Sierra climbers go to Wyoming! 2003
Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 5:48 pm
Cirque of the Towers
Moderators asked for old trip reports while we are in the winter doldrums, so here is one. Definitely NOT the Sierra, but this was a CMC trip, and we were Sierra climbers, including RJ Secor, who some of you knew. Since the "Beyond Sierra" section does not have a climbing sub section, I put this report here. Moderators, move it if you wish. My husband Dave and I walked in early; RJ met us the next day. Our fourth member, Ellen, joined us later. The following is a trip report I wrote for the CMC monthly bulletin.
Day 1. I had climbed in the Cirque several times in the 1970’s. With all our climbing gear our packs were just as heavy as in the “old days” making the 8-mile trek in exhausting. Dave and I stumbled into a great campsite in the deteriorating weather late Sunday.
Day 2. Monday dawned cloudy and threatening, giving us a good excuse to check out other campsites, place a note with camp coordinates for RJ and check out the approaches to the climbs. I was astounded at the network of use-trails and the small community that shared little niches in the trees, meadows and boulders. After dinner I strolled around and told other climbers if they saw a funny looking guy named RJ to let him know where we were. RJ missed our message and set up below us, but was directed our way by other climbers at dusk and moved up to our site in the morning.
Day 3. Tuesday, Dave and I headed for the South Buttress of Pingora (I.5.6). The rock was exquisite- clean positive edges, cracks, moderate but sustained and easy to protect. The second pitch was a beautiful corner with double cracks and each move a solid 5.6. Leads were a bit long for our short ropes so we had to move the belay several times. From the summit we got a jaw-dropping view of Wolf’s Head. Three full rappels and tricky route finding off the shoulder and we were back in camp where RJ joined us, just in time for the afternoon thunderstorm. RJ had taken a rest day and climbed part way up Mitchell Peak to call Ellen on the cell phone.
Day 4. Wednesday was cool and windy so we all climbed the 4th class traverse from Texas Pass, over Camel’s Hump and on to Lizard Head Peak. True to the guide, there were a few short easy 5th class pitches. Bundled up against the fierce wind we worked the long ridge like a big puzzle - a respectable scramble of excellent rock and exposure. The view of the Cirque from the top of this, the highest peak in the area, reminded me of a magical castle of spires. We found a register and signed in and found one of the few descent routes that avoided the west face slabs and cliffs. Back in camp clouds built and the scheduled 6:00 storm blew in just in time to ruin dinner.
Day 5. Thursday Dave and I climbed the lower part of the Southwest Face-Left on Pingora, an exercise in 5.6 hand- and off-width cracks, endless 4th-easy 5th class slabs, and a solid 5.7-5.8 end. After about 8 pitches, weather threatened and we escaped to the South Buttress. Two Russians who had completed the classic NE Face graciously offered us their rappel ropes. I told them they were brave to venture onto such a serious climb in the poor weather and they just smiled widely, commenting “gut weter”. I guess Sierra climbing has made us a bit whimpy! RJ soloed Mitchell Peak and Ellen arrived and quickly found us. Dinner was again interrupted by our scheduled storm, this time driving us into the tents for the night.
Day 6. Friday RJ and Dave climbed the East Ledges of Pingora and I repeated the South Buttress with Ellen. Dave thought the 5.2 rating was a bit sandbagged. Ellen and I met Dave and RJ scrambling down the 3rd class slabs from the summit. We let them set up the rappel while we scampered up for photos. We all rappelled back to the shoulder and descended as it began to spit a bit of rain. It then cleared! We bathed in the frigid stream, washed socks, plotted for the remainder of our trip and actually had a relaxing, sociable dinner.
Day 7. Saturday we woke to low level clouds obscuring the tops of all the peaks. Disappointed, we headed to the 3rd class NE Ridge of Bollinger (Norman Clyde was in the first ascent party in 1941!). The cloud cover offered great storm lighting on the NE Face of Pingora (one of the 50 Classics of North America). From New York Pass, we climbed in and out of clouds over large granite blocks in a brisk cold wind. It cleared as we topped out, ate lunch and watched two climbers on Wolf’s Head. We were back in camp by early afternoon. So fare our main objectives, the NE Face of Pingora and the East Ridge of Wolf’s Head, remained unclimbed. That afternoon we hauled gear up to the base of Wolf’s Head and checked out the climb. We were running out of food and tomorrow would be our last chance.
