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South Early Winter Spire, South
Arete
Pk: 7807'
Aug 11, 2007
Grade
II, 5.4
Nathan Reed (Leader), Wendell Calkins,
Brad Howard, Caitlin Bennett,
Dick McClenahan, Jow McClenahan
Cool/Warm (50 - 70deg), Just a few gusts, mostly clear, then
smoke from the fires obscured view.
We smoked up the trail at 6:30am, All 6 made the top of
SEWS by 1:30pm.
We appeared to be the 1st or 2nd team going up the route.
Stashed our packs in the trees avoided the goats from
attack.
Joe and I were the first to lead up the route. I'm still
learning all the quick ways to
build anchors, and I usually overbuild them. The first move,
the whaleback, and the
optional tooth-skinny were the hardest moves.
The first move (have no pictures) worked fine with my lightweight
boots, thanks to Cebe
and Peter.
It was a 12 hour day, car-to-car. But it
was a very relaxed pace with a long spell for lunch.
All worth it.
I met up with this team from Bellingham through
email. I felt instantly accepted and
trusted as the guy from the Seattle Mountaineering group.
That was really nice.
more:
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Our route, shown, had four notable challenges:
First twenty feet of the climb, the chimney, and the optional edge
walk by the "tooth" near the top.
Joe, Nathan, Brad, Dick, Wendell, and Caitlin
North Early Winter Spire (NEWS) and South Early Winter Spire (SEWS)
-- Our route.
Route starts at right ridge notch, then basically follows the ridge
up!
Caitlin: Always smiling.
Father & Son
Belayer Joe:
A World-Class sharp and efficient second.
You see, it's easier to lead when you have a skilled belayer.
We're waiting on this sandy bench while two speedy-women
pass us by.
Across the gully, a guy belays his girl up a short but
dicey pitch.
Studly Joe
That's the real summit "boulder".
Joe, Brad, Wendell, and Howard.
See Joe Rapell.
There's a party going over the Whale's back on the way
down.
The left and right slopes are steeper than they look, and
the ridge isn't as easy to cross as it looks.
A guide clips to a hanger conveniently placed in the
middle of the whaleback.
When I first came to this hangar, none of my older
carabiners would fit through the bent hangar!
After much fiddling, I threaded a perlon slung hex nut through and
clipped into the perlon loop. It worked.
Caitlan slides along the ridge of dropoffs and
breathtaking views.
