Climbers on pitch 2. Pitch 3 finishes up the corn...
Description
Black Elk was the "hardest route in the Cirque" for over 20 years. While technically not in the Cirque (see location below), it is one of the best routes in this area of the Winds.
P1 Scramble up ledges from the left side of the northeast face. Stay low when you have the option. Rope up just before an orange colored section of rock and climb this to a large ledge (5.8 and not well protected). Next go left up a slabby right facing corner/ramp. Belay at the base of a very long, vertical, right facing corner. 5.8, 200+ feet, depending on where you rope up on the slabs. We had to simulclimb a bit to set up a proper belay.
P2 Climb the pretty right facing corner passing some small overlaps on fingers and hands and lay backing. Belay at a small stance. 5.10-, 120 feet. We didn't find the most comfortable belay spot here, it was semi-hanging.
P3 Keep going up the right facing corner up an incredible hand crack, awesome pitch. Belay at the top on a pillar/ledge that has a bolt on its right side. It's actually better to belay on the left side of this ledge as the next pitch starts from there. 5.10, 100 feet. P2 and P3 can be combined with a 70 meter rope.
P4 Climb up a gorgeous splitter hand crack that eventually turns into a small right facing corner. Pass a roof on hands, then one on fists and lay backing to a stance just above. Then it's just some 5.11 off fists for about 15-20 feet. Belay above this wide section in a pod or just above in a finger crack, depending on what size of gear you have left. Either way it's not a very comfy belay. 5.11a and 165 feet.
P5 Another great pitch. Climb a splitter hand and finger crack, making a fun crack switch right at about 40 feet to gain a right angling hand crack. Belay at the right side of a ledge at a finger crack. 5.10 and 150 feet.
P6 Make a difficult move off the belay to a right facing wall with a discontinuous finger crack. Climb under a huge chockstone on its left side and belay just past it. 5.9, 160 feet.
P7 Kind of a junker pitch- get your partner to lead this one. Climb a right facing dihedral with bad gear (I got 1 good piece in 70 feet) and lots of vegetation to another ledge. Alternately there is an overhanging chimney/offwidth to the right of this which looks worse. 5.10, 70 feet.
P8 Climb to the right of largish chockstone and continue up a fun gully/chimney with lots of options. 5.8, 180 feet.
From here scramble up ledges about 300 feet with some easy 5th class moves to the top.
Location
Northeast face of Warbonnet. Approach from Jack Ass Pass between Arrowhead and North Lakes. Descent is scrambling down gullies to the climbers' left.
Protection
Stoppers, double rack with maybe an extra hand piece, long runners. A sixty meter rope is nice, a 70 would probably even be better (we used a sixty). Also don't forget a 3.5 and 4 Camalot or equivalent for the crux pitch unless you are comfortable running it out on 5.11 wide fists.
That pitch is game on. The seam takes alot of marginal small stuff. it goes at about 10- I thik there could be harder but better protected variations. Worth checking out.
Tom: 600 feet is way off. This is a 9 or 10 pitch climb. The scrambling at the top along is 200-300 feet.
Realistically this route is a serious Grade IV. Of the 9 technical pitches, almost all of them are more than 140 feet. This climb is better estimated at 1,200 to 1,450 feet of technical climbing. The descent will take you 1.5+ hours.
There is no R or X rating required on this climb. Pro is good to fair most of the way. The vegetated pitch takes creative pro, but is certainly isn't that bad.
Yeah, you may be right about the length. I don't think it's quite as long as you say it is, but 1000 feet of technical climbing and 3-400 feet of scrambling? I'll change the description. Where do you belay if you do it in 9 or 10 pitches?
Maybe if my pro placing skills were better on the 7th pitch I would have gotten more gear. As it was I was sketched out by most of the placements on that one until I was past the crux.
RSS Feed
Slideshow