Moderators asked for old trip reports while we are in the winter doldrums, so here is one. Definitely NOT the Sierra, but this was a CMC trip, and we were Sierra climbers, including RJ Secor, who some of you knew. Since the "Beyond Sierra" section does not have a climbing sub section, I put this report here. Moderators, move it if you wish. My husband Dave and I walked in early; RJ met us the next day. Our fourth member, Ellen, joined us later. The following is a trip report I wrote for the CMC monthly bulletin.
Day 1. I had climbed in the Cirque several times in the 1970’s. With all our climbing gear our packs were just as heavy as in the “old days” making the 8-mile trek in exhausting. Dave and I stumbled into a great campsite in the deteriorating weather late Sunday.
Day 2. Monday dawned cloudy and threatening, giving us a good excuse to check out other campsites, place a note with camp coordinates for RJ and check out the approaches to the climbs. I was astounded at the network of use-trails and the small community that shared little niches in the trees, meadows and boulders. After dinner I strolled around and told other climbers if they saw a funny looking guy named RJ to let him know where we were. RJ missed our message and set up below us, but was directed our way by other climbers at dusk and moved up to our site in the morning.
Day 3. Tuesday, Dave and I headed for the South Buttress of Pingora (I.5.6). The rock was exquisite- clean positive edges, cracks, moderate but sustained and easy to protect. The second pitch was a beautiful corner with double cracks and each move a solid 5.6. Leads were a bit long for our short ropes so we had to move the belay several times. From the summit we got a jaw-dropping view of Wolf’s Head. Three full rappels and tricky route finding off the shoulder and we were back in camp where RJ joined us, just in time for the afternoon thunderstorm. RJ had taken a rest day and climbed part way up Mitchell Peak to call Ellen on the cell phone.
Day 4. Wednesday was cool and windy so we all climbed the 4th class traverse from Texas Pass, over Camel’s Hump and on to Lizard Head Peak. True to the guide, there were a few short easy 5th class pitches. Bundled up against the fierce wind we worked the long ridge like a big puzzle - a respectable scramble of excellent rock and exposure. The view of the Cirque from the top of this, the highest peak in the area, reminded me of a magical castle of spires. We found a register and signed in and found one of the few descent routes that avoided the west face slabs and cliffs. Back in camp clouds built and the scheduled 6:00 storm blew in just in time to ruin dinner.
Day 5. Thursday Dave and I climbed the lower part of the Southwest Face-Left on Pingora, an exercise in 5.6 hand- and off-width cracks, endless 4th-easy 5th class slabs, and a solid 5.7-5.8 end. After about 8 pitches, weather threatened and we escaped to the South Buttress. Two Russians who had completed the classic NE Face graciously offered us their rappel ropes. I told them they were brave to venture onto such a serious climb in the poor weather and they just smiled widely, commenting “gut weter”. I guess Sierra climbing has made us a bit whimpy! RJ soloed Mitchell Peak and Ellen arrived and quickly found us. Dinner was again interrupted by our scheduled storm, this time driving us into the tents for the night.
Day 6. Friday RJ and Dave climbed the East Ledges of Pingora and I repeated the South Buttress with Ellen. Dave thought the 5.2 rating was a bit sandbagged. Ellen and I met Dave and RJ scrambling down the 3rd class slabs from the summit. We let them set up the rappel while we scampered up for photos. We all rappelled back to the shoulder and descended as it began to spit a bit of rain. It then cleared! We bathed in the frigid stream, washed socks, plotted for the remainder of our trip and actually had a relaxing, sociable dinner.
Day 7. Saturday we woke to low level clouds obscuring the tops of all the peaks. Disappointed, we headed to the 3rd class NE Ridge of Bollinger (Norman Clyde was in the first ascent party in 1941!). The cloud cover offered great storm lighting on the NE Face of Pingora (one of the 50 Classics of North America). From New York Pass, we climbed in and out of clouds over large granite blocks in a brisk cold wind. It cleared as we topped out, ate lunch and watched two climbers on Wolf’s Head. We were back in camp by early afternoon. So fare our main objectives, the NE Face of Pingora and the East Ridge of Wolf’s Head, remained unclimbed. That afternoon we hauled gear up to the base of Wolf’s Head and checked out the climb. We were running out of food and tomorrow would be our last chance.