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Routes in The Spire
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Normal Route T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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North Face Direct T 5.7 5a 15 V+ 13 MVS 4b |
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South Face T 5.8 5b 16 VI- 15 HVS 4c |
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| Type: | Trad, 400 ft (121 m), 4 pitches |
| FA: | 1964, R. Ingraham, G.Goedecke |
| Page Views: | 1,221 total · 8/month |
| Shared By: | Aaron Hobson on Jan 30, 2011 |
| Admins: | Jason Halladay, Mike Hoskins, Anna Brown |
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Description
This is the route called "NW Face Direct" in Ingraham's guide. It doesn't feel like a NW face though, you can really only see out to the east, and checking maps and compasses confirms that this is more of a North Face route.
The route meanders a bit through natural weaknesses and the first two pitches are not all that exciting. However the higher up you get, the better the rock gets and the bolder the climbing. The last pitch is on beautiful clean upper slabs, and must have been a very bold first ascent.
Pitch one and two climb up easy broken up terrain, trending left as far as a broad shoulder/ledge overlooking the east side, and then trending back right to a nice ledge at some trees. Pitch 3 goes straight up above the trees to a shallow corner system which trends right. At the top of this is another big ledge at the base of a steep 12ft wall. This is the same wall as described by Ingraham for the regular route. The left side of the wall has a nice crack to climb (5.7) to gain the ledge above where the two bolt anchor/rappel is found. From here the Normal route would go straight up the easy gully, but the N. Face Direct breaks out left on the aesthetic slab (~5.7?). A piton in a right-facing flake marks a point where you traverse left on a ledge (or climb directly up to the summit on 5.8R friction climbing). Continue left until you reach a weakness ("rotten diagonal crack") to pass through a bulge above. Afterwards, a short pitch gains the summit block.
The route meanders a bit through natural weaknesses and the first two pitches are not all that exciting. However the higher up you get, the better the rock gets and the bolder the climbing. The last pitch is on beautiful clean upper slabs, and must have been a very bold first ascent.
Pitch one and two climb up easy broken up terrain, trending left as far as a broad shoulder/ledge overlooking the east side, and then trending back right to a nice ledge at some trees. Pitch 3 goes straight up above the trees to a shallow corner system which trends right. At the top of this is another big ledge at the base of a steep 12ft wall. This is the same wall as described by Ingraham for the regular route. The left side of the wall has a nice crack to climb (5.7) to gain the ledge above where the two bolt anchor/rappel is found. From here the Normal route would go straight up the easy gully, but the N. Face Direct breaks out left on the aesthetic slab (~5.7?). A piton in a right-facing flake marks a point where you traverse left on a ledge (or climb directly up to the summit on 5.8R friction climbing). Continue left until you reach a weakness ("rotten diagonal crack") to pass through a bulge above. Afterwards, a short pitch gains the summit block.
Location
On the North face of the Spire, look for two tall trees right next to each other(one pine, one fir). these are at the base of the face in a sort of gully. Scamper up the gully and pick a starting line to launch upwards.
Descent is by scrambling/rappelling down the "Normal Route" which is on the north face. from the top, 4th calss scrambling gets back down to the top of third pitch where the rappel anchor is found. A short rappel and more 4th class down-climbing gets down to the Spike. If you've left gear at the base of the climb, you can rappel down the east side of the Spike. Otherwise the Normal route takes you back to the saddle between the Spire and Low Horn #6.
Descent is by scrambling/rappelling down the "Normal Route" which is on the north face. from the top, 4th calss scrambling gets back down to the top of third pitch where the rappel anchor is found. A short rappel and more 4th class down-climbing gets down to the Spike. If you've left gear at the base of the climb, you can rappel down the east side of the Spike. Otherwise the Normal route takes you back to the saddle between the Spire and Low Horn #6.
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