Greetings -
Anyone have beta on hitting up Gendarme Peak from Picture Puzzle WITHOUT looking for Jigsaw Pass? Snow conditions in NE Couloir of Picture and up Gendarme's west slope? I am more concerned about scramblability (new word) between the two.

Bob took the Picture Puzzle route in 2007 while we were going up Gendarme via Jigsaw Pass. Info here: http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_reports ... zle_1.html

Deb,

We did just that three years ago, following a route Rick Kent had taken between the two. The NE Couloir or whatever it was called had little snow in August and we did not need crampons/axe. It's fairly loose, but safe for one or two (staying close together), class 2. If you exit the chute too early you will have to thread your way among some cliffs - better to drop down further an go around the base of these.

Do Aperture while your there also..very nice quick cl. 3 climb. Jigsaw is easy to find, although that wooden post was gone last year. Bob has a good picture of Jigsaw posted.

Love the map, Bob; thanks! Appreciate the suggestion to hit Aperture, as well. My slow ass will have to camp out there to hit all 3, but I was hoping to day-hike Picture and Gendarme WITHOUT going over Jigsaw.
If not in the next week, it'll be a gamble with weather in Sept trip.

Deb

If you do the route from PP to Gendarme it will be a lot easier to just go down Jigsaw to the bottom of Bishop Pass, than to retrace your steps. Gendarme is quite a bit lower than PP. A lot easier to traverse over to Jigsaw than climb back up PP. Either way,though, it's a fun route.
From the top of Jigsaw.. I think it took me less 30 minutes to climb Aperture..old register

dshoshone wrote:Deb

If you do the route from PP to Gendarme it will be a lot easier to just go down Jigsaw to the bottom of Bishop Pass, than to retrace your steps. Gendarme is quite a bit lower than PP.
From the top of Jigsaw.. I think it took me less 30 minutes to climb Aperture..old register

Lotsa hub-bub about taking the wrong notch instead of Jigsaw. Can someone drop a colored marker on it for me?
Bob's TR/pics should help me as long as I don't run out of daylight. Thanks for the beta D.

I chickened out on Picture Puzzle while doing Gendarme and Aperture last week due to the hub bub about finding Jigsaw Pass. I think it's frickin' obvious where the pass is from both top and bottom now that I've been there but built a trail duck at the top if you're coming from Gendarme on the way down. The 4x4 at the top of the pass is gone although the rest of the beta on the SP Gendarme page is very good. The climber's left most chute on Aperture is 3rd class but is a loose mess that I'd avoid. The climber's right most chute and the ridgeline has some very secure and fun 4th class that pushed my comfort level. There might be an easier way or a cleaner way but I didn't find it. G'luck!

JD

jdmorris wrote:I chickened out on Picture Puzzle while doing Gendarme and Aperture last week due to the hub bub about finding Jigsaw Pass. I think it's frickin' obvious where the pass is from both top and bottom now that I've been there but built a trail duck at the top if you're coming from Gendarme on the way down. The 4x4 at the top of the pass is gone although the rest of the beta on the SP Gendarme page is very good. The climber's left most chute on Aperture is 3rd class but is a loose mess that I'd avoid. The climber's right most chute and the ridgeline has some very secure and fun 4th class that pushed my comfort level. There might be an easier way or a cleaner way but I didn't find it. G'luck!

JD

Thanks JD. What was your time CTC? I don't want a 12 hr day after climbing all weekend.

Including traversing over Chocolate Peak for the view of Cloudripper and taking the whole day moderately easy it was around 12 hours car to car. I think Bob did the round trip with Picture Puzzle in 7 hours or something, though. If you can avoid ever slowing to a walk, eating, or taking pictures Bob's pace might be a better estimate.

http://snwburd.com/bob/trip_reports/picture_1.html

JD

This picture is all you need to find Jigsaw.


http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_photos/ ... 02971.html

dshoshone wrote:This picture is all you need to find Jigsaw.


http://www.snwburd.com/bob/trip_photos/ ... 02971.html

Is that pic taken from the east or west side of Jigsaw? Doesn't do much good to know what it looks like from the opposite direction.

Deb wrote:Is that pic taken from the east or west side of Jigsaw? Doesn't do much good to know what it looks like from the opposite direction.

From the west side.

I really don't know how people get so lost there...it's not very hard to find from either side.

dshoshone wrote:I really don't know how people get so lost there...it's not very hard to find from either side.

Me either....never been there. Just listening to all the hype about it makes me worry a bit. I'll be checking it out next month. Too tired to go for it today after climbing at the Needles this weekend.