12.27.2010

11 @ .11

A good 5.11, but not in the Cascades...
The 11 best 5.11s in the Cascades:





  1. Colchuck Balanced Rock - West Face       5.11+ and V1 to the balanced-rock summit
  2. Prusik Peak - Der Sportsman                Haven't done this one, can't wait to spend a week up at Prusik and climb it, among many others
  3. South Early Winter Spire - The Passenger    Climbed this one with Rad Roberts and  Brandon Workman on my "Bachelor Party" but would love to climb it again and redpoint the crux pitch, or maybe try the direct finish.
  4. Mt. Stuart - Girth Pillar    Iqw ant to do this via the Ice Cliff Glacier for the complete experience, even if it means missing the lower North Ridge rock climbing. 
  5. Le Cornes - Sprung Cock Erect If it's really better than Springbok, it must be stellar
  6. Dragontail Peak - Dragons of Eden    This one involved some (lots) of hanging and cam pulling for me, would like to redpoint it. The original line is 5.12-, but only one 5.12 pitch, which can be avoided via good 5.10 climbing to the right.
  7. Gunsight Peak - West Face  I was along for the 2nd ascent of this route in 2006, 20 years after the FA. We did it at 5.10A2, but it was freed on the 3rd (4th) ascent by Max Hasson and Jens Holsten.
  8. Mt. Stuart -  Gorillas in the Mist   Technically one of the easiest routes on the list, a direct finish awaits.
  9. Castle Peak - Fred's Hip (AKA Colorado Route)    Unrepeated. Informed speculation based on climbing near the route and seeing the rock quality and size.
  10. Colchuck Balanced Rock - The Scoop    Great climbing on perfect stone. Indian Creek in the Cascades on the namesake enduro corner.
  11. West Fury Peak -  Mongo Ridge    Unrepeated, and maybe the stoutest route in the Pickets? Almost certainly the worst rock (by a large margin) and the most serious undertaking.

I wonder how many folks have done more than 5 of them? Who has done the most? Jens Holsten has done 7, Sol Wertkin 6, I've done 6...
    And since this is probably half of the 5.11s in the range, the list wasn't too hard to come up with!

    Honorable mentions: South Early - Direct East Buttress (with bolt ladders free at 5.11), Vanishing Point on Dolomite Tower, North Early Winter Spire - West Face

    3 comments:

    1. 4th ascent dude...4th ascent.

      If you're including SW BC it sounds like Dairyland on Nesakwatch Spire should be on the list. Bit of a steep approach but the setting is idyliic and the rock looks amazing.

      ReplyDelete
    2. Not sure Mongo could go on the list because wasn't the "5.11 headwall" bypassed with a traverse and a pitch of 5.7? So as of now the ridge is 5.10 I thought.

      ReplyDelete
    3. Not sure about that, I don't think it has been repeated and Wayne considered it 5.11 so I'd take his word for it. Those gendarmes on Fury didn't look too bypassable in any of the photos.

      ReplyDelete