Nathan Trip Report: Orbit, Snow Creek Wall.
Gear: Holly brought a set of nuts and a 5 or 6 small cams. I brought a 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 2.0. We also brought the #3, but never used it. I would have enjoyed having my small hexes, too. No reason to bring bigger gear. It was nice to double up on the smaller cams, though.
Summary:
Leave Seattle: 6:00 am
Arrive Leavenworth: 8:30 am
Arrive base of climb: 10:00 am
Start climbing: 10:30 am
N/H top out: 3:00 pm
Back at cars: 7:00 pm
Below I have attached some detailed beta that I found on Summitpost.org. I have added my comments in blue.
Approach: Take the trail leading up into the Enchantments. At the point where you enter the cool woods and can hear the stream really close by, look for a trail leading off to the right. Take the trail, cross the river on a nice log, and start heading up. We took this trail straight to the start of Orbit.
At the base of Snow Creek Wall, still on the trail, you will find yourself at the base of a large tree. Look up and to the left and see another large tree. Easy scramble to this tree. It has a red and white sling around it. From here, find a gully to your left and start up the gully. This is the beginning of the first pitch, see start of route description below
Pitch 1: 5.6, 180 feet. Scramble up to the large tree with
rap slings on it. Move left and enter a 4th class gully. Follow gully up toward
the large tree at the top of it (also with rap slings around it). Pull onto the
ledge next to the tree (5.6 move or two). I found this more like 5.4. I placed one
piece of pro, just to say I did. Pretty
unnecessary.
Pitch 2: 5.8, 90 feet. Move up the slabs and cracks directly above the
belay ledge. Enter a dihedral which becomes progressively more difficult. Crux
move is pulling onto an upper ledge using a stemming/chimneying move to bypass a
small "roof". You're now about 30 feet below Mary Jane Dihedral (a prominent 5.9
dihedral in the SE face of Snow Creek Wall). This is a really nasty, awkward move. The key
Is to find a crimper with your left hand. Very, very important. Without that crimp hold, you will fall and die.
Pitch 3: 5.8 - 5.9 (Smoot - Nelson/Potterfield), 150 feet. Climb up to
the base of the MJ Dihedral (low 5th) and pick up a ramp heading left and up at
a diagonal (low 5th class climbing). Follow the ramp for about 50 feet or until
you're at the base of the 5.9 finger crack system (c. 30 feet of it). Climb the
thin finger cracks (finger jams and stemming w. feet) moving slightly left near
the top. Gain a small ledge with a mid-sized bush just above it. It's more of a
slot behind a flake. Sling the bushes and the tip of the flake for belay anchor.
No comments here.
Pitch 4: 5.8 - 5.8+, 150 feet. Move up and right from belay ledge to gain
the low angle slab with a thing finger crack down its center. Climb up the slab
(thin cams) past a double bolted anchor (one good bolt + one "nail"). The slab
bypasses minor roofs on the right. About 10 feet above the bolt, move right
around the arete. Climb up the face on the right side of arete (thin cams all
the way since the bolts). Continue up the face with decent pro opportunities and
some old bolts. Clip a piton and climb 10 more feet to gain a narrow stance that
is to be your belay station. Book calls this mantle the crux of the pitch. The
stance comes equipped with two rusty, old, thin bolts. These can be backed up
with microcams. Here
I would construct a hanging belay, rather then do what I did and try to stand on
the ledge. The bolts totally suck, but you can get a bomber nut in behind the
flake.
Pitch 5: 5.8, 100 feet. From belay, climb straight up the easy dihedral
(5.6). The dihedral becomes thin (5.8) after about 40 feet. Move right to gain
the knobby face. Continue up the face. Pull over an easy "roof" (maybe 5.7) and
continue up the chicken head studded face (sparse pro, easy climbing) to gain an
large ledge below a large roof. Belay. I went straight up, rather then go right to gain
knobby face, but Holly (who led) did go right. This is where Steve got lost,
because he didn’t go right enough….Holly said she want about 10-15 right to gain
that knobby face.
Going straight up
was probably 5.9, but I felt comfy on top rope.
Pitch 6: 5.6, 200 feet. From belay, move right and up bypassing the large
roof on its right side. Climbing goes on easy chicken heads but pro is sparse.
Run out the rope genrally bearing up and left (follow easiest line). Belay when
you're out of rope (should be enough to reach 3rd class ledges up top). No comment, pretty easy climbing. I
thought there was good pro opportunities, though. Nuts in constrictions.
Pitch 7: low 5th, 150 feet. Most will want to belay this last easy pitch
as more chickenhead climbing on low angle (but exposed) terrain brings you to
the sandy summit area of Snow Creek Wall. I guess a belay is appropriate. You could
also simul-climb this part.
Descent: From the top, hike left looking for cairns that mark the descent
"trail". The trail is probably 3rd-4th class in places and so keeping your rock
shoes on for the descent might be a good idea. Continue down skirting the left
side (that's climber's left) of Snow Creek Wall. The final 300 feet or so goes
down a dirty steep class 3 gully. If you do this right, there should be no need
for any rappels.
We did do one
rappel, right above the trail.
JOSH:
There are probably 4 crux's on the climb:
5.8 Chimney, pitch 2, very awkward, kind of strenous.
5.9 Finger Cracks (Maybe soft 5.9 or 5.8+ but short,thin, not overly strenous)
5.8 Transition out of the dihedral on pitch 4
5.8 transition out of the dihedral on pitch 5
Most of the sustained climbing isn't any harder than 5.6 or 5.7 with a few
harder moves thrown in. Only the 5.9 finger cracks are somewhat
sustained.
Rack for Steve and I:
1 set nuts (down to size 1 DMM)( used them all)
2x Size 1 TCU (blue, only needed 1)
2x Size 2 TCU (Yellow Used both)
2x Size 3 TCU (Orange Used both)
1x Size 4 TCU (Red Used it)
1.5, 2, 3 DMM 4cu's. (Used them al)
1,2,3 Camalots (Used them all)
15 alpine draw (probably needed 12, 10 singles, 5 doubles)
From our rack we didn't used 1 of the blue TCU's and probably 3 or 4 of
the draws. If you comfortable protecting sparsely you could probably trim
1 yellow and 1 orane TCU and the #2 DMM. But I wouldn't go much thinner
than that.
Nathan and Holly had a slightly thinner rack, probably 1 of each of the
TCU equivalents, 2x #1 and #2-camalots, 1x #3-camalot, and a set of nuts
(BD) and 9 runners. Most of the pitch's were ok, but Nathan ran out of
runners on pitch 4.
Approach: From the trail you'll find a large pine, pretty much on it's
own. From there you'll scramble up and left to another smaller tree.
There's maybe 1 or 2 5.5ish moves just below the tree, so belaying it is
optional, but I used a handline ;-) This tree is the first belay.
Pitch 1: From the belay tree, move left around the corner, and head up
the gully. A smattering of 5.5 or 5.6ish moves so it's probably worth
belaying. Belay from the tree, at the top of the gully.
Pitch 2: Go slightly right, and head up the chimney. (face climbing for 40
ft, chimney for 20 ft). The chimney goes 5.8 This Sucks! Crimps high and
left, foot hold high left. (There's a piton in the crack at the back of
the chimney) and you can protect high with small cams. From here move up
until you find a left trending ramp. Follow this to a small bush belay.
(there's also a fixed camalot on the pitch above the chimney)
Pitch 3: Continue up the ramp hugging the wall on the high side of the
ramp. This ends with the 5.9 finger crack. (Actually several finger
cracks on either side of a big flake. There's another bush belay just
past the cracks (probably 30 or 40 ft of cracks on a very clean, less
than vertical face). There's another fixed cam of questionable value on
this about half way up the cracks on the right.
Pitch 4: From the belay head up the corner system to the right, move
right to a new corner system and continue up. When the 2nd corner system
comes to an end (past a two bolt rap anchor of questionable worth).
You'll be forced right out of the dihedral and onto the face (5.8ish
move). THen head up face more or less directly, then moving slightly
left at the top, to the next belay. Two bolts of questionable value,
widely seperated, one on the left side of a small dihedral, one on the
right. Will also take a couple of nuts and microcams (blue TCU size). (
a fixed Pin, and rusty 1/4 inch bolt on the face below the belay)
Pitch 5: Up the corner system till the cracks thins out, then move right
and onto the face, past some somewhat runout knobs to a roof. You head
pretty much straight up through the middle of the rough. (some nice jugs
up high if you feel around). Then continue up the knobs to a large ledge,
with a slung chockstone and some cracks for a belay. (5.8 getting out of
the dihedral, 5.5ish above but runout)
Pitch 6: Move up to the right, and onto the face above a small roof. Up
the knobs following the cracks and slinging chickenheads for pro. At
the top you'll find a sandy bench, with some blocks at the base of a
chimney or a bush low and climbers right (can belay at either place).
There's a very large boulder that forms the outer side of the chimney
(house size).
Pitch 7: Up the chimney and the face above, then move up and left (mostly
4th class with some 5th class steps). ( Can combine the chimeny with the
last pitch if you have a 60m, and don't mind a little rope drag). Move
right into a gulley when possible. Belay at a tree, and then scramble up
the gully to the top!
Descent: not the first big gulley immediately to climbers left, but just
past that, follow the sandy benchs down (a few 5th or stiff 4th class
moves getting down). Eventually move to skiers right across the gulley
following the trail and work your way down, generally trending to skiers
left. And eventually intersecting the trail that runs along the base.