Imlay - Left or Right Sneak

[Iceaxe]

For those that have done BOTH the left and right Imlay sneak which route do you prefer and why?

[ratagonia]

Right Sneak is more elegant and about 1/2 hour shorter. Tom

Left Sneak: had a noob on an Imlay trip try to kill themselves on the "handline". Bogleyites may be surprised to find out that I was being polite, and let a noob on an Imlay trip as an unannounced substitute for someone who was invited. 5 am start must have clouded my judgment. My conclusion is that being polite does not work for me.

[Iceaxe]

I've done the right sneak several times and didn't think it was too bad. I did the left sneak once and swore I'd never do it again as it was a miserable day for me. But part of the problem might have been we were doing a Pine Creek - Imlay combo platter the day we did left sneak so it was a very long day. The hike through the pass was in the July heat and the early morning Pine Creek meant we missed hiking through the pass in the cool early hours. By the time I hit the handline I remember thinking this is bull crap and I'm never coming this way again,

[qedcook]

I've only done the left, but I thought it was easy enough

[Scott P]

...

[SlickRock]

What do you mean hand line on the left sneak? I do not recall any such line. I was surprised to find some long raps crossing one or two massive potholes and glad I had 2 60 meter ropes. Did I miss a walk around / hand line at this point?

[Iceaxe]

What do you mean hand line on the left sneak? I do not recall any such line. I was surprised to find some long raps crossing one or two massive potholes and glad I had 2 60 meter ropes. Did I miss a walk around / hand line at this point?

For about the past 10 years there is a handline on the left sneak to help you down a really steep section as you drop into Imlay proper. I have also seen webbing around a tree so it appears some have rapped it. Not sure how difficult the down climb would be as I just grabbed the handline when I reached it. I didn't see a walk around, the handline is pretty hard to miss as it's hanging right in the trail. It's also been about 5 years since I last did the left sneak so maybe things have changed.

[SlickRock]

Thx, got it. There may have been a few 10 or 20 feet of webbing to help with the steep slope. I did not think it essential for downclimbing that section. But no one seems to mention that the rap - that appears right after descending the slope - is much longer than any of raps Senior Jones describes on the sneak version or Imlay proper... I recall that 1st rap being nearly 200ft. So either I missed a simple walk around (possible - thus the question regarding the handline) or the right not the left sneak rap length was being referenced, or I got something else wrong. Just been puzzled about that rap length ever since and wondered why one has commented.

Regarding the original thread, I regard the left sneak being quite the bushwhack especially up the pass but also back down.

[ratagonia]

Thx, got it. There may have been a few 10 or 20 feet of webbing to help with the steep slope. I did not think it essential for downclimbing that section. But no one seems to mention that the rap - that appears right after descending the slope - is much longer than any of raps Senior Jones describes on the sneak version or Imlay proper... I recall that 1st rap being nearly 200ft. So either I missed a simple walk around (possible - thus the question regarding the handline) or the right not the left sneak rap length was being referenced, or I got something else wrong. Just been puzzled about that rap length ever since and wondered why one has commented.

Regarding the original thread, I regard the left sneak being quite the bushwhack especially up the pass but also back down.

Mr. Blue -

If you do the rap, it is about 110 feet to the arch and big ledge behind the arch, then about 60 feet to the ground using the arch. So using 2 x 120 foot ropes, you can do the first rap down, then reset behind the arch with the old don't-pull-the-rope-over-the-arch rig.

Better might be to take the left hand trail past the first rappel (EZ), then when the trail gets steep, take it RIGHT along a ledge and into the room behind the arch, and rap from there.

I had one dhude slip on the handline section and just catch himself, and have trouble getting back to non-technical terrain -- so now I am prejudiced against going that way. I found it unpleasant. Perhaps if he had been wearing shoes...

For me, the big problem with the Left Sneak is this steep section, for which there is no elegant, fast solution.

[SlickRock]

I new I could get ratagonia to bite!!

That is a way cool pic. Thanks for including it.

So the hand line is NOT the steep slope down to the 1st rap but rather after it. Hummm... I missed the opportunity to make an intermediate sequence. But I felt dropping thru that section alone was a beautiful piece of stone and worth the left sneak slog.

Now... for the funny part... you write "Perhaps if he had been wearing shoes..." That demands further explanation, pls elaborate!!

[ratagonia]

I new I could get ratagonia to bite!!

That is a way cool pic. Thanks for including it.

So the hand line is NOT the steep slope down to the 1st rap but rather after it. Hummm... I missed the opportunity to make an intermediate sequence. But I felt dropping thru that section alone was a beautiful piece of stone and worth the left sneak slog.

Now... for the funny part... you write "Perhaps if he had been wearing shoes..." That demands further explanation, pls elaborate!!

Chomp chomp!

The footing is very bad on the handline downward traverse... he was wearing sandals.

After slipping off and catching himself, hanging over a 30 foot vertical cliff, he then says "I'll just downclimb from here" and all five people watching go "NO NO NO NO NO!"

Tom

[Iceaxe]

Now you guys have me confused as we did no rappel using either left or right sneak. First rappel we encountered is in the bottom of the actual Imlay drainage downstream of where both left and right sneak enter.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

[spinesnaper]

[SlickRock]

Well SS, not only did I miss the trail that IceAxe took, but also I missed the optional Arch stopover. I only saw what I thought was a mandatory rappel. According to both Tom and IceAxe there is a trail off to the left of the rap. Apparently it's easy past the first 120' rap but then steepens past the second (arch) rap. Me - I just rapped the entire length missing both the side trail and the cool arch set-up.

Worse is that I thought the section could only be tackled as a 170+ rap... Thus I indirectly - and incorrectly I might add - implied that the longest rap on the Imlay sneak is actually longer than indicated by public sources.

But as is often the case, I figured I got something wrong and I did. It took a few posts, but my confusion is now resolved!!

And as is also often the case, ratagonia and IceAxe have it right. Thx guys!

[Mojave Silence]

Tom--Just curious how you rigged on the arch; looks like your going double line off the biner with the pull side (counter-weighted?) rope going over the top and behind you.

[ratagonia]

Tom--Just curious how you rigged on the arch; looks like your going double line off the biner with the pull side (counter-weighted?) rope going over the top and behind you.

Not so much counter-weighted as ground-anchored. This is a way of rapping off and arch, but not pulling the rope over the arch (except a little bit). 3X rope length required.

Tom