Heatwave cracks

[scrubber]

On several other threads in the past there has been discussion about the beautiful thin cracks out to the right of the crux pitch of the Squamish Buttress. They don't get much attention these days, so I thought we should change that.

I went up yesterday to see how dirty things had become since I cleaned Heatwave 14 summers ago. Surprisingly, not too bad. I think Heatwave and Progress Can't Wait will clean up with about an hour of brushing each. Gemini will probably take about half a day, as it has suffers most of the natural drainage from above. I'm happy to do this work, but I won't get to it for a few more weeks at least. If anyone else wants to help develop this little hard crack training gym that would be great. The hope is to have a setup kind of like the fixed lines that were on Warriors of the Wasteland last summer.

I have stashed a 60m climbing rope, anchor material, an edge guard, a few nuts and tricams, and a couple of wire brushes in a waterproof container at the top of the final pitch of the buttress. They're tucked in the back of the little cave just to the right of where you start to walk up towards the decent trail after unroping. By setting up off of the original two bolt anchor at the top, then running the rope to either single bolt at the top of the two left routes, or to a piece of gear over the lip on Gemini, a clean, edge free rope-soloist setup can be made.

Anyone is welcome to use this gear. Please be sure to treat it like your own, and stow it away dry when you're done. All you'll need to bring up there on your little cardio warm-up hike is: shoes, harness, chalkbag, rappel device, and some sort of a soloist device. If it's your first time on any of the cracks, I'd suggest an ascender too, in case they're harder than you bargained for. All three of the pitches are 45m long, so there's a lot of climbing packed into that little wall. I'd suggest a warm-up and cool down on the Buttress crux pitch. I also installed a single bolt at the top of the thin crack that branches off left from Heatwave half way up. It looks like it will go at somewhere around .12c or d. If you want it, go for it. I may work on it, but it's by no means my project. It looks like it will take about 1-2 hours to brush. (Not enough time to claim it as your own private project )

I took out that mank old piton from the buttress pitch while I was up there too. SCARY! It fell out with one downward whack from my little alpine hammer. Good riddance.

Kris

[NateDoggOG]

Woohoo, the Buttress is now a proper bolt free test piece!

Thanks Kris, I'll have to go check those out soon. Always wanted to get up there but the location dampens my enthusiasm somewhat.

[Lurch]

Nooooo the pin is gone! Interesting to note, I whipped on that thing a couple years ago. Maybe someone had hammered it in recently. Nice work Scrubber. Heatwave solo laps after work eh? hmm... Interesting.

[scrubber]

I whipped on that thing a couple years ago.

Well, from what I saw, you're pretty lucky it held. I've seen a lot of people over the years desperately scrape through the crux, then only clip the pin on their bid for the top. Wipping, and pulling the pin in a situation like that could be very bad. I realize it's everyone's responsibility to judge what fixed gear they choose to clip, but dangle a (rotten) carrot in front of someone with the full pump-goggles on, and they're going to take it. There is so much bomber gear all around that thing, it has no reason to be there in this day and age.

Heatwave solo laps after work eh? hmm... Interesting.

That's the idea! With a couple of ropes up there, some side-by-side climbing and heckling could be a lot of fun.

[Dru]

The first time I climbed the Buttress there were something like 5 fixed pins on the crux.
Now the last one is gone.

Same with Neat and Cool. Used to have 4 fixed pins on the lower finger crack. I think every single one came out when someone fell on them, not all at once though.

Kinda makes you think when you clip into other old fixed pins out there.

[Lurch]

Well, from what I saw, you're pretty lucky it held. I've seen a lot of people over the years desperately scrape through the crux, then only clip the pin on their bid for the top. Wipping, and pulling the pin in a situation like that could be very bad.

You are correct. I always had a backup piece but would clip the piton and go for it. Thanks for taking it out of there so idiots like me don't kill ourselves.

[MarkR]

So is it time to take the pin out of Diedre now? Never really understood why that one was there in the first place.