Sorry to dig up this 3-year old thread Miguel said a single 60m ought to be fine, so I think we'll just do that. Thanks for all the beta !

I do not understand why rapping the route after doing half of it is appealing to some people. The climbing on the northern section is a little harder, but it's not night and day harder. The north section contains the best pitch by far IMO , "The Wave" pitch, and overhanging , almost curling , strip of rock that looks like it is about to break, not break off, but break as in a breaking wave. From the top of the wave you are looking straight down 500 feet to the deck , super exposed and aesthetic.

vinze wrote:I do not understand why rapping the route after doing half of it is appealing to some people. The climbing on the northern section is a little harder, but it's not night and day harder. The north section contains the best pitch by far IMO , "The Wave" pitch, and overhanging , almost curling , strip of rock that looks like it is about to break, not break off, but break as in a breaking wave. From the top of the wave you are looking straight down 500 feet to the deck , super exposed and aesthetic.

Agreed, but it is much harder to protect. As rhyang put it: those of us who are courage-impaired

Rob, Miguel was just up there < a wk before me. Send him an email if you want to double-check.

Rapp'ing can very appealing after doing the first half after a thunderstorm has built in the vicinity, after one began the climb...

I don’t have any info on the current conditions, but don’t pass up on the opportunity to “ride the wave” north of the north tower.....it is muy bueno.

vinze wrote:... The north section contains the best pitch by far IMO , "The Wave" pitch, and overhanging , almost curling , strip of rock that looks like it is about to break, not break off, but break as in a breaking wave. From the top of the wave you are looking straight down 500 feet to the deck , super exposed and aesthetic.

What Vinze said.
Folks, you know you’ll have to do it sometime....just for the photo op

This is me “riding the wave” May 28, 2007

fossana wrote:

vinze wrote:I do not understand why rapping the route after doing half of it is appealing to some people. The climbing on the northern section is a little harder, but it's not night and day harder. The north section contains the best pitch by far IMO , "The Wave" pitch, and overhanging , almost curling , strip of rock that looks like it is about to break, not break off, but break as in a breaking wave. From the top of the wave you are looking straight down 500 feet to the deck , super exposed and aesthetic.

Agreed, but it is much harder to protect. As rhyang put it: those of us who are courage-impaired

Rob, Miguel was just up there < a wk before me. Send him an email if you want to double-check.

Thanks ! After posting to this thread I realized that's exactly what I should have done, and got his recommendation. I look forward to getting sewing machine leg up there this weekend

Have a great time!

rhyang wrote:…. I look forward to getting sewing machine leg up there this weekend

Some of the traversing on the Wave is actually more like downclimbing.
Just trust the feet and work the million of those little Tuolumne-type knobs...you're going to love it

fossana wrote:Have a great time!

What fossana said

I had one of the knobs pop under my foot on the Wave pitch. Got my blood going
If it looks too good to be true - don't use it

Have fun, Rob! This is my favorite climb in the Sierra

Misha wrote:This is my favorite climb in the Sierra

+1

+10!!! Full traverse is the best. More climbing less rapping!

Thanks all -- if the traverse from the north summit to the north end is 5.8, then it's probably not something I want to do quite yet

rhyang wrote:Thanks all -- if the traverse from the north summit to the north end is 5.8, then it's probably not something I want to do quite yet

I think most people skip the last towers. From Bob's SP route description:

Most parties bail after reaching the summit through the rappels described above, but the traverse can be continued north from the summit, and in this author's opinion is even better than the southern portion. There is a great deal more class 4, some easy class 5, and some of the most impressive knife-edge traversing found anywhere. One memorable edge dubbed "The Wave" is actually overhanging by some 15 feet or so from vertical, and looks like an ocean wave about to break. There are two small towers at the far north end where most progress will be stopped. A downclimb exceeding 5.6 is required, and most parties bail off the ridge at this point to the west.

I'd agree with his assessment of the ratings. You can safely and easily downclimb off the ridge on the left side just before the final towers.

I guess we can give it a shot .. between supertopo's grade inflation and Bob's sandbagging maybe we could handle it after all

OK, so I finally managed to tag the north summit on this thing last weekend. The supertopo shows several routes from the notch, as follows :

1. "5.7" crack / knobs to the right
2. 5.8 offwidth crack straight up, joins route #1
3. "loose" 5.7 off to the left

I chickened out last year, but led route #1 this year. Jeebus, that felt hard -- I thought I was gonna deck and my partner couldn't do it at all We did see some folks head up route #3 .. they said it was a bit grainy, but not so bad.

I rapped off the north summit with two 60m ropes (ours and and another party's), but would like to go back for the rest of the crest (north of the north summit) at some point. What is everyone's preference on getting from the notch to the north summit ?