Easy route, climbed with Yannick and Kevin on a beautiful July day.
bighornmonkey - Feb 13, 2008 7:15 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2007
Done...
Did this route twice....fun!
Shirley Lam - Jan 30, 2008 10:07 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2007
Shorter than expected...
but maybe it was because we did Moon Goddess on Temple Crag the day before.
glahhg - Aug 27, 2007 3:36 pm Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2007
Swiss Arete
About 4.5 pitches of rock after getting established on the arete. Nice summit!
Deb - Jul 6, 2007 3:49 pm Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2007
Easy Fun
Beautifully warm day to be on a mountain, especially fine Sierra granite! Really fun easy climb, but awful short; simul-climbed all but 1 1/2 pitches. Thanks to hubby for leading, the altitude and my ovaries sapped my endurance.
Augie Medina - Oct 11, 2006 9:25 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2001
Swiss Arete
My first multi-pitch climb. I was the second all the way being a newbie to trad climbing. We got a late start and, after 3 pitches, the decision was made to retreat because of the late hour. I do remember that "step around" on an exposed ledge; it was a little intimidating even knowing there was protection above me. Following the step around there was an open book and, after that, the climbing got much easier. But as I say, we didn't make the summit. We rapped off onto the L-Shaped Couloir.
jsorber - Sep 8, 2006 5:19 am Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2006
Swiss Arete
Great climb with a great friend and some excelent assistance. This was my first Alpine rock climb. Awesome! My favorite moment would have to be the step over. I got a little scetched on the rappels down. Wow. What a great time.
Desert Solitaire - Aug 10, 2006 10:46 am Date Climbed: Jun 21, 2006
Highly Recommended
Great climb with Brian E. Lots of soft snow beginning late morning this time of the season - the soft snow and deep postholing on the descent was probably the only thing mildly unpleasant on the trip. Else, great peak, great route, great company. See trip report.
My first technical rock route! Four of us climbed together. Two leaders and two followers. A couple of mountain rescue guys from Bishop did the lead climbing and my good friend jsorber cleaned the route. Climbing with a pack full of axes and getting the ropes crossed made things a bit difficult at times. And that "Step Around Move" was very intimidating! I took a fall on the headwall that followed when I was unable to unclip the rope as it was snaged undernieth jsorbers rope while the take was too strong. This was fine after John reached me at the headwall and got some slack on his rope so that I could get around it. After five pitches we reached the simmit and our leader found us a good rapel station but it was difficult to avoid rock fall at the lower end of our last rapel. Glisading the L-Saped snow field turned out to be really fun but my ass was burning the whole way down.
The mixed terrain made things interesting and very enjoyable and the view from the summit was finest view in the Sierra that I have ever seen.
Super sweet alpine rock climb on mostly great Sierra granite. About 6 pitches of mostly easy rock climbing. Step around move not so bad, chimneys that follow...interesting.
Mike N - Jul 9, 2006 9:01 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2006
Mt Sill Swiss Arete
Approached from camp at the moraine below Mt Gailey. Camp to camp took almost 9 hours. Had trouble finding the descent and rap stations. Take care getting through Glacier Notch as there are loose rocks. Generally not steep, just loose. L-couloir is fine. Scramble up the 4th class to low 5th class rock to gain arete. We did this just around where there seems to be a snow band across the rock. It is very steep 4th class and you would not want to slip. We actually roped up the last 20 feet or so to get on the arete itself from where we were. Then several more pitches to the summit. The step-around move is not bad. I would say the several chimneys are worse 5.7-5.8 range with some loose holds. Nothing too steep except for these chimneys. Lots of high step/mantle moves. I would call it a little harder than the stated 5.6 because of a handful of harder moves in chimneys, etc.
To find descent...from the summit look towards ridge to Polemonium and find easiest way down. There will be a man-made "bivy site"/shelter under a rock that you may pass before finding a small sandy area. Keep going a little more and there is a larger broken up sandy area with a cairn on the ridge. You will be about 100 feet below summit. Walk up to the ridge and look down. This will look like 3rd to 4th class scrambling and will not be a steep face. Apex peak will be at about "1-o'clock". Go down about 50-60 feet and start looking below you or to the right. If you find the easiest line you will find yourself on top of the North Couloir, where there may be some snow. There will be a rap station above and to the right which will seem hard to get to. There are then 2 other rap stations with good slings that will get you to the lowest traverse. The traverse will have you go up just a little and head to a point between a tall rock and the slope itself. Just over this is the L-couloir.
virginiapine - Jul 5, 2006 9:59 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 1997
Solo
A grand day soloing the Arete. No rope along so climbed a 5.8 crack just below and right of the 'step-around' move in order to avoid that exposure. Downclimbed the couloir on the NW side of Apex Pk in order to have more fun in the snow than just retracing my steps. Saw in the register that Conrad Anker & Galen Rowell had climbed "Dead Larry's Pillar" (5.10) on the E. Face the previous month - hard men! We all miss Galen...
atavist - Mar 16, 2008 10:29 am
swiss areteEasy route, climbed with Yannick and Kevin on a beautiful July day.
bighornmonkey - Feb 13, 2008 7:15 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2007
Done...Did this route twice....fun!
