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Climbing Bear Creek Spire from Pine Creek Basin

Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 3:03 pm
by Steve Bearman
Has anyone made an unroped attempt on Bear Creek Spire (at most some brief stints of Class 4) from Pine Creek basin/Granite Park?

I will be base camped just above Honeymoon Lake with a group for a few days, and I want to find a route that doesn't require the long trek over Italy Pass, down to Lake Italy and then back up to the Northwest side of Bear Creek Spire (repeat in reverse on way home).

From the map, a couple routes look conceivable, though maps are silent about most climbing relevant information. It seems like the East-West ridge North of Chalfant Lakes could be climbed to the South ridge of Bear Creek Spire and then up the Spire from there. I am also foolishly optimistic that I could find a way over Spire Col (along Bear Creek Spire's East ridge), despite it being listed as Class 5 on the North side. I have yet to find a description of either of these routes in a trip report, and Roper and Secor have nothing to say about them.

So, do you have any personal experience with these routes? If not, I'm headed up in a couple weeks, and I'll let you know whether my group succeeds or fails.