Summary Haiku
Oh, Schaeffer's Delight
You shall please many climbers
Lines are forming now
Oh, Schaeffer's Delight
You shall please many climbers
Lines are forming now
Rick Momsen and Chris Steinke on the early morning approach to Whisky Peak in the Black Velvet Canyon.
SummaryCLIMB: Schaeffer's Delight (Trad) - 3-4 pitches, 360-400 feet
WALL: Lazy Buttress GEAR: Pro to 4" FOR A NEW TRAD LEADER? Probably - especially if they are a strong and confident sport leader - there are a few funky moves, a couple spots where confidence is nice, and a little bit of route-finding, but the climb as a whole is pretty straight forward. Conclusion WTF? What the FABULOUS! Schaeffer's Delight is a superb 340-400 foot climb (depending on whether you do the last pitch) that can be done in either 3 pitches (end "early" and walk-off to climber's left following the cairns, or go up a short and easy 4th pitch to gain more elevation in the walk-off gully (you can also continue up the last pitch of Lazy Buttress - which we did not do.)
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Pitch 1
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A mostly bolted black petina face that uses a couple of cams or nuts. Follow the bolts to the ledge with the trees. This is the only pitch then ends in bolted anchors.
The trickiest/headiest part of the pitch is in the first ~30 feet up to and just past the first bolt, with some awkward moves and tiny holds. The rest of the pitch is juggy, cruiser fun. |
Pitch 1 of Schaeffer's Delight. You can see the climb Lazy Buttress up the curved cleft in the right side of the photo.
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Pitch 2
A thin start protected by a bolt about 15 feet up, then place pro in horizontals where you can. Rick started right below the bolt and went straight up, which is a hair spicy. There is a featured flake to the right which might be an option for the start then traversing over to the bolt. Can't comment on how doable that option is since we didn't do it.
Above and to the right of the face is a fun, lower angle finger-sized crack in an open-book corner. The corner ends in some chunky vertical blocks with an off-width sized crack. It's a little muscley and awkward over this section. Build an anchor and belay in the alcove at the base of the pitch 3 corner.
Above and to the right of the face is a fun, lower angle finger-sized crack in an open-book corner. The corner ends in some chunky vertical blocks with an off-width sized crack. It's a little muscley and awkward over this section. Build an anchor and belay in the alcove at the base of the pitch 3 corner.
Stef, Chris, and Rick at the belay station between pitches 1 and 2.
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Pitch 2 of Schaeffer's Delight
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Pitch 3
In the Handren guidebook this pitch is rated a 5.8. The corner is super fun and pretty straight forward climbing, however a person shorter than 5'5" may have a harder time at the start of the corner - which has a great hold - if you can reach it.
Pull over the corner into a large belay ledge. From here you can either do a short, low-angle pitch or follow the cairns to the walk-off gully (NOTE: DO NOT GO DOWN THE GULLY YOU HAVE TO GO UP)
Pull over the corner into a large belay ledge. From here you can either do a short, low-angle pitch or follow the cairns to the walk-off gully (NOTE: DO NOT GO DOWN THE GULLY YOU HAVE TO GO UP)
Belay ledge for the start of pitch 3 "the corner pitch"
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Rick leading "the corner" pitch 3
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Chris topping out on pitch 3
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Pitch 4 (Optional)
The last pitch is a short 60 or so feet up featured low angled terrain, which spits you out onto a long ledge, which you follow until you hit the next vertical wall. This spot is where the climb Lazy Buttress comes up and is referred to as "Lovers' Ledge." The vertical wall is the final pitch for Lazy Buttress, which you can do if so desired. We plan to do this pitch with Lazy Buttress, so we walked off from here.
As you are facing the next vertical wall, exit climber's left to the gully. There is a little bit of easy down climbing to access the gully.
As you are facing the next vertical wall, exit climber's left to the gully. There is a little bit of easy down climbing to access the gully.
The optional easy/low angle pitch 4, which takes you to Lovers' Ledge.
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This is "Lover's Ledge" where you can do the final pitch of Lazy Buttress or exit climber's left to the gully (there is some easy down climbing to access the gully)
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Pitch 5 (Optional)
At the top of pitch 4 you will see a headwall. This is the same final pitch described under the climb Lazy Buttress. You can opt to do this pitch instead of the scramble up the gully to gain the main walk-off.
Walk-Off (from P4)
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Climber's left is a steep gully. From the top of pitch 4 scramble down to the gully, then turn right to go UP the gully. (NOTE: DO NOT GO DOWN THE GULLY YOU HAVE TO GO UP). This gully will intersect with the main Whiskey Peak gully, which you will descend. Follow the trail around whiskey peak towards the start of the climb, then locate the main trail you (likely) came up.
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Excerpt of Climb-On Map showing the walk-off.
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Climb Stats to Date
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DATE OF CLIMB: November 13, 2021
WALLS HIT: 1 NUMBER OF CLIMBS TODAY: 1 NUMBER OF PITCHES TODAY: 4 NUMBER OF FALLS: 0 NUMBER OF TAKES: 0 VERTICAL FEET CLIMBED TODAY: 400' DIRTY UNDERWEAR ENCOUNTERED TODAY: 0 TOTAL CLIMBS SO FAR: 168 TOTAL PITCHES SO FAR: 221 TOTAL 5.7 VERTICAL FEET ON THE TOUR SO FAR: 19,505 NUMBER OF CLIMBS REMAINING: 70 (out of 237) VERTICAL FEET REMAINING: 31,392' DIRTY UNDERWEAR ENCOUNTERED TO DATE: 8 |
FALLS SO FAR:
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