But instead I'll just let the pics do the talking and post the description for those who want a similar adventure.
Looking down the second of 2 at times free hanging abseils on the approach
Andy topping out the first pitch as the clouds clear
Feeling the strain on pitch 2
The spectra of colours just visible around the full moon as we reached the summit plateau. A great relief as I'd dropped my head torch an hour before.Bruised Violet VIII,7,8,8,8,7 90m
A phenomenal direct line through the very steep ground Chop Suey avoids. Very sustained climbing at the top of the grade.
1. 30m Chop Suey pitch 1
2. 20m Climb cracks up the right wall of the groove as for Chop Suey) to the upper girdle ledge then pull through the roof and follow the committing groove for 8m to where the ramp of Force Ten heads up leftwards. Arrange gear here (insitu pecker used as back rope for second) from two good footholds on the left wall before dropping back down into the groove and making an unlikely thin traverse on the lip of the overhangs across the right wall. A good crack in the right arete leads to a small ledge where a complex belay can be made. (with enough gear it might be better to continue or alternatively combine pitches 3 and 4).
3. 8m Step up until level with big roofs on the left and swing into a bottomless steep groove which leads to good cracks and possible hanging belay). (note we belayed here as our gear from the ab was here).
4. 20m Pull up right to a sloping ledge and follow very steep grooves and cracks up slightly leftwards until a final pull round a roof gains a big flake. Pull up left onto ledges atop the prow. Traverse 3m left to a crack which leads to big turfy ledges.
5. 12m Blocky steps via a wide crack to the top.
f.a Ian Parnell, Andy Turner 10 March 2009
A phenomenal direct line through the very steep ground Chop Suey avoids. Very sustained climbing at the top of the grade.
1. 30m Chop Suey pitch 1
2. 20m Climb cracks up the right wall of the groove as for Chop Suey) to the upper girdle ledge then pull through the roof and follow the committing groove for 8m to where the ramp of Force Ten heads up leftwards. Arrange gear here (insitu pecker used as back rope for second) from two good footholds on the left wall before dropping back down into the groove and making an unlikely thin traverse on the lip of the overhangs across the right wall. A good crack in the right arete leads to a small ledge where a complex belay can be made. (with enough gear it might be better to continue or alternatively combine pitches 3 and 4).
3. 8m Step up until level with big roofs on the left and swing into a bottomless steep groove which leads to good cracks and possible hanging belay). (note we belayed here as our gear from the ab was here).
4. 20m Pull up right to a sloping ledge and follow very steep grooves and cracks up slightly leftwards until a final pull round a roof gains a big flake. Pull up left onto ledges atop the prow. Traverse 3m left to a crack which leads to big turfy ledges.
5. 12m Blocky steps via a wide crack to the top.
f.a Ian Parnell, Andy Turner 10 March 2009
1 comment:
Good Effort, really well done!
Sounds like you had a proper adventure up there.
Post a Comment