20150516 Crystal Lake Wall Climbing
Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 1:08 pm
Amanda was in town for a while, so we headed up to get a cam that was stuck on the last trip up to the wall north of the lake on Islip's south ridge, visible from the store. The weather was cool and cloudy with a little rain or snow. There was still some snow left from the system that passed through on the days before. A nice alpine feel to things, though the view can be really cool from this wall when it's not socked in. Amanda had been on this wall once before when I was still figuring the whole place out, and it was very cloudy then as well.
I had come up here on my birthday last month, only to have issues with communication between folks joining us. We missed our friends and I only made it about 1/2mi up the trail before I gave up out of frustration. The point of this little blurb is to state that I feel the best approach to the wall is to head directly up the creek/gully that drains the wall. It crosses the Crystal Lake one-way road right where I lost Klaus in a flood. Hike up this and navigate your way to the base of the wall. The talus/boulderfield splits, with the left side being a bit of a pain and the right side leading up easy terrain to the approach slabs (easy 5th class). Take the right way for a bit and figure out when to go left to gain the talus field at the base of the face. Trial and error. No real set way yet.
Point is, don't bother taking trails.
OK, so we head up and reach the base. I had wanted to climb the face below the pitch 2 traverse on Clown Syndrome, as it looked fun from last time. It turned out to be easier than expected, as I had been mentally geared up for leading 5.10 or so with thin gear on slabs. It was 5.4 or whatever with okay gear, easy climbing but obviously not a good first lead for someone or whatever.
Amanda at the base
Going up the easy face
Further up
I built a belay station behind a horn on the comfy ledge above the first pitch of Clown Syndrome. Amanda lowered me and we did a few laps, removing loose rocks.
Amanda climbing the right side of the face, which has lots of small loose rocks in a crack.
We pulled the rope leaving an anchor up top. I then climbed the fun first pitch of Clown Syndrome, leaving a webbing anchor around the tree at the top. There had been no fixed anchors before, so you'd have to climb a few more pitches up through bad rock in order to get back down. Anyway, built the anchor, and scrambled up and removed the one above the easy face.
P1 of CS
Amanda going up
Pulled that down, went around the corner and climbed this wider crack with lots of loose things in it. Gains the same anchor so it's convenient. 5.8ish, maybe easier once the bigger scary loose rocks are gone. Couldn't get rid of them since Amanda and all our shizz was at the bottom and woulda been smashded by the rocks.
Our next thing was to climb a finger crack I had seen previously. We climbed up the easy face, belayed at the same point as before, and I started climbing left across a pretty easy traverse without much protection. Gained the crack, climbed it up until there was too much loose stuff, then went left a bit up a cool block with steps on the side of it. Little 1" or so steps like a ladder. Some more loose stuff above, and a traverse left which had awful ropedrag. Would be nice to have an anchor before that part so you can avoid the bad stuff. Found an ancient piton up there!
Happy Amanda
Looking across the traverse and up at the next pitch.
Climbing up, and the old pin.
Going home
The skies cleared for a moment.
All in all, a great time. That last route was quite good and could be recommended after a bunch of cleaning. Some of those loose blocks really need to go. Just gotta make sure nobody is below, and all your kit is up above.
Cheers.
I had come up here on my birthday last month, only to have issues with communication between folks joining us. We missed our friends and I only made it about 1/2mi up the trail before I gave up out of frustration. The point of this little blurb is to state that I feel the best approach to the wall is to head directly up the creek/gully that drains the wall. It crosses the Crystal Lake one-way road right where I lost Klaus in a flood. Hike up this and navigate your way to the base of the wall. The talus/boulderfield splits, with the left side being a bit of a pain and the right side leading up easy terrain to the approach slabs (easy 5th class). Take the right way for a bit and figure out when to go left to gain the talus field at the base of the face. Trial and error. No real set way yet.
Point is, don't bother taking trails.
OK, so we head up and reach the base. I had wanted to climb the face below the pitch 2 traverse on Clown Syndrome, as it looked fun from last time. It turned out to be easier than expected, as I had been mentally geared up for leading 5.10 or so with thin gear on slabs. It was 5.4 or whatever with okay gear, easy climbing but obviously not a good first lead for someone or whatever.
Amanda at the base
Going up the easy face
Further up
I built a belay station behind a horn on the comfy ledge above the first pitch of Clown Syndrome. Amanda lowered me and we did a few laps, removing loose rocks.
Amanda climbing the right side of the face, which has lots of small loose rocks in a crack.
We pulled the rope leaving an anchor up top. I then climbed the fun first pitch of Clown Syndrome, leaving a webbing anchor around the tree at the top. There had been no fixed anchors before, so you'd have to climb a few more pitches up through bad rock in order to get back down. Anyway, built the anchor, and scrambled up and removed the one above the easy face.
P1 of CS
Amanda going up
Pulled that down, went around the corner and climbed this wider crack with lots of loose things in it. Gains the same anchor so it's convenient. 5.8ish, maybe easier once the bigger scary loose rocks are gone. Couldn't get rid of them since Amanda and all our shizz was at the bottom and woulda been smashded by the rocks.
Our next thing was to climb a finger crack I had seen previously. We climbed up the easy face, belayed at the same point as before, and I started climbing left across a pretty easy traverse without much protection. Gained the crack, climbed it up until there was too much loose stuff, then went left a bit up a cool block with steps on the side of it. Little 1" or so steps like a ladder. Some more loose stuff above, and a traverse left which had awful ropedrag. Would be nice to have an anchor before that part so you can avoid the bad stuff. Found an ancient piton up there!
Happy Amanda
Looking across the traverse and up at the next pitch.
Climbing up, and the old pin.
Going home
The skies cleared for a moment.
All in all, a great time. That last route was quite good and could be recommended after a bunch of cleaning. Some of those loose blocks really need to go. Just gotta make sure nobody is below, and all your kit is up above.
Cheers.