Shirley Lam - Jan 30, 2008 10:07 pm Date Climbed: Aug 12, 2007
Shorter than expected...but maybe it was because we did Moon Goddess on Temple Crag the day before.
glahhg - Aug 27, 2007 3:36 pm Date Climbed: Jul 1, 2007
Swiss AreteAbout 4.5 pitches of rock after getting established on the arete. Nice summit!
Deb - Jul 6, 2007 3:49 pm Date Climbed: Jul 5, 2007
Easy FunBeautifully warm day to be on a mountain, especially fine Sierra granite! Really fun easy climb, but awful short; simul-climbed all but 1 1/2 pitches. Thanks to hubby for leading, the altitude and my ovaries sapped my endurance.
Augie Medina - Oct 11, 2006 9:25 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2001
Swiss AreteMy first multi-pitch climb. I was the second all the way being a newbie to trad climbing. We got a late start and, after 3 pitches, the decision was made to retreat because of the late hour. I do remember that "step around" on an exposed ledge; it was a little intimidating even knowing there was protection above me. Following the step around there was an open book and, after that, the climbing got much easier. But as I say, we didn't make the summit. We rapped off onto the L-Shaped Couloir.
jsorber - Sep 8, 2006 5:19 am Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2006
Swiss AreteGreat climb with a great friend and some excelent assistance. This was my first Alpine rock climb. Awesome! My favorite moment would have to be the step over. I got a little scetched on the rappels down. Wow. What a great time.
Desert Solitaire - Aug 10, 2006 10:46 am Date Climbed: Jun 21, 2006
Highly RecommendedGreat climb with Brian E. Lots of soft snow beginning late morning this time of the season - the soft snow and deep postholing on the descent was probably the only thing mildly unpleasant on the trip. Else, great peak, great route, great company. See trip report.
mjrangel - Jul 18, 2006 6:51 pm Date Climbed: Jul 16, 2006
Swiss AreteMy first technical rock route! Four of us climbed together. Two leaders and two followers. A couple of mountain rescue guys from Bishop did the lead climbing and my good friend jsorber cleaned the route. Climbing with a pack full of axes and getting the ropes crossed made things a bit difficult at times. And that "Step Around Move" was very intimidating! I took a fall on the headwall that followed when I was unable to unclip the rope as it was snaged undernieth jsorbers rope while the take was too strong. This was fine after John reached me at the headwall and got some slack on his rope so that I could get around it. After five pitches we reached the simmit and our leader found us a good rapel station but it was difficult to avoid rock fall at the lower end of our last rapel. Glisading the L-Saped snow field turned out to be really fun but my ass was burning the whole way down.
The mixed terrain made things interesting and very enjoyable and the view from the summit was finest view in the Sierra that I have ever seen.
mekwise - Jul 10, 2006 9:31 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2006
Swiss AreteSuper sweet alpine rock climb on mostly great Sierra granite. About 6 pitches of mostly easy rock climbing. Step around move not so bad, chimneys that follow...interesting.
Mike N - Jul 9, 2006 9:01 pm Date Climbed: Jul 4, 2006
Mt Sill Swiss AreteApproached from camp at the moraine below Mt Gailey. Camp to camp took almost 9 hours. Had trouble finding the descent and rap stations. Take care getting through Glacier Notch as there are loose rocks. Generally not steep, just loose. L-couloir is fine. Scramble up the 4th class to low 5th class rock to gain arete. We did this just around where there seems to be a snow band across the rock. It is very steep 4th class and you would not want to slip. We actually roped up the last 20 feet or so to get on the arete itself from where we were. Then several more pitches to the summit. The step-around move is not bad. I would say the several chimneys are worse 5.7-5.8 range with some loose holds. Nothing too steep except for these chimneys. Lots of high step/mantle moves. I would call it a little harder than the stated 5.6 because of a handful of harder moves in chimneys, etc.
To find descent...from the summit look towards ridge to Polemonium and find easiest way down. There will be a man-made "bivy site"/shelter under a rock that you may pass before finding a small sandy area. Keep going a little more and there is a larger broken up sandy area with a cairn on the ridge. You will be about 100 feet below summit. Walk up to the ridge and look down. This will look like 3rd to 4th class scrambling and will not be a steep face. Apex peak will be at about "1-o'clock". Go down about 50-60 feet and start looking below you or to the right. If you find the easiest line you will find yourself on top of the North Couloir, where there may be some snow. There will be a rap station above and to the right which will seem hard to get to. There are then 2 other rap stations with good slings that will get you to the lowest traverse. The traverse will have you go up just a little and head to a point between a tall rock and the slope itself. Just over this is the L-couloir.
virginiapine - Jul 5, 2006 9:59 pm Date Climbed: Jun 22, 1997
SoloA grand day soloing the Arete. No rope along so climbed a 5.8 crack just below and right of the 'step-around' move in order to avoid that exposure. Downclimbed the couloir on the NW side of Apex Pk in order to have more fun in the snow than just retracing my steps. Saw in the register that Conrad Anker & Galen Rowell had climbed "Dead Larry's Pillar" (5.10) on the E. Face the previous month - hard men! We all miss Galen...