Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    37N 122W
    Posts
    612

    TR: Blacksmith North Arete

    To help pass the too-wet-to-climb-and-too-shallow-to-ski season, here's a few words and photos about a less popular sierra alpine route we explored late this past September.

    At 11,680 feet Blacksmith Peak stands out as one of the last major summits along the striking Sawtooth Ridge skyline. Moynier and Fiddler deem the North Arete III 5.10a and with a 5.6 summit problem, there is no tourist route to the top. This route turned out to be fairly short with respect to technical difficulties but long on adventure and sheer alpine beauty.

    The North Arete is the ridge on the left side of the impressive Northwest Face.



    A few photos scoured from the internet was enough to convince my "other" friend Mike it was a worthy alternative to the more crowded options nearby. As both of us hadn't spent a night out in a while, we decided to huff overnight packs into Glacier lake and make for a classic weekend of alpine climbing. There is no trail into these parts so cross country travel and "duck hunting" is the name of the game. Fortunately, Mike had an aborted attempt on this peak only a few weeks earlier so he had the approach dialed. What could easily be a bushwhacking nightmare turned out to be smooth sailing. I tried to take a few photos so you could see which side of the river we were on at what points.

    The worst of the shwacking:



    much better:



    looking back. A key move is to stick way right (from the perspective of this photo) after this roll over and avoid bushes more or less straight ahead.



    go right from here



    and more or less straight on



    ...to...the goal!



    I do have our gps track. Email me if you want it.

    The views from the lake did not disappoint



    and neither did the beverage cart



    after a dawn start we arrived near the base of the route. The North Arete from lower left to upper right.



    The northwest face is a IV 5.11 that presents well!



    Go straight to the base of the obvious chimney then take the ledge system up and right till you get to the base of another chimney which is the first and very interesting pitch





    there's a 5.9 surprise inside!



    the following pitch is fairly straightforward





    and then you get to the business 5.10a double hand crack with a little bulge





    then on to more straightforward climbing to the top (where I, of course, kind of botched the route-finding)







    The descent is supposed to be 3rd and 2nd class. We found a rap helpful near the top



    The views continued to impress on the way down. We descended to the southwest then wrapped around back through the nearest convenient notch down to the base of the NW face and down to glacier lake.



    Go get some!
    "Kids today, all they talk about is big air. I say, stay on the mountain, that's where the action is. If you want big air, pull my finger." ~Smooth Johnson~

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    inpdx
    Posts
    20,177
    impressive place!
    thanks for sharing!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    JH/AK/Los Andes
    Posts
    2,678
    Yeehaw!!
    "The idea wasnt for me, that I would be the only one that would ever do this. My idea was that everybody should be doing this. At the time nobody was, but this was something thats too much fun to pass up." -Briggs
    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    Wear your climbing harness. Attach a big anodized locker to your belay loop so its in prime position to hit your nuts. Double russian Ti icescrews on your side loops positioned for maximal anal rape when you sit down. Then everyone will know your radness
    More stoke, less shit.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Ogden
    Posts
    9,081
    Nice!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
    Posts
    22,429
    Nice route. Got to love Sierra granite.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    NorCal
    Posts
    2,573
    Nice route buddy! I forgot you guys were going to do this.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Last Best City in the Last Best Place
    Posts
    7,237
    That looks like a really cool climb. Thanks for posting this.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Couloirfornia
    Posts
    8,871
    Sickter dude. Right on.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    37N 122W
    Posts
    612
    Thanks all! Yeah, this was a fun one and there was literally no one in sight from the time we left the parking lot till the time we returned.
    "Kids today, all they talk about is big air. I say, stay on the mountain, that's where the action is. If you want big air, pull my finger." ~Smooth Johnson~

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Geopolis
    Posts
    16,049
    Missed this, that is quite a face to see. Thanks for putting up a TR.
    j'ai des grands instants de lucididididididididi

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •