| This
was a good climb with my 7 year old son. We
just drove by on the way from other adventures, and
decided to stop and have look. Having no guidebook or
previous experience, we initially didn't think it feasible,
since the peak looks rather fierce from most aspects.
Eventually we saw a weakness and went for it.
Steep and interesting boulder hopping,
with actually some minor cairns and worn dirt here and
there, led up and around, thru gaps and along ledges,
to what obviously was the crux: a bleached and tattered
clothesline dangling down a crack of sorts. This step
was rather exposed, not straightforward looking, and
seemed committing to do without knowing the issues of
later downclimbing it.
Anyway, it wasn't bad. We had a
30' hank of 6mm perlon and a makeshift harness for Bjorn,
with which I belayed him up. The sad looking fixed line
was dutifully ignored. A solid and exhilarating scramble
followed to the tiny summit. A healthy desert gale was
blowing and clouds were gathering to the west, so despite
the warm temps we soon retraced our steps, with Bjorn
going first down the crux with a tight toprope.
An altogether very worthwhile excursion.
Roundtrip no more than 3 hours, as I recall. This was
in March or April 2006. |