 5.8 probably more like 5.10. Climbing that pitch with a pack is definitely not fun, next time I would either haul it or not climb with ice axes.
Not nearly as hard as some would have you believe. No problems route finding using the Supertopo guide. Our pitch break-down was a little different than that listed above since we simuled all but 3 pitches which were no harder than 5.7. Crux pitch consists of "5.8" flakes that we just stemmed and reached through with a loose gulley above that goes at a reasonable 5.6 in the Supertopo. 2/3 of us had packs and had no trouble navigating through this section. Pro everywhere you want it throughout the climb: w/ 10cams, 1 set of nuts, and slings we were doing simul pitches over 250ft no problem. Ample belay stations. Climb can best be characterized by easy 5th class/4th class moves with some moderate 5 moves in between. Summit is spectacular with an unprotectable but not difficult top-out. Not the greatest pure climbing route but extremely fun nonetheless. A classic because of the line it takes.
By Mike Morley Administrator From: Oakland, CA Aug 20, 2007
Great route. I agree with the previous poster that the route is mostly easy-moderate 5th class with a few short, well-protected sections up to 5.8. The "5.8 offwidth" (~pitch 6) was mellow and certainly not an offwidth. Vdub: maybe you were off route?
Hey veedublvr, you and I were indeed off-route--and so were the two parties above us! It seems we should have dodged the headwall by going left. Nice lead anyway!
Ice axes? I'm not sure what those would have been used for. I'm not a great climber, but I managed to do this route in a couple of hours in approach shoes wearing a small day pack. I agree with stemming past the supposed OW crux. I thought it was very fun and pretty cruiser if you're not at your limit.
Bear Creek Spire
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