Other Alpine Routes

Snowdon Peak (13,077ft) North Face III, 5.11a R (5.6) 1000 ft 

Photo: M. Holladay

FA: Schiavone/Holladay 2019

2nd ascent 7/12/2020

8 x 35m pitches + 200 ft to summit Gear: 70m rope. Single set of cams from blue Alien to gold Camalot +slings and draws.

Approach: Approach as for the West Buttress route starting at Andrews Lake. Follow the regular NE Ridge of Snowdon trail to the base of the boulder field below the North Face. Ascend following grassy areas to the base of the West Buttress. Contour left about 300-ft until able to scramble up 3rd class onto the face. This should be about 150 ft above the lowest rock toe of the North Face

1. 5.6, 35m. Identify a corner through the first major overlap about 35m above the 3^rd class terrain. Angle left on slabs and through a step (5.6) to a 2-bolt belay at the base of a corner with 4 bolts.

2. 5.10- 35m Up corner with 4 bolts and continue up 5.6 R to a single bolt anchor destroyed by rockfall.

3. 5.6 35m Link 2 &3. Continue leftward along small ledges to a final move over an overlap to a 2-bolt anchor.

4. 5.10+, 35m up and left over an overlap (a bolt protects the difficult move over the overlap) to a single bolt belay with supplemental gear.

5. 5.11 crux up steep corner. Bolts + gear. Could link 4 & 5 with good rope management.

6-8 Class 4 and easy class 5.

Continue up about 2-300ft to the summit.

Arrastra Gulch Headwall III, 5.10-R, 8 pitches

8/18/17 John and Roger.

From the parking area (10,600ft) traverse westward along an overgrown road cut to a gully with a creek. Ascend the gully staying generally on the right side, passing beneath a waterfall, to avoid as much scree as possible that forms below the base of the headwall.  Cut back left when level with the base of a narrow cleft on the right side of the headwall. It took less than an hour to the base. We left packs on sloping ledges to the right of the gully (~11,500ft).

1.  Start at the base of a prominent gully/chimney system on the right side of the Headwall. Scramble up the gully and angle leftward to the base of a black wall. Find a belay among cracks below the black wall. Class 3-4, 200ft.
2. Continue traversing up and left to gain a vertical 2” crack toward the left side of the black wall (we belayed at the base of the crack).  Easy class 5, about 50ft.
3. Continue up the crack and ascend the vertical face to easier ground. We left two knifeblades in situ. Continue to a belay in a dihedral beneath an overhang. 5.10-R, 100ft.
4. Turn the roof on the right and continue up into a chimney with loose blocks and gain the top of a small pillar. Belay on top of the pillar. 5.8, 100ft
5. Traverse right from the pillar across flakes to a left-facing dihedral. Continue up easier ground until able to traverse back left to a large right-facing dihedral and a good 2-3” crack for a belay. This is directly below a 1-2 ft wide chimney (the chimney contains many loose blocks above). 5.9 100ft
6. From the belay traverse back right and continue up the broad ramp to a good belay below a steep orange wall. There is a fixed angle above the belay. 80ft, 5.6
7. We attempted to climb through the overhangs to the left of the belay to gain the crack system above but encountered loose rock and retreated back to the belay leaving some gear. We then moved right into the gully system and continued up and back left to a good belay on a sloping ledge above the crack. Easy Class 5, 100 ft. We lowered down the crack and cleaned many loose blocks, retrieved gear and top-roped the crack starting from the previous belay (with a tight rope). 5.11+, 80ft. It would still need significant cleaning to safely lead but would have adequate protection with gear to 3”.
8. From the belay continue up to gain the top of the buttress and continue along the crest to a belay at a large block. Easy Class 5, 200ft. Scramble to the top, 50ft. (~12,000ft).

To descend walk westward above the cliffs until able to descend into a gully on the skiers left. Work down the gully (there are steel cables to use in sections) and traverse skiers right below the cliffs. Continue down the scree and back to the base of the climb. It took about 12 hrs car-car on the first ascent, mostly descending by headlamp.

Little Turk 12,500ft

A minor point south from Grand Turk with a vertical-overhanging 200ft East Face of conglomerate. 1.5 mile/2000ft approach. No routes yet up the full face. Two bolted lines (left-hand incomplete) and a right-leaning crack with some bolted anchors. Bolted and explored by Matthias Holladay 2017. Bolts with chains placed at the top of the wall above the right-hand route 10/31/20. A bit hidden over the edge but a few feet directly below a large cairn.

1. Right-leaning Crack

2. Left bolted line (Matthias reports incomplete/runout at the top)

3. Right bolted line: 5.11 30-35m, 16 bolts to 2 bolt anchor. Excellent endurance route with cruxes at the top 3 bolts (hung to rest the pump). Did 3 laps 8/22/20. Needs extension to the top.

Potato Hill (11,800ft)  South Face Direct III, 5.8 R 600ft

FA 6/30/2002 with Joel. Start at base of black rock where two dihedrals meet.

1. 100ft-poorly protected 5.6 face to ledge

2. 200ft.Through roof 5.8 then up black rock to belay

3. 200ft 20ft up black rock then through pink rockband up and right 5.8. Scramble ridge to summit