BETA PHOTO: McHenry's and Arrowhead from the south
Description
This superb route is located on the clean, left hand side of Arrowhead, left of the Summit Ramp. There are several stellar lines up this part of the cliff, including Ithaca (12a) and Airhead (11d). Ithaca is probably the most distinct of all the lines in the area, as it follows the long, left-facing corner system left of Arrowplane.
This is a brilliant and sustained climb on excellent granite. The rock on this wall is like a steeper version of Lumpy. Orange splitters and good featured faces. It wanders up cracks for 5 pitches before forging up the "lightning Bolt" crack (5.11) on the last pitch headwall. One of the more memorable pitches in the Park!
Start by fourth classing to the bottom of the clean, concave wall right of the lowest point of the ridge on Arrowhead/McHenry's. One might want to rope up to reach the ledge below the first pitch as the approach meanders up some smooth easy slabs.
1. Climb up a blank slab and water streaks to some right facing flakes and a ledge. 5.8 spice? 175'
2. Traverse right along some grassy ledges and boulder up into a crack system above. Now follow these up past a small gold colored roof and up to a small ledge. 5.9.
3. Continue with obvious cracks above, passing a jammmed flake, which grow steeper and lead to a small left facing corner with twin finger cracks. Climb up this awesome corner(5.9) and step across right at it's top.Exciting 5.10 and head right to belay at a spike below a splitter that forks above.
4. Head straight up the fantastic crack and go left when it splits. Head around the giant flake on its left side and up to a small ledge below the killer Lightning Bolt crack. 5.10 It is possible to go right at the base of the flake when the crack forks, it leads to the same belay and looks fantastic. But requires some bold moves to begin. Bernard says it is 5.11a R getting into it.
We stopped at a ledge before the Lightning bolt and did a small but stout 10c pitch in a small, left-facing corner and block to gain the actual stance below the headwall. A 60 meter rope could probobly combine these.
5. No route finding here. Step up and send the incredible 100ft. lightning bolt crack with bouldery moves off the belay to sustained stoking up above. 5.11 crux. Continue up through the maze of stacked blocks above, scary looking but very solid and mantle onto the ridge. Incredible 5.9.
Walk left a few hundred feet and rappel off a boulder in the lowest point of the saddle. Two or three fixed raps get you to 3rd class terrain, just left of the starting ledge.
Protection
Rack up to #4 Friend with extra finger size. 2 60 meter ropes required for the raps.
This route is what alpine climbing is all about. Long, sustained, scary climbing in the middle of nowhere. I did this climb a couple days ago, and it felt like a first ascent. Route finding proved to be very difficult, though the headwall to which to finish was obvious. After a couple of scary runout pitches on bad gear, my partner and I decided we must not be on route but getting up to the headwall, we soon realized that flared is just the name of the game on this route. Justin, to give this 3 stars, you must be quite a fan of flared, awkward cracks in the most beautiful setting. Though the climbing was awkward and scary, the moves eventually open themselves up and the exposure on the headwall is incredible. Bring an extra sling and biner for the first rappel if you have a hard time rapping on a single sling and biner, though they are in good condition and just below a block keeping them out of the weather. The descent down 3rd and 4th class terrain to Black Lake is difficult at night even with headlamps since it is very easy to cliff out. The "trail" consists of elk trails, bushwacking, and scrambling up scree. If you are looking for an adventurous climb on a beautiful wall with an amazing setting and you are comfortable with 5.11 climbing with difficult gear, this will probably be a 3 star route for you. Shaun Reed
Let's face it, the protection is terrible, and the rock is poor. It's really not that cool up there. Everyone should stay away. And you, what do you know from "flaring," you strange little person. Try not to take it all so personally, eh? These rocks, they are pretty nice, but they do not need your protection.
Maybe this climb not as good as you hoped? ....Vaya con Dios
I partnered with [Shaun] this past weekend to do [Arrowplane] and his [description] of the route was completely accurate. Bicker and call names, but this simple fact of the matter is there was not a three star pitch on the entire route. To be placed in such a category, the quality of rock should be well above par coupled with enjoyable movement across stone. The setting and the pure adventure of the entire climb should allot it at least one star but a three star description such as in [Gillett's] "High Peaks" and this web site will only set future parties up [for disappointment]. That being said, I would also like to add that simply because you yourself, or Shaun and I in this case, embarked and returned from such a wild place as the Arrowhead region, does not mean that we should send others out blindly and with incorrect beta.-Will Butler
That's a shame you were disappointed by such a terrific route, but it's no excuse to call your opinion a "simple fact". If I were you, I would turn my back on Glacier Gorge and never return. Try the High Sierra.
Ok, this is getting weird. This climb is unbelievably beautiful. The last pitch alone would make it an absolute classic (ropelength of splitter hands & fingers hundreds of feet off the deck), but the clean, gorgeous pitches below make it a real gem. The perfect, clean 10a splitter? The sexy 5.8 fist crack? The wild 10 corner? The flawlessly enervating runout slab on pitch 1? Nothing flaky or flaring about those pitches. There are some occasional lichen crumbs, but this here's an alpine route.
The cracks really are clean, deep, and oftentimes parallel-sided. Mmm good. Go see for yourself!
I think these two guys might have gotten a little rattled by the occasional, spicy runouts (1st pitch esp.!!) . while they are all on moderate ground, they could inspire panic & loathing at the thought of returning.
Or perhaps some trousers were filled? Some shorts soiled? Terribly slow progress was made? All of which really can make a climb "suck" in hindsight.
It is obvious what the "[Estes] boys" are trying to do here. And I am sure that all of you are from Estes, grew up in Estes, and have a "Native" sticker on your car.
With all due respect, his use of the word enervating is applicable to his statement. Unless you are Peter Croft or Dean Potter, dealing with runouts tends to have an enervating effect. The idea that he meant the opposite of enervate is non-sensible. I understood his comment, perfectly. KC
I used "enervating" specifically and deliberately to express my meaning. KC got it precisely: the runouts on this route may tend to "weaken" one's focus/resolve/grasp on reality. Of course, that's not to say that this route is anything but absolutely, drop-dead gorgeous. Go do it, you'll see what I mean.
Cheers, thanks for the musings about word-meanings, I love that stuff.
Arrowplane was one of the best routes I've ever done in the Park. Regarding the first statement posted on this page: It's true that the first pitch is spicy and there are a few other run out moves (before the short 10c pitch, for example), but there's solid gear all over that thing. Also, I thought the route finding was straightforward (using topos from Bernard Gillett's guide book), and the route was clean and gorgeous. I was really impressed with the quality of the cracks. I didn't find the cracks to be flared at all. In fact, the last 11a pitch had incredible jams all over it. All I can say is, wow.
Arrowhead
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