Days Of Future Passed

Go back to Search For Warmth 2010
Go back to Ides Of Middlemarch

Words

Days Of Future Passed.

A year earlier, we were blasted off by freezing wind from the start of Days Of Future Passed (5.8 A0) on the End Pinnacle and it’s been near the top of our Cochise list since then. With good weather and little wind forecasted, the three of us hiked up to the Rockfellows in the East Stronghold the next day. Having done the approach at least three times in the past, we still somehow screwed up the final boulder hopping and tunneling section below End Pinnacle and provided Blondie with more excitement than she was expecting that morning…Once at the base, the conditions felt positively balmy compared to a year prior. We racked up and launched up the route. The opening move got A0’ed and soon I was working my way up the short and gently flaring chimney section. With that out of the way, the rest of the pitch was very enjoyable (super positive) alligator plate pulling through some steep terrain. We both thought that the most awkward part of pitch two was near the top where (supposed to be easier there) the crack petered out and the groove felt more like a flared chimney. Still, nothing bad.

.

Pitch 3 of Days Of Future Passed.

Pitch three is a 5.8 face climb with three bolts in about a 100 feet or so. This is really not too bad as the bolts were intelligently placed so that the thinnest edging is generally reasonably protected (I also got a mid sized cam in a three finger pocket as a bonus piece…hint #0.75). The pitch put us on the large ledge that we had visited a year earlier while climbing Endgame. Having done the runout final pitch of DFP on that outing (and seeing no need to put my neck on the line again), this time around Shirley cast off on the lead of the well-protected (and quite fun too) final pitch of Endgame. This time around (perhaps without the blistering winds) we saw and signed the summit register and scrambled over to the rappels down the opposite face of End Pinnacle. Things went smoothly as before and two hours later we were enjoying Mexican food in Benson.

Photos

Blondie ready to go! Morning before our climb of Days Of Future Passed in the East Cochise Stronghold (Dec. 2010).

On approach to the End Pinnacle and Days Of Future Passed (opposite side).

Starting up Days Of Future Passed – up the crack, clip bolt & make your way to the wide crack system on the right (Dec. 2010).

Leading pitch 1 after the opening A0 pendulum move (Dec. 2010).

Blondie at the base of Days Of Future Passed with her patented smile (Dec. 2010).

The awkward move out of the short chimney on pitch 1 of Days Of Future Passed… fortunately there’s decent pro for these moves. Double rope approach on this section makes things less stressful for the second on the opening penji of the route (Dec. 2010).

Leading the nice and exciting pitch 1 of Days Of Future Passed. Great climbing (Dec. 2010).

Leading pitch 1 of Days Of Future Passed…lookee at them bigass chickenheads (Dec. 2010)!!

Shirley following pitch 1 of Days Of Future Passed (Dec. 2010).

Shirley topping out on pitch 1 of Days Of Future Passed. Another party is racking up below (Dec. 2010).

Daddy leading pitch 2 of Days Of Future Passed (Dec. 2010).

Leading pitch 2 of Days Of Future Passed. A nice variable width crack that becomes more strenuous as the groove becomes deeper..eventually the crack peters out and all you have is a groove (Dec. 2010).

Leading pitch 2 of Days Of Future Passed …lookee that beautiful granite (Dec. 2010).

Shirley following pitch 2 of Days Of Future Passed (Dec. 2010).

The beauty of the Stronghold as seen from high up on Days Of Future Passed.

Shirley nearing the top of pitch 2 of Days Of Future Passed. This section here is 5.7 but felt strenuous …a flaring chimney with progressively less crack to protect in the back (Dec. 2010).

Yours truly starting the lead of pitch 3 of Days Of Future Passed…5.8 edges after this initial chickenhead (Dec. 2010).

Starting the lead of pitch 3 of Days Of Future Passed belayed by Shirley (red jacket). A somewhat runout face pitch but with mostly secure climbing (Dec. 2010).

Standing on the large chickenhead at the start of pitch 3 of Days Of Future Passed…hard to get off this nice comfy stance esp. when looking up at the first bolt ~30 feet up (Dec. 2010).

Shirley at another hanging belay …top of pitch 2 of Days Of Future Passed (Dec. 2010).

Leading pitch 3 of Days Of Future Passed. Fun (if slightly stressful) edging …100 foot pitch with 3 bolts, not Stone Mountain standard but still exciting (Dec. 2010).

Looking back at Shirley from the lead (at the third bolt) of pitch 3 of Days Of Future Passed. I also managed to stick in a marginal cam into a pocket (Dec. 2010).

Another view of the Cochise Dome with climbers on What’s My Line route (Dec. 2010).

Shirley topping out on pitch 3 of Days Of Future Passed. The first ledge on the route and a huge one to boot (Dec. 2010).

Shirley leading the final pitch of Endgame…we’ve done the final (runout) pitch of DFP when we did Endgame & once is really enough for that pitch. This Endgame finish has great climbing and is well protected (Dec. 2010).

Shirley near the top of the final pitch of Endgame…this is how we finished DFP route this time as we’ve done the proper DFP finishing pitch a year earlier following Endgame (Dec. 2010).

Shirley on the summit of End Pinnacle after our climb of Days Of Future Passed (Dec. 2010).

Shirley on the summit ridge of End Pinnacle (Dec. 2010).

Blondie hiking out after our climb of Days Of Future Passed…with one big ass yucca plant (Dec. 2010).

Go to Ewephoria
Go back to Search For Warmth 2010