Aid pitch, standing on the dental-floss slings hurts the feet!

Adventure Projects is hiring a web engineer to join us in Boulder, CO

All Locations > International > North America > Canada > British Columbia > Squamish > The Chief > Grand Wall Area > The Grand Wall (5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c A0)

Aid pitch, standing on the dental-floss slings hurts the feet!

ID 107908848 ·

Flag This Photo

The aid pitch above the Sword, on a very cold day.

Tristan and Gerhard on the Split Pillar, Grand Wall

Rate Photo

4.0 from 1 vote

sibylle Hechtel

Nov 27, 2012

“Aid pitch, standing on the dental-floss slings hurts the feet!”

0 Comments

Nearby Photos

The second crux of the Sword pitch. Photo of Mike Hengeveld by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

As the Split Pillar goes from hands to fists... Photo of Alisdair Buchanan by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

I belly-flopped onto Sail flake! Couldn't mantle, or pull up on anything else ... and had to rest before the next moves.

split pillar

Adam on the vescalator (velcro escalator).

Your pro is below your feet as you pull the crux of the Sword pitch. I like to place a nut and a cam before launching into it. Photo of Kelly Franz by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

Carl belaying Keith on the Sword of Damacles

The Sail Flake, the final pitch of the Grand Wall (unless you're continuing up The Roman Chimneys). Photo of Alisdair Buchanan by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

Climber leading the Sword pitch. He's looking pretty comfortable for this being a crux section!

Bracksieck leads the first 5.10 pitch.

Ty Johnson on the Split Pillar

Right in the middle of the crux of the Sword pitch. Photo of Mike Hengeveld by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

The Grand Wall. The first pitch shown is the Split Pillar, and the last belay station is on the Bellygood Ledge.<br>
<br>
Bolts on the individual pitches are not shown. All belay stations are 2 bolts + chains and a big fat steel rap ring.

Tony leading Perry's Layback. Skipping every other bolt saves a lot of effort.

Starting up the Sword pitch from the fantastic belay at the top of the Split Pillar. Photo of Kelly Franz by Matthew Buckle, used with permission.

The Sword pitch.

the exposure of the Grand Wall

Top of Perry's layback - glad it hasn't rained yet, but still cold!

View of Howe sound from top of Perry's layback - on a chilly day, with rain threatening. I was climbing with a Canadian, who's better adapted to cold!<br>

The Sword

Where are we, Indian Creek?

Split Pillar, Sword, and Perry's Layback as seen from the base of The Grand Wall.

Contemplating the "Flats"

Bellygood Ledge, which traverses from the top of the Grand Wall route to the trees on the right (climbers') side of the wall. This ledge traverse is exposed enough that I wouldn't want to do this without a rope.

The aid pitch above the Sword, on a very cold day.

Aid pitch, standing on the dental-floss slings hurts the feet!

Tristan and Gerhard on the Split Pillar, Grand Wall

George Bracksieck leads pitch one of the wonderful Mercy Me dike.

Andy Ross on Bellygood ledge 1999

Keith leading up the Sword of Damacles

Reachy bolt ladder leading to the bottom of the Split Pillar

Once the sustained part of the Split Pillar is done, you still have some climbing to do. Saving a #1 Camalot for this section is nice.

Looking for the dry foothold to finish P2.

From the base of the Sword, looking down on Mercy Me (tiny red dots).

Bellygood ledge

The Sail Flake

The Seal Flake.

The start of Bellygood Ledge traverse from the top of The Grand Wall route.

Midway up Perry's Layback.

The Flats.

Perfect hands in the Split Pillar

The bolt ladder after The Sword.

Comfy belay before the A0 bolt ladder

Crippling toe pain usually ends the fun for me on long routes. My new super-sized Acopa JB's fixed that, making the cracks, faces, and trees fun.

Looking back across Bellygood

Perry's layback

Super-cool tree belay at the base of the Split Pillar

Arm bars provide a much-needed rest!

Split Pillar - middle of the layback

Base of the route, waiting on another party, psyched out of our skulls.

Approaching the Split Pillar (fun with angles)

Looking down from the anchors at the top of the beautiful Split Pillar pitch.

Tough girl style on the Split Pillar (liebacking w/ a pack)

Tony almost done on The Flats pitch above Perry's Layback.

I hauled the pack at the Sword anchor and then aided the bolt ladder before bringing up the second. This worked pretty well.

Looking up Perry's Layback.

Corroded anchor at second belay of Mercy Me, June 5, 2005. All the anchors have this little problem to some degree. Easy to replace, if you know ahead of time. Bring some quick links and a wrench, if your interested.

Nice exposure on The Flats pitch.

Not a great shot, but you can see what the traverse is like in this shot, taken at perhaps 11am, befor the sun hit. Peter Spindloe is at the end of this traverse. Photo by Tony Bubb 7/08.

John climbing the tree at the beginning of the final pitch (the Seal Flake pitch).