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Routes in Vesper Peak
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Fish & Whistle T 5.10- 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a |
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North Face T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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Ragged Edge T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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True Grit T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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| Type: | Trad, Alpine, 590 ft (179 m), 5 pitches, Grade II |
| FA: | Darin Berdinka 2015 |
| Page Views: | 15,202 total · 160/month |
| Shared By: | Nick Drake on Jun 27, 2016 |
| Admins: | Jon Nelson, Micah Klesick, Zachary Winters |
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Description
A fun moderate route in a great setting that will leave you wishing it were longer. With the highlight definitely the cracks on P4 with a step across.
While it has convenient bolted belays at nice stances don't let this fool you. It is an alpine climb. You'll scramble heather benches (or traverse steeper snow) with good exposure, potential for loose rock and some lichen still here and there. Darin did a great job of cleaning up this route, but freeze thaw cycles could cause more rocks to loosen up and it will need traffic to keep it clean.
FA description:
P1 Easy climbing on clean granite. Step left to a bolted belay below an obvious narrow chimney. 5.4 ~200'
P2 Up a groove to the squeeze chimney then a difficult move onto a short bolted slab. The chimney can be avoided by moving right into a short corner (watch for loose blocks at it's top) 5.8 100'
P3 A nice pitch. Slab, then a shallow corner, pull over a small overhang and follow jigsaw rock to a tiny belay ledge. 5.7 100'
P4 Climb the long sustained splitter with a crux step across where the crack disappears briefly. Fun juggy climbing leads to a belay at the crest of the headwall. 5.8 120'
P5 A short scruffy pitch of easy face and slab climbing leads to the top of the face. 5.6 (not 5.8 like in the image below!) 80'
cascadeclimbers.com/forum/u…
While it has convenient bolted belays at nice stances don't let this fool you. It is an alpine climb. You'll scramble heather benches (or traverse steeper snow) with good exposure, potential for loose rock and some lichen still here and there. Darin did a great job of cleaning up this route, but freeze thaw cycles could cause more rocks to loosen up and it will need traffic to keep it clean.
FA description:
P1 Easy climbing on clean granite. Step left to a bolted belay below an obvious narrow chimney. 5.4 ~200'
P2 Up a groove to the squeeze chimney then a difficult move onto a short bolted slab. The chimney can be avoided by moving right into a short corner (watch for loose blocks at it's top) 5.8 100'
P3 A nice pitch. Slab, then a shallow corner, pull over a small overhang and follow jigsaw rock to a tiny belay ledge. 5.7 100'
P4 Climb the long sustained splitter with a crux step across where the crack disappears briefly. Fun juggy climbing leads to a belay at the crest of the headwall. 5.8 120'
P5 A short scruffy pitch of easy face and slab climbing leads to the top of the face. 5.6 (not 5.8 like in the image below!) 80'
cascadeclimbers.com/forum/u…
Location
North side of Vesper peak. Approach as per Ragged Edge.
Route is north facing, heather benches on approach will be quite slick if there is any moisture. There is also a short heather bench to reach the belay on P2. Give the route a day to dry after any significant precip.
Note if going in early summer the heather benches will be a steep snowfield. If you are not sure on conditions bring an axe and crampons. You can evaluate the route from the col and leave gear there if it is snow free, easily picking it up on your descent. The traverse is exposed above a cliff, if snow is too soft a fall unprotected would be bad m'kay.
Route is north facing, heather benches on approach will be quite slick if there is any moisture. There is also a short heather bench to reach the belay on P2. Give the route a day to dry after any significant precip.
Note if going in early summer the heather benches will be a steep snowfield. If you are not sure on conditions bring an axe and crampons. You can evaluate the route from the col and leave gear there if it is snow free, easily picking it up on your descent. The traverse is exposed above a cliff, if snow is too soft a fall unprotected would be bad m'kay.
Protection
This is what we used, if leading near your limit you may want more.
Single set of cams from micro to BD #2. Narrow head width of TCU/C3 can give you more placement options than a 4 lobe cam for P4.
Doubles in fingers to rattly fingers (BD .3-.5).
nuts from medium to RPs. Offsets placed well.
60cm slings and one or two 120cm.
Single set of cams from micro to BD #2. Narrow head width of TCU/C3 can give you more placement options than a 4 lobe cam for P4.
Doubles in fingers to rattly fingers (BD .3-.5).
nuts from medium to RPs. Offsets placed well.
60cm slings and one or two 120cm.
Photos
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