PDA

View Full Version : Trip Report TR: 20070913 - CO, Spearhead - Banatpalluza



AJ
11-18-2007, 09:39 PM
Photos: http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=182347618/a=38054161/t_=38054161


Friday 9/14:

Ben, Stephen and I were going to join RJ and Wayne for some climbing in the Glacier Gorge area. It was part of RJ's annual "Banatpolluza" trip. We met RJ and Wayne at the trailhead parking lot, and started to hike in around 5pm. We got a wonderful alpenglow display around Mills Lake, around 6pm. By 6:30pm, it was dark. We continued to hike in by headlamp, until we found a good camp spot around 8pm. It had been sprinkling a little here and there, and was a little chilly. The weather was forecasted to clear up after 11pm. We decided to make dinner and chat a bit; and just before going to bed, we pulled our sleeping pads and bags out. While it still looked cloudy, it hadn't rained in a bit. Thinking the forecast was correct, Stephen, Ben and I decided to not set up the tent and just put our sleeping pads and bags down on the ground. RJ and Wayne set up a lean to type shelter. I pulled the rainfly for the tent out, which we could quickly drape over us if it started to sprinkle again; as all of us had down sleeping bags.

Around 2am, I was woken up by a little drizzle. I pulled the rainfly over us, and looked around. The weather looked worse to me, and it was pretty cold. I thought I saw a flash. Hopefully I was mistaken. Thunder; crap. Watched the weather, and sure enough, there was thunder and lightning; nearby too. About then, it started really raining hard. We waited for it to let up a bit, but it rained pretty hard for a while. Finally, it slowed a little to a normal rain; and we quickly set up the tent. Everything was pretty wet though. Lovely. Got as much sleep as we could; and woke up early the next day.


Saturday 9/15:

Started moving around 5:30am. Everything was pretty soaked. We let it try to dry out a little while we made breakfast. The weather still wasn't looking all that great, but it wasn't raining. We decided we would still pack everything up, and hike in. Hopefully the weather would clear like the forecast thought, and the rock would be dry enough to climb when we got there. We were hoping to climb Spearhead today and Pagoda tomorrow. Before we finished packing up, it started to drizzle a little. Nothing we could do about it now. We put on our rain gear, and finished packing. During the rest of the hike to the Spearhead area, it rained on and off. Some other friends; Mark and Rom were supposed to be climbing in the Spearhead area today too; but we hadn't seen them. We gathered they had changed thier mind due to the weather. When we made it up to the Spearhead area, it was raining again, and pretty windy. Two other climbers we ran into decided to bag it and head back down.

We ran into a group of CMC'ers that bailed off their climb; having to leave a couple of nuts and a cam so they could get down safely. We said we would return the gear if we found it on our climb. We scouted around for a good camp spot. During my scouting, I slipped on the wet rock and twisted my ankle pretty good. Had to sit for a few minutes, and then gingerly add weight to it. Amazing how slippery some of the rock was; got to recognize the slipperiest stuff. There were a few bivvy spots under rocks. We found a decent one, and started to unpack our gear so it would dry out. Another group of climbers came down, saying they had to bail off as well; and they were sleeping at the big spot I'm calling bivvy rock in my photos. The best spot we saw by far. They were heading out, so we were going to move camp over there. It then started to rain again; so we had to scramble and put away all the stuff we had out drying. Bummer.

We moved our stuff over to the bivvy rock, and I again set some stuff out to dry (under the rock this time, as it was raining pretty hard now.) After the rain, Stephen and Ben moved over to the bivvy rock as well. RJ and Wayne stayed at the first bivvy spot. There was a patch of sun. Ben and I wanted to make a quick ascent on Spearhead; hoping that the sun would dry the route quickly. We geared up and were just about to leave when we heard more thunder. Maybe it would pass. Hail. Okay, maybe not. We put the gear back, and went back under our bivvy rocks. Around 3pm it cleared up again. Ben and I debated making the climb, but it would be really close to make it before the sun was gone just after 6pm. If we ran into any issues, we would likely be climbing in the dark. I wanted to see the climb; it was supposed to be spectacular (neither Ben nor I had climbed Spearhead before.) We decided that we'd play it safe, and would just wait for tomorrow to climb Spearhead. Pagoda would have to wait for another day.

A bunch of Ptarmigan came around camp, eating the grasses in the area. You could get right next to them. They were definitely used to people. Ben was joking (I hope) about grabbing one and making Ptarmigan for dinner.

We didn't know it at first, but RJ and Wayne decided to go hiking around the backside of Spearhead and see how high they could get up the fourth class route. Two gals also showed up around camp, and chatted for a few. We told them about the bivvy spots that we had previously scouted out. They decided to go give Spearhead a shot. We told them how the weather was spotty so far, and wished them luck. Turns out they free soloed the climb, picking up all the gear that was left behind; and made it down after dark. RJ and Wayne made it up to the top from the 4th class route too. Ben and I were wishing we headed up. Oh well, tomorrow's another day. Hopefully it would be better weather.


Sunday 9/16:

We woke up at 5:30am with the sun, and started to get ready. The weather didn't look so good; but we were hoping it would hold. We started to have breakfast, and it started to rain. Crap. Might not get to climb at all this weekend. We finished breakfast and just went back to bed. Around 8:30am, it started to clear up a little. We waited a few to see if the clearing would hold. It did. If we were going to climb, this was it. It was a little risky since the weather had been so bad; but we had a window and we were going to give it a shot. So were a bunch of others.

RJ and Wayne decided to head back down, so we said our goodbyes and then headed up to the climb. There were about seven groups, some larger; that had gotten a head start on us. Ben and I debated on doing a completely different route, but eventually decided we would take a different deviation of the ridge route up. We started up the direct route, and passed about two groups. We then re-joined the main route, and broke off to the right of the route. The rock was good and I was able to run out a pitch pretty good, and passed another group. We wanted to move quick as we could so as to not get stuck on the route if it started to rain again. So far, the weather was still looking pretty good.

We got to one of the steeper pitches, and I tried to break off right from the normal route and head pretty much straight up. Might have been possible, but it was pretty sketchy. I contoured left a little, and then broke off right. While I was on the top of that pitch; (fifth?), the weather started to look worse. Clouds started rolling over Chief's Head and McHenry's peak. Here's hoping it would hold. Ben got up to me, and we again took a direct route to climb at the same time as the lead group. Started to see thunder and lightning. Not good. It started to rain. Ben made a great climb up a fun crack. The summit was in view right in front of us. The rain slowed, and the thunder and lightning was still a little ways off; so we decided to make a quick burst to the summit. Took a few rainy summit photos, looked around; and then headed down. On the way down, it started to rain harder and hail. The descent route was a little sketchy as it was a steep fourth class rocky descent. Some of the rock was pretty slick. We worked our way down and around, and made it back to bivvy rock around 2pm. The weather had cleared up again. We stuck around for a few, making sure the other groups made it down safely.

We packed up, and headed back down. We stopped for some photos on the way down, and was back at the car around 5:15pm. The weather was a little disappointing, but we still got to do an awesome climb up Spearhead; and it's always fun to get out to play. Pagoda will happen another time. Thanks to RJ, Wayne, Stephen and Ben for a good weekend!

Hope you enjoy the pics!


Photos: http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=182347618/a=38054161/t_=38054161

jumar
11-19-2007, 07:49 AM
Nice :2thumbs: