Strange Brew Aid Beta

[PAW]

Erock and myself climbed Strange Brew yesturday, the route itself is amazing offering many stellar pitches of aiding mixed with some great exposure. My hat goes off to people that can free Midnight Run. WOW BALLS.

The major beta that was missing from all the topo resources had to do with the 5.8 traverse back over to the Breakfast Run belay. This hollow shitty flake does not give you the same confidence that reading 5.8 on the ground gives. Have fun and remember pull down not out. Once youve crapped yourself and your at the belay sh*t again cause you find one bolt and an old tree stump, with cracks on both side that take the same size gear as which you use up on the way over. Great so heres my beta.

Either take a bolt kit and drill a second bolt, makes the most sense.

or

make sure you have 2X #3camalot and 1x #3.5or4

All heads were fixed.

Side note. Because of my stupidity we had to figure out a way to return to the belay at the top of Cannabis wall which was just one traverse pitch away. Eric volunteered to go back for my food bag so he climbed up crescent ramps a little way to a tree that was over that of the last belay, he anchored to it and I lowered him down to the belay were he was under the impression that he was going to jumar back up but upon his inspection he realized that all the flakes that he was being lowered down seemed solid enough to free on the way back up so he did and said that it was quite good quality climbing.

[YetAnotherDave]

Thanks for the beta - I did cannabis mid-winter and definitely want to go back and climb the rest of Strange Brew.

Did it look like you could link the traverse and the next pitch, and avoid the crappy belay? Would be soloing, so drag wouldn't be an issue...

[PAW]

if you are referring to the crappy belay at the top of cannabis, I dont think it would be very easy to link the 2 and deal with bags and the traverse rappel back over to the last belay.

As to the traverse big cams would be helpful if aiding. Pretty much the doubles of the #3, #3.5 that you also need higher up. The belay on the farside of the traverse is a bomber 2 bolt chain anchor.

Did you find the #1C4 camalot at the second last belay when you did cannabis in the winter? If so how many beer to buy it back.

[YetAnotherDave]

I meant the crappy belay that you mentioned, after the 5.8 traverse. That said, when soloing transitions area huge tmesuck, so the more I can link pitches the better.

Didn't booty any cams, just a few crappy old 'heads that came out under rope tension when my partner was jugging pitch 3.

[PAW]

yes those pitches could be linked at the top of the 5.8 traverse before you start heading down towards the belay you could set up a 2 cam anchor and lower/pendulum to the corner without even getting down to the anchor I would think.

Hope that helps have fun.

[YetAnotherDave]

So I'm finally getting on strange brew, hoping to solo it this weekend. Does anyone have updated beta on gear, anchors, pitch linkage, etc?

thanks much

Dave

[PAW]

how did it go, Yet another Dave.

I was up last sunday to solo Cannabis and all heads and fixed gear were in place. Last anchor on Cannabis is a tree and the slings could use replacing.

was hoping to get up to Breakfast Run but a mistake that forced a rappel mid pitch to fix changed my mind set and I just cruised the rest of the day away.

[YetAnotherDave]

I got a later start than I'd planned, and didn't go past cannabis. Was a fun trip, tho.

I had one head blow on me, which I replaced. I was surprised how dirty it was - gardened quite a bit of roots/moss/muck out of the 2nd and 3rd pitches. Still good times. No crowds/passing issues on the aid routes (unlike the drama on other parts of the chief )