Early morning sun on the south face of Otis Peak s...
Description
Brain Freeze climbs a series of gullies, corners and roofs up the right side of the Solar Wall on the south face of Otis Peak, directly behind Zowie. The route follows the first 300ft of the Standard Route on the Solar Wall, then breaks up and to follow a parallel gully system on the steeper face above.
The middle section of the route offers continuously difficult climbing up narrow chutes, steep chimneys and overhanging chockstone cruxes. Belay caves form below the two chockstone cruxes thanks to snow mushrooms which can be stomped out for a floor.
The middle gully system ends at the top of a small buttress where one or two more pitches of mixed climbing ascend the final headwall.
P1: Start in a large, left-facing corner at the bottom left side of the Solar Wall. Climb the corner then traverse right underneath a large roof. After passing the roof, climb past two old bolts and up a short shallow corner to the base of a large snow ramp. Belay off of two nice newer bolts on the left, which are used for the Zowie descent route. M4, 80ft.
P2: Kick steps up easy snow for about 250ft looking for a somewhat hidden, right-facing corner system to the left. Belay at the base of the corner system.
P3: Follow ice runnels through the left leaning Changing Gullies Pitch to the upper gully system. Climb the upper gully bypassing a large pillar of ice on the left, and past a short, difficult chimney to a belay stance. WI3 M5, 180ft.
P4: Climb the narrow gully to a vertical chimney up to a belay cave directly below an imposing chockstone roof. M5, 100ft.
P5: Chimney up then out to the lip of the chockstone roof. Turn the roof and continue up the steep narrow gully to a second cave below a second chockstone roof. The route gets is name from the spindrift that plagued the first ascent party while pulling past the lip of the crux roof, giving the climber an instant ice cream headache. M5+ 150ft.
P6: Turn one more airy chockstone roof and climb easy ground to the top of the buttress. Continue up the final headwall, angling left to a left-facing corner. M5, 100ft.
P7: Climb the short but steep corner then one last chimney section to easier terrain above. M5+, 100ft.
P6-7 Alt: Instead of angling left into the left-facing corner on pitch 6, climb straight up and belay at the base of the next cliff band. Climb the left facing corner on right side of a big cleft. FA: Dougald McDonald and Jack Roberts. M5+, 150ft.
Location
Approach: Follow the Andrews Creek trail up from The Loch towards the south face of Otis Peak.
Descent: If visibility is limited and you are unfamiliar with the descent, it is probably best to rappel the route. Otherwise, descend by following the east ridge down until a broad glade opens up to your right. Drop down south, following the trees and angling right back towards the Andrews Creek trail. Alternately, it may be possible to descend the snow gully immediately west of the route, which will take you directly to the base of the route.
Protection
Stoppers, cams up to a #3, 2 knifeblades, 2 lost arrows, 2 angles, 1 specter, 1 #11 hex, 2 stubby screws and 1 medium screw.
Jack Roberts and I did this route on the first day of spring. The weather was not spring-like, and the spindrift was in force. This is a very fine route that felt a bit like Hallett Chimney, but with more variety and more continuous climbing. To fully appreciate it, you have to be a fan of snowy mixed climbing and chimneying with crampons. I think it would be in shape from mid-January to mid-April, though you'd want to avoid it on a warm spring day or anytime after a big snow storm.
We did a different first pitch about 50 feet to the right of the original, mainly because it looked easier (about M3). We also did a more direct finish, straight up a short rock band with pumpy dry tooling in a left-facing corner. This seemed like the logical way to go above the final snow field, and it provided a well-protected hard finale (around M5+). We rapped the route, leaving a sling anchor on the top, a good two-nut anchor in the gully above the wild cave pitch, a sling around the big icicle in the Changing Gullies pitch, and another sling around a boulder at the bottom of the snow field. (Didn't find the good two-bolt anchor there...doh!) Two 60-meter ropes for the rappels.
The gear list on this page is perfect, though we never used a Specter. Do NOT leave home without a 10 or 11 hex, which is crucial for protecting the exit from the cave on pitch five.
Kelly & I also enjoyed this route tremendously, on March 31, 2008. Kelly ran pitches 3 & 4 together, and I ran 5 & 6 together, which seemed to flow well. Sling and/or nut stations are in good position for descent. Excellent find.
Loch Vale & uphill
RSS Feed
