Some fatass on Inti Watana.We asked for a room switch the night before to a non-residential wing of the Motel 6 just to be sure we’d actually wake up on time. So we’d either tick off a longer one this day or not at all on this trip. With this motivation in mind and a good nights sleep under our belts, we found ourselves in a pullout on the state highway at 4am…it’s cold and early…OK, let’s sleep for an hour in the car (you know, with “lazy!” being the theme of this climbing trip and all). Finally we were hiking by 5am armed with a single sheet of paper: our friends Eric & Lucie’s approach overlayed on a photo – dead-on accurate approach beta. Two hours later and after some 4th class scrambling up the White Rot Gully, we passed the start of Resolution Arete and were soon looking up at Inti Watana, our route of choice, from the depths of a snow choked freezer gully in the guts of Mt. Wilson: 12 pitches of beautiful climbing fully visible from the base. Since the guidebook mentioned a roof (reachy??) on pitch 9, I took the odds and Shirley led the evens. This lined her up nicely for the crux 2nd pitch of the line (5.10…or 5.10c/d per some reports) as well as the other reported 5.10 pitch at the very