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| Messages 1 - 11 of total 11 in this topic |
Dan Rampe
Trad climber
San Francisco, CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jul 12, 2009 - 09:48pm PT
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Looking for beta on the Firebird Ridge route on Norman Clyde Peak. Time from trailhead to Finger Lake. Time from Finger Lake to Firebird Ridge. Time on route. Gear. Where to rap? Thanks.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jul 12, 2009 - 11:15pm PT
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Never been to Firebird, but I've been to Finger Lake a few times. It's an easy day. Got there fairly early in the afternoon each time. There's a really nice campsite there.
It's an hour and a half or two to the start of the routes on Middle. Old man pace.
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10b4me
Boulder climber
Neil Young land
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Jul 13, 2009 - 12:36pm PT
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mosquitos are terrible at finger lake
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apogee
climber
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Jul 13, 2009 - 12:56pm PT
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One of my very first alpine adventures (near epic) was Twilight Pillar- hiked in on Saturday, camped near Finger Lake and finished all of the Yukon Jack, and got a late start on Sunday- topped out just as the sun dropped below the horizon. Downclimbed and rapped into the dark with weak headlamps, at one point rapping into the cirque below the peak only to realize 30' from the bottom that our rope was too short.
My buddy had to work the next day in San Diego, so after returning to camp, we packed up, hiked back to the cars and drove all the way back to SD, arriving as the sun came up. Good times!
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ralph the klimber
Gym climber
ralph town
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Jul 13, 2009 - 02:16pm PT
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it is a contrived pile, twilight pillar is your best bet. long day from the car small rack to 2" one rope and you descend the north face more or less..with some rappels if you don't like down climbing.
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tallguy
Trad climber
bay area
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Jul 13, 2009 - 02:28pm PT
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I had a friend do Firebird earlier this year. The report was that this was a loose, unaesthetic route, with one good pitch. They almost died multiple times from giant loose blocks raining down that were dislodged by the rope. Do twilight instead.
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can't say
Social climber
Pasadena CA
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Jul 13, 2009 - 02:57pm PT
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I have to go with the Twilight Pillar too. I did it with Big Al a number of years back. It's a nice route, but basically it's a long hike in for a couple of good pitches. The descent is kind of arduous down the North Face, and requires a bunch of 4th and easy 5th class down climbing.
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Anxious Melancholy
Mountain climber
Back of beyond
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Jul 13, 2009 - 03:32pm PT
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did the eagle face years ago and I remember it being solid. descent ticket was the NNE ridge. No raps.
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james Colborn
Trad climber
Truckee, Ca
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Jul 20, 2009 - 11:28pm PT
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Did Firebird Ridge on Sat.
From Trail head: Finger Lake 3+ hrs....Base of climb 5+ hrs. Climb 3- hrs. descent 2- hrs. back to car 3+ hrs. Close to 14 hrs+- car to car. 20hrs total, trailhead to home. OUCH!
We went super light. 5am start, back at car at 6:30pm.
Take trail to Finger lake, cross creek and hike shortly along right,North side, of lake ascending shelves and talus up to sandy approach up to ridge dividing N and
S fork drainages, exposed at times. Continue on ridge to base of climb. At the base of the ridge there is a Cairn that signifies the descent return spot. Go to cairn and identifiy where it is so that you can return to it from the NNW ridge. The NNW ridge is an open face really. On the descent we made a number of switch backs crossing small snow feilds, no rappels. Great adventure all in all.
View from dividing ridge of N and S forks looking up to firebird
First pitch, with clear skies.
Second Pitch
One of the final pitches with serious threats of rain.
The skies opened up and dumped hail and rain on us, not to mention thunder and lightning strikes, yikes. The Descent was as much of the adventure as the climb with the rock wet and lightning.
Well worth the hike!
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Zander
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jul 20, 2009 - 11:32pm PT
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You guys are awesome! I was beat by the time I finished Twilight Pillar. The descent was endless and I was only going to Finger Lake. It is magic up there.
Zander
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Bob Clark
Ice climber
oc
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Jul 21, 2009 - 01:01am PT
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Rap route established down entire Eagle Face, double pins, two ropes, not to much loose stuff , all was intact in 2002. Go with Twilight Pillar, no comparison.
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| Messages 1 - 11 of total 11 in this topic |
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