This route is INTERESTING. If you're looking for an adventure, it is a must do.
P1. Climb the obvious crack for 140' 5.7-5.8
P2. Move climber's right and follow twin 5.7 cracks to a notch or shoulder.
P3. Move climber's right again and begin to "tunnel." This is where the climb gets crazy. You are in the Great North Chimney. Basically, there is a detached piece of granite (about the size of two football fields) that you climb through. I thought it felt like a coffin. The route finding on this pitch is very difficult because there is low light. My partner and I tunneled all the way through to the SW side. CRAZY. We found a plethora of bail gear at this point.
P4. Climb a beautiful 5.8 corner.
P5. This pitch is chossy and depending on your skill, you might want to unrope.
Location
Finding the start of the route is key. You can easily get off-route. Descent is dubious. We rapped 4 single-rope rappels.
Protection
Standard alpine rack, two ropes seemed unnecessary. Check out Joe Kelsey's Wind River book for further details.
One of the coolest Chimney's I have ever been in (might be scary for shorter folks...fit me perfect back to foot, but I am 6'4). Looks out both sides o the steeple. In the chimney, work your way up, and toward the south side of the steeple, over a few chockstones...look for a small escape hatch hole...go through it, onto the big sundeck ledge below the last very nice pitch, and very cool summit. Chimney pitch can be lead all as one with a 60. Don't remember a 5th pitch, as the 5.8 corner ends with a mantle right onto the summit. Descend with a rap or two, and some east downclimbing to the south. "Death Block" in kelsey guide is gone.
By Stan Pitcher From: SLC, UT Aug 13, 2008 rating: 5.8
For us the 5th pitch was the 5.8 corner ending on the summit. After moving the belay to the notch below the chimney, the 3rd pitch gets you up into the chimney a ways and the 4th up and out of the chimney to the bottom of the 5th pitch (watch for rope drag in the chimney!) I think there were 4 single rope raps to get to the slopes below the Steeple/Lost Temple Spire col.
A very good but not great climb, interesting only for the novelty of the chimney pitch. That said though, the 5th pith (5.8 corner)to the summit is excellent. It is possible to descend into the Black Joe Drainage on the east side of the peak, from the notch after the third rappel. Keep bearing to the left as you descend, aiming for the snow fields. This was a great hike out; skirting the northern buttress of Haystack to reurn to our Deep Lake camp. I have attached photos of all of this.
Steeple Peak
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