Upper Apron Projects

[Anders Ourom]

A few weeks ago I did a route on the upper Apron with my friend Anders. (That alone was quite fun - team Anders goes climbing.) Anyway, I noticed that the area was in need of a little TLC, and so spent Sunday working on it. Logistics are a problem, getting about 20 kg of ropes and gear up there, then getting the ropes up to the top. I had some help from an anonymous belayer on the 'lead' into the base of Granville Street, and from Margaret H. and Tony K., who got my rope to the top. Plus Ian B. helped carry stuff down. Thanks!

The objectives are:

1. Establish (re-establish, actually) fixed rappel stations on Granville Street, so one can descend via three rappels with a 60 m rope. Plus remove all the old slings on the trees, and the loose perched rocks. I'll probably just carry down the latter.

2. Check all the existing bolts and stations, replace corroded or spinning bolts, remove rusty junk.

3. Replace the SMC hangers (many).

4. Maybe do a bit of cleaning.

It's about half done, and another day should do it. I believe that the routes were re-bolted in the late 1980s. Comments:

- Got a lot of old slings and rusty junk.

- The SMC hangers and attaching nuts were mostly epoxied on, so took a bit of effort to get off. I ran out of new (CE rated) hangers, with about eight to go. Added washers where needed.

- Got the rappel route re-placed. (The middle and lower stations were first placed in 2000, but someone removed the middle one. Presumably preferring the cluster of faded slings around a nearby dying tree.) Useable, not quite done.

- Replaced a few rusted or spinning bolts.

Thanks to Jeff T. for the loan of his drill!

One more day should do it, probably a weekday given that some rocks will be moved. No trundling, of course!

It was an interesting spot to spend the day. Quite windy, but I was treated to a soaring, stooping and screeching display by the peregrines, plus a visit from the ravens.

The routes on which I'll have checked the bolts will be Eric's Route, Bran Flakes, A Question of Balance, and Pig Dogs. Having been involved in the first ascents of two of them, and the second (and last?) ascent of Eric's Route, seems to make sense. Not sure what to do about stuff to the climber's left - Boobie, a rappel station with a bunch of slings farther up, and John 3:16. When I last did the latter, it was about 50% new bolts, 50% old. It would probably be easiest to reach these via Boomstick.

[mcfly]

Thanks Anders - some good slab climbing up there!

[mattm]

That upper section is forever etched in my brain as the spot where I've been the most terrified in my entire climbing carreer. While not my writing, this is EXACTLY what happened to me on my adventure up there. I bailed over to "a question..." after the first bolt and was still mentally spent at the first anchor. To my dismay my partner easily padded up to the anchor in 5 minutes with a smile on his face. "That wasn't too bad" he said to me with a sly grin.

Bran Flakes (5.10a) (Peter Croft, Tami Knight, Anders Ourom '78)

"A head spinning runout on the first pitch tests your self-worth as a climber."
With this description in mind, I set my tough-guy guns to stun. I set off with much confidence up the relentless slab, reaching a bolt after a mind blowing distance. Clipping happily, I congratulated myself on being true hard man. Who wouldn't sleep with me now? Then, turning my eyes upward, I cast about for the next bolt. I spent some time like that; motionless and scanning. As my eyes strained for the glint of sunlight on steel it occurred to me that I might not be on A Question Of Balance after all. "A head spinning runout" implies a singular, indefinite object, I reasoned. "A runout", not "The runouts". Surely Kevin knew the difference. As these things work out, I was on Bran Flakes, a neighbouring slab route that breathes life anew into the word "runout". There is exactly one bolt located somewhat less than halfway between the ledge and the anchors, 150 feet distant.
- Mikey?

[paulc]

Good work Anders.

Question, where is the start to Granville st? Is is up a thin dyke section directly under the tree gully (trend L then hard right?) or start further L and then go up and R across to the gully.

Reason I ask, I was doing Banana Peel to Granville St to Ultimate E a few years ago and didn't bring the guidebook, so took a guess on where to start GS. I checked the guide after and I don't recall a topo, just a vague desc.

I started about 20-30 feet R of the start of the Broomstick crack on a small flake/crack (3 meters, one bad yel TCU), then trended up and L on a thin discontinuous dyke to the end of the dyke then traversed R to the tree gully. No pro between the crappy tcu and the tree.

I remember getting to a single slab move just before the gully and pausing due to lack of handholds and thinking that if I fell here, I would go 40 odd feet to the piece, pull it and then catch the ledge before heading down the apron slabs. I'm sure the slab move is on GS, but not sure of the starting moves.

Anders or Dru, any input?

P

[Tricouni]

I believe the original (1st ascent) start to Granville Street was to hop up onto the start of Boomstick (not Broomstick) Crack and pad right and up across the slabs. Don't know if the start is defined differently now or not.

Glenn

[Anders Ourom]

I've always understood Granville Street (the route) was the mantle at the start of Boomstick Crack, then climbing diagonally right across the slab to the base of the groove/tree line. A bolt has been added part way across the slab - I wonder by whom, or why? IIRC, it was originally graded class 5, or maybe 5.4 (in mountain boots!), and actually there's a bit of 5.6 or 5.7. Cleaned up the last bit to the start of the groove on Sunday. Glenn can perhaps advise as to how high Granville Street originally went, i.e. did it go right to the tree ledge - the Vulcan's Artery - or stop below it?

The routes on the upper Apron are somewhat exciting, but are a known quantity. And from right to left they range from thrilling to downright silly - Eric's Route is a must do for the confident.

I may do a bit of cleaning on each route, in the runout areas. It's simplest to remember that two of them follow (somewhat) natural weaknesses. Eric's Route goes up a shallow groove on the left, and eventually you scoot across into Granville Street. A Question of Balance starts at the very bottom of the slab - look for chicken heads. It goes up the lowest angle area to a dyke and the first bolt, then follow the dyke (such as it is) past two more bolts, then more or less straight up. I remember vividly looking at the runout bit, before leading it. It wasn't cleaned then, and so a few times I paused to 'clean' holds with a toothbrush. Plus at one point there's a slight weakness, and I started to drill a hole, then realized I wasn't going to make it, and so kept going. With sticky rubber, you might be able to stop there, but not then.

Bran Flakes is between ER and AQB. Peter and I think Richard had pre-cleaned it somewhat. When we did the FA, I went up and got the bolt in, then Peter finished it. Bit of a squeeze job, but with only one bolt/pitch, no big deal. Bold slab climbing has its adherents, and there are lots of alternatives with better protection. One party came by on Sunday on AQB, and one on Pig Dogs. Nice to see they're of some interest.

Anyway, slab climbing is almost all careful footwork, and mental and physical balance. But many slabs are at least three grades easier with a top rope!

[Tricouni]

I've always understood Granville Street (the route) was the mantle at the start of Boomstick Crack, then climbing diagonally right across the slab to the base of the groove/tree line. A bolt has been added part way across the slab - I wonder by whom, or why? IIRC, it was originally graded class 5, or maybe 5.4 (in mountain boots!), and actually there's a bit of 5.6 or 5.7. Cleaned up the last bit to the start of the groove on Sunday. Glenn can perhaps advise as to how high Granville Street originally went, i.e. did it go right to the tree ledge - the Vulcan's Artery - or stop below it?

Originally, Granville Street went from the start of BS Crack across the slab to the groove/bush line (one lead), then two leads up the bushy crack system to the Vulcan's Artery (if that's the current name for the giant treed area where you can walk right to upper Squamish Buttress). Many parties just did the first lead, then rapped down from the trees. Others did the entire route and then down-climbed BStick Crack.

There were no bolts on the slab as recently as July 2000, and there were no bolts on the upper part in the late 1960s.

[t2climb]

Hey Anders,

If you ever want any help with cleaning or whatnot let me know.

Doug

[Anders Ourom]

Thanks! Thinking about trying to get there on Saturday, depending on drill availability. May need to get a wire brush, but could do that in the AM after buying Norwegian bread at the Golden Crust. Could combine it with a graffiti-removal outing to the Little Smoke Bluffs, too. Crystal ball needed, maybe.

[Anders Ourom]

OK, pretty much finished work, apart perhaps from a bit of brushing. I checked all the bolts on the routes right of Granville Street (except the one to the far right - don't know its name), replaced any that were rusted or spinners, replaced all SMC hangers (~20), patched holes as best I could. Snugged everything down. Plus restored a good rappel route down Granville Street, allowing a descent with one 60 m rope, with Fixe chain stuff. This was first placed about ten years ago, then someone stole the middle station and chopped the bolts. So there was a bit of stuff to tidy up. For exercise, I also anti-trundled about 100 kg of loose rocks perched in Granville Street - that is, I carried them down in my pack and piled them up in a safe place on Broadway.

A few photos at http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/threa ... msg1543721

I may still go back and brush Eric's Route, and perhaps touch up AQB.

Anyone actually thinking about relying on what I've done should first read a classic, witty disclaimer and waiver written by Bruce Bindner, a well-known California climber who died in a car accident two years ago. See http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/threa ... msg1263170

[psi4ce]

There's a medium-sized tree down on Granville Street about half way from the second to third stations. It's still staying stuck (barely) by a couple of old roots in the crack. There is some dirt and gravel trapped behind it. Use caution, that sucker would maker a devastating missile coming down from above. Could be a good project to remove it for a suitable safety-minded trundler. It might make it till fall. Then again, it might not.

[Anders Ourom]

Thanks for the caution - maybe a small work party is needed, to get up there and lower the thing to Broadway and into the forest, and perhaps tidy up a few other things there. I brought down all the then loose rocks along Granville Street last spring, but there may be more, plus the bush lines in the area hold other fallen or dying trees. It'd probably take a saw, a couple of work ropes, and a few hours. Maybe a chance to brush the routes a bit, too.

Anyone interested in an outing this weekend?

[natsdad]

Hey Anders:

"Anyone actually thinking about relying on what I've done should first read a classic, witty disclaimer and waiver written by Bruce Bindner, a well-known California climber who died in a car accident two years ago. See http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/threa ... msg1263170"

I went to that link and checked it out. But I didn't read the whole thing. It is quite the disclaimer

Steve