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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 17, 2013 - 09:04pm PT
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I try to do a High Sierra climb every season with my friend Jerome. We've done routes as varied as Mount Starr King and the West Arete on Mount Winchell.
Per our normal pattern, this year Jerome gave me a list of routes that had his interest. His suggestions included "something on Temple Crag." I've done the best-known four celestial aretes: Dark Star, Sun Ribbon, Moon Goddess and Venusian Blind. All are excellent routes. The choice for this year was therefore obvious - we'd do the fifth (and for me, final) "celestial:" Eclipsed Arete.
There isn't much information on this route either in guidebooks or on the internet. Having done lots and lots of High Sierra routes, I knew better than to expect true "5.3," the rating given the route in the Secor guide (and presumably the rating given by the first ascent party in 1970). And the route description in Secor is, to say the least, very, very general (and I sympathize; I too am a guidebook author, and I absolutely understand the difficulties of getting information about obscurities).
But it's an arete right? And I've been there before.
Armed with generalities and a suspect rating Jerome and I did the route yesterday.
For those with short attention spans, here's the take-away: Although the other four celestials are among the jewels of Sierra Nevada climbing, Eclipsed belongs in a dung heap (actually, it might aptly be called one).
First, as to the description and rating. The description is fine up to the base of Eclipsed's sister route, Venusian Blind. And yes, from there, a traverse left leads out toward Eclipsed (like the two to the right, Eclipsed isn't really an arete down low). But after that? I have absolutely no idea.
The traverse described sort of leads to the base of Eclipsed, and it sort of doesn't. It ended with a choice of dropping off into a void left by a huge left-facing corner, or climbing a headwall that is between Venusian Blind and Eclipsed. Dropping off wasn't going to get us to the arete, so we did the headwall. This seemed right even after the fact (even the difficulty - 5.6 or 5.7 seemed about right for a 1970s High Sierra first ascent that was called 5.3).
This headwall pitch led us to a lower angle section of wall, where an obvious section of very easy class five then led to the right edge of Eclipsed Arete itself. This is where the route finding became a total mystery.
Eclipsed might be more of a buttress than it is an arete. It has a distinct east face that is 50 and more feet wide. Climbing this was out of the question: this face was near vertical, had few features and surely wouldn't go at anything less than 5.10 (and then with bolts for pro - cracks there are mostly fragile features behind loose crap). At the other extreme was the left side of the relatively clean gully to the right - between Venusian and Eclipsed. This looked like it was easy fourth and fifth class.
But this is an arete route, right? It's supposed to climb the arete, not the gully next to it. So I looked at the right edge/north face of the arete, where some features looked like they might allow some fifth class (and while this climbing did NOT look 5.3, who cares - see the above comments about rating expectations).
I wanted to climb "the Route." But, I admit, I was a little intimidated (we'd brought a limited rack, and I was doing the climb in approach shoes). And the rock quality was obviously suspect (see further comments below). What to do? I tend to be a purist, so I went for the "arete."
All I can say (politely) is "holy, holy crap!" It went. It was the arete. But it was not 5.3 (try solid, sustained 5.7), everything was loose (and I mean everything!) and it was barely protectable. I led 195 feet of what may have been one of the scariest leads I've ever done in the Sierra. YUCK! The rope knocked one large and many small loose rocks off. At least I got in two bomber cams at the end of the pitch (placed with sheer relief, bordering on greed).
And then we got some relief. Jerome was able to lead 100 feet of easy fifth to a ledge, and to the base of the next (and obviously last) headwall. This headwall looked like vertical stacked blocks at best. The climbing looked like more of what I'd found below, but offered only 80 feet of difficulty. I still wanted to do the "pure" line, but I wasn't intimidated anymore. Now I was scared sh#tless.
Jerome came through though. He always does in the end. He came through with common sense and brains. He looked up, and then he looked right, into the gully (the right side of the arete and the gully are very close where he belayed). It seemed like I could hear the rapid calculations that his brain was doing. He saw me looking up. Then he, basically, forbade me from climbing straight up and insisted that I follow the left edge of the gully. I say "basically" because, although if left to my own choice I would have gone straight up, I had (and still have) no idea where the route truly goes, and it didn't seem like a good day to die. I climbed the edge of the gully (at about 5.3) for a rope length before (stubbornly) cutting back onto the arete to finish on it (at least I got some sympathy about our route's poor, poor quality from the climbers watching us from Venusian Blind - we paralleled each other for much of the day).
After Jerome came up he looked up and asked me to lead the next pitch (I am more experienced with these types of routes than he is). OK, let's do it one more time. This effort was exemplary. I was climbing about 5.3 or so, but on stacked blocks and loose sh#t. Pro? Hahahaha. Now the folks on Venusian Blind were (I think) a little worried. The Californian, Scott, was actively coaching and directing me the easiest way to lower angle ground (and like the pro earlier, I was sucking up all the beta I could get).
Finally, Jerome came up. Now we were home free (thanks Scott). Three more ropelengths of what felt like class one, but was probably easy fifth lead to the top of the arete. Done, and thank God.
And finally, in a trip report that is already too long (and no photos - Jerome took some but I don't have them yet), I offer a bit of background explanation to (I hope) lend weight to my comments about this route being loose: I've done over 150 routes in the High Sierra (up to 5.10). I've led over 800 different routes at Pinnacles National Monument (which has a reputation - occasionally deserved - for loose rock). I don't consider that the other four celestial aretes are "loose," any more than is to be expected, accepted and embraced. But Eclipsed? Whoooooa Nelly. Here's one just waiting for the young, still unscarred, maybe even dumb, loose-rock aficionado.
I'm glad I did it, but I'm also glad it's done.
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limpingcrab
Trad climber
the middle of CA
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Jul 17, 2013 - 11:06pm PT
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Sweet! Sounds like "fun" exploration. A million dollar experience you wouldn't pay ten cents to do again eh?
Those are the best kind!
I love obscure stuff, put up some pictures if/when you get them please!
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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Jul 17, 2013 - 11:18pm PT
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Pure Choss!
Nice TR Boss.
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Jerome Chin
Mountain climber
Bay Area, California
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Jul 18, 2013 - 05:50am PT
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Brad's trip report is spot on except for his delegation of the Eclipsed Arete to the 'dung heap' category. I would rate the climb one notch higher to 'choss heaven'.
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Reeotch
Trad climber
4 Corners Area
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Jul 18, 2013 - 08:13am PT
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Anyone ever do the 4th of July Arete (5.8)?
Looks horrifying.
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Stevee B
Mountain climber
Oakland, CA
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Jul 22, 2013 - 03:58am PT
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You did it so we don't have to. Thanks for taking one for the team!
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 22, 2013 - 01:04pm PT
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Yes, I'm ever the good public servant :)
I've always loved finishing whole groups of climbs (all the 5.7s at Pinnacles, all the routs on one formation, things like that). It's a fun game. But as much as I enjoy this game, I'm not sure I'd do Eclipsed again in the same way knowing what I know now. I'd probably still want to get it done, but I might just climb next to it, call it 5.3, declare that since that's the rating that must be the route and mark it off the list.
Is there any chance that any of the FA party post to or read this site? Does anyone here know any of them? (FA was by Bob Swift, Pete Kennedy, Tom Thayer, in 1970).
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duffer
Trad climber
Sonora, CA
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Jul 25, 2013 - 07:10pm PT
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In regards to the question above, Micha Miller and I climbed the 26th of July Arete back in 2001. It was quite fun and had great views of our friends Victor and Bart over on Dark Star. After joining that route at the notch behind the Lower Buttress, we traversed onto the old Mendenhall North Peak, Right Side route. Before too long, all four of us were on the summit of Temple Crag, grinning like fools.
Dave Harden
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Bad Climber
climber
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Jul 26, 2013 - 08:36am PT
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@Jebus:
Do Sun Ribbon--you won't regret it. A great Sierra classic. Not much loose stuff at all.
BAd
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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Aug 13, 2014 - 10:45pm PT
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I took this pic if this terrifying looking jumble of blocks looking south from VB slightly above where the death diving board used to be earlier this summer. Was I looking at Eclipsed Arete?
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Fuzzywuzzy
climber
suspendedhappynation
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Aug 14, 2014 - 10:16am PT
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26th is a good route. Real rock climbing up there!
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 17, 2014 - 03:30pm PT
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looks easy from here:
I just saw your post. Your photo looks like the upper several hundred feet of Eclipsed Arete, the part I described this way:
"...Finally, Jerome came up. Now we were home free (thanks Scott). Three more ropelengths of what felt like class one, but was probably easy fifth lead to the top of the arete."
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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Aug 17, 2014 - 03:55pm PT
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Hokey smoke! Upon looking at it from across the gully both my cousin and I had assumed that precarious pile was unclimbed. Thanks for sharing, and congrats for completing the quintet; I can guarantee I won't ever make it past 80% on Temple!
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mtnyoung
Trad climber
Twain Harte, California
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Topic Author's Reply - Aug 17, 2014 - 04:09pm PT
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Yeah, I guess it comes in under the topic "I'm glad I did it, but I'd..."
Well, you get it.
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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Aug 24, 2014 - 10:18am PT
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26th is a good route. Real rock climbing up there!
I was confused until I got my Secor Sierra guide in the mail yesterday.
When I was up there in June I was looking at that arête, and its sister corner to its right, wondering if they had routes. Now I have 2 more things for the ticklist.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Aug 24, 2014 - 07:20pm PT
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Excellent alpine post! Looks like solid rock . . . compared to the San Juan Mountains.
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| Messages 1 - 17 of total 17 in this topic |
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