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North Spire - SW Ridge
5.8+,
Trad, Alpine, 700 ft (212 m), 7 pitches, Grade III,
Avg: 3.2 from 14
votes
FA: John Howe and Mike Down in the early 80s
International
> N America
> Canada
> British Columbia
> Fraser Valley
> Western Chilliw…
> Nesakwatch Spires
Description
Approach: From the basin walk over to the low 5th class chimneys either rope up there or scramble up to the base of P1.
P1 5.8ish: The obvious cracks containing a few fixed pieces including a fun rigid stem friend. Belay at the horizontal on the ledge.
P2 5.8: Traverse right along the ledge and up the short splitter finger crack, belay to the left before the left facing corner. Pitches 1 and 2 can probably be linked.
P3 5.8+: Drop down and climb the steep cracks until you can step right into the corner. Follow that up to a slab to either a wide 4”? flake, or a wide crack to its left. Belay either off the boulder horn or build an anchor in the corner.
P4 5.7ish: Scramble up to the splitter cracks, follow those and some slabby terrain up to the flat section of the ridge.
P5 4th ~100m: Simul or unrope and scramble to the base of the headwall cracks.
P6 5.8ish: Climb the perfect cracks up to more blocky terrain above, either build an anchor there or lower/down climb to the flat area below.
P7: low 5th loose blocks: carefully climb up the Jenga blocks to the summit.
Descent: The descent follows easy terrain down the standard S-ridge of the spire. In earlier season that route may be hazardous due to snow. There is a neglected rap route that weaves it's way down the south face which might be a better option conditions depending.
Protection
Rack: x2 BD.4-2, x1 3-4, Nuts, long slings.
[Hide Photo] "headwall" pitch visible from the ridge run
[Hide Photo] P4 follows the splitter cracks to the left. Not the wide crack
- Go right at the fork on the second pitch.
- "Scramble" at pitch 4 means 5.7/8 offwidth...
- Beware of the routefinding in the Jenga pitch, hard when no visibility.
- We were able to get water from melting snow in august. Sep 15, 2021