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Getting off Community Pillar

Original Post
Drederek · · Olympia, WA · Joined Mar 2004 · Points: 315

Hi, Was wondering specifically about how difficult it is to get over to the top of Crabby Appleton from the top of Community Pillar, I recall it being a pretty easy walkoff from there but its been almost 20 years. Thx.

Derek Doucet · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 66

As I recall, from the top of the last 5th class pitch, exit the cave climber's left and scramble up and slightly right for a couple of minutes up the obvious path of least resistance. This deposits you on a large ledge with a big pine with obvious rap slings above a troublingly loose gully. Don't use this rap. Instead, turn sharp right and scramble down 3rd / 4th in another small gully. At one point this requires tunneling under a chockstone. After about 75', this deposits you on a second large ledge. Turn skiers' right and spot another large pine with rap slings positioned high on the trunk. Rap from here down to a scruffy ledge and traverse skiers' left into a large sandstone bowl. Look for a cairn on the far side of the bowl. It marks the location of a bolted rap anchor driven straight down into the slab at the lip of the bowl. . Rap from here down a huge chimney, landing on another brushy ledge. The next rap is from an obvious medium sized tree (an oak as I recall). This deposits you on yet another brushy ledge. Scramble perhaps 30' down and skiers' left to a bolted anchor. From here, a 195' rap reaches the ground. Turn skiers' right and walk ~ 5 minutes to the base of the route. We found this descent to be straightforward and efficient with good pulls. There was a section or two of loose rock as well, but nothing an attentive party need worry about.

smassey · · CO · Joined Dec 2008 · Points: 200

Agree with John. Having come down the Crabby Appleton gully from Olive oil, I can attest to its not being trivial. There is one noticeable section of downclimbing loose exposed 5.6ish?? While the adventure aspect of linking these two routes may be what you're after, efficiency would likely suggest descending CP per a standard descent, then thrashing up the CA gully. Have fun either way...

Drederek · · Olympia, WA · Joined Mar 2004 · Points: 315

Well thanks for the replies! Going to the top of CA gully from the top of CP and then down the Olive Oil descent sounds like a viable alternative to rapping. Its only been 3 or 4 years since I've been down that way.

John Hegyes · · Las Vegas, NV · Joined Feb 2002 · Points: 5,676

I agree with the above posters. When we topped out Honeycomb Chimney (a route next to Community Pillar), we opted to hike up to the top of the Olive Oil descent gully. It was very vegetated and blocky but definitely feasible. If you don't want to rappel, this is the way to go. I wouldn't recommend descending the Crabby Appleton gully either.

Drederek · · Olympia, WA · Joined Mar 2004 · Points: 315

Well it worked out pretty well going down the Olive Oil descent after climbing Community Pillar. Once at the top we started traversing right and a little up till we hit the top of the CA/OO gully. Took us maybe 45 minutes with only one short brushy bit. Was glad to descend OO, the CA gully would not have been as much fun at all. The picture is from about halfway across.

The top of Crabby Appleton gully from the east

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Nevada
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