Wish You Were Here

Wish You Were Here is a line I’ve scoped for several seasons now. It is excellent rock to the right of one of the most trafficked routes on the Grand, leading seamlessly into the Exum Ridge at the apex of the Durrance Direct (Lower Exum) just below the Golden Stair, and standing in plain view of anyone who has climbed the Petzoldt Ridge.

To the right of Gold Face and left of the Burgette Arete is a panel of beautiful stone that has apparently remained untraveled for many decades now. The only documented route in the vicinity is the Whiton-Berry line from August, 1990, which the current Jackson-Ortenburger guidebook notes as climbing a series of cracks left of It’s Not a Chimney: “Presumably one climbs [It’s Not a Chimney] until just below the main chockstone. From this point traverse up and left to the base of an obvious, vertical crack system. This hand-to-finger-size crack passes through two bulges…” This description is far right of Wish You Were Here.

That said, it is entirely possible this line may have seen traffic in the past. It’s really hard to say in such an amazing range full of incredible alpinists. However, after talking with Renny and picking his brain on the area, it’s just as likely this crack system has never been climbed. During our ascent we saw no evidence of prior passage (other than a treasure trove of gear dropped off the upper pitch of Gold Face and the beginning of Exum Ridge over the years). After the first pitch, the rock is bullet, similar to the Beyer East Face routes, and representative of the best stone the Grand has to offer.

Regardless of first ascent history (I am very open to any information out there) this was a very special day, with a very good friend, on an absolutely incredible mountain. Wish You Were Here is a memorial climb to my Dad, J Lincoln Zeilman who passed away in a paragliding accident in 2020... Much Love!

Approach as for Burgette Arete, It’s Not a Chimney, etc… Locate the cairn at the toe of the buttress leading toward the Exum Ridge, just before the It's Not a Chimney crack system.

P1. From the cairn, climb the path of least resistance toward the obvious arrow-shaped roof. It begins with scabby rock that’s a little weird, but not indicative of rock quality for the rest of the route. Pull some awkward moves (5.9+) leading toward the “V” roof… continue through the bulge with a small, welded chockstone (5.9ish) and up an easy weakness to belay on the left side of the prominent black rock band. 55m.

P2. Move left in low-5th class terrain on the division between light and dark rock, eventually leading to stellar, golden granite (not much gear, but easy). Pull through a prominent bulge (5.9/.9+)… jams and flake-holds out right. Above this, get gear wherever you can… adequate small-ish gear leads through a handful of 5.10- moves (seam and crimps on the face in good rock). Continue up easier terrain toward the massive roof above. Pass through the right edge of the roof (like 5.4!!) and belay at the next available stance.

P3. Continue up the moderate crack system which eventually leads to a right-leaning crack in stellar rock (5.9ish)… a jug up and left leads to a few face moves before working back right into the crack. Eventually you find yourself with nothing but unprotected slabs overhead… follow a sloping, slabby foot traverse hard left into the final 40’ of Gold Face.

P4+ Climb the Gold Stair and continue into the Upper Exum

The prominent easterly-facing panel of rock between Gold Face and the Burgette Arete. Follow the approach for the Burgette Arere and look for a large cairn at the base of the route, located in the giant "bowl" feature below the Beckey Couloir.

There is an obvious ramp system just after the ramp system leading up and left to the Durrance Direct (Lower Exum). The approach for this climb should be very mellow 4th class terrain into a massive bowl. Look for a cairn at the base of the first pitch. 

I was pretty psyched on a double rack from small-ish stuff to #3 plus stoppers (offsets always helpful)… You could definitely get away with less (maybe one #2, #3 and a single set of stuff below .4) but it kind of depends on belay choices, etc.