OverviewThis route takes the most prominent couloir up Telegraph Peak's west face. The crux is a typically soaking-wet crack climb up a short dryfall, with snow and ice above.
Glorious Route Topo |
The name comes from how the crux was protected with one #8 nut, and the author fell three times, having his left testicle find its' way underneath the harness strap causing a unique, searing pain he had not felt before despite other falls.
The ideal time to find this route as "in condition" as possible is to head up there on a cold day after a warm week post-snowfall. It's always a crapshoot with this route, mostly involving the approach and retreat, as you'll end up postholing over rocks and trees, and other submerged objects.Getting ThereHead to the Icehouse Canyon Trailhead. Hike up Icehouse Canyon Trail to the junction with Chapman Trail. You'll take Chapman Trail to Cedar Glen Campground, all while being treated to views of the route.
From within Cedar Glen, you can find ways to get into the approach gully for One Nut Wonder. The best way is to continue on Chapman trail just past the campground for a few hundred feet until the trail dips down slightly into a path/shallow gully. You'll see it. Head up that gully towards the route. It will take you there.Route DescriptionThere is a little bit of routefinding at the base of the route. Basically stay right until you're genuinely in the couloir. After this, the route is straightforward. Just head up, where you'll meet the waterfall that forms the crux (unless it ices up, then it's just fun!).
The crux, in our case, involved crack climbing up a sharp crack with cold water flowing through it, our brains screaming at our beyond-numb hands to stay clenched, while trying to balance on crampon points. This would likely be loads of fun if the water froze up enough to make it into a fun mixed pitch. There are ways around this pitch if you look around, but we chose to do it the "fun" way.
After sending that, follow the couloir to the summit. Easy alpine ice and snow/sn'ice lead the way to the top beyond the crux.
Descent can be had your way, going down whatever you like. We chose to hoof it down the north-west side (not the NW face), near the trail, hooking up with the canyon between Telegraph and Thunder, back to Chapman Trail. That sucked. You could head down Icehouse Canyon Trail if you like, but that takes a while longer. One could rapp down the route off of bollards and whatnot... whatever you like.Essential Gear-Helmet
-One standard axe
-Two tools preferred, especially if drytooling the rock pitch
-One set of nuts (Crux was protected on lead with a single Metolius #8 curve nut)
-Flake on right side of crux accepted a Metolius #4 TCU
-1-3 pickets, 2+ if you wish to simulclimb protected up the majority of the route past the crux.
-Several mid-size hexes
-Rope (50-70m, short 5th class pitch)
External LinksSan Gabriel Mountain Forums Images
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Telegraph Peak
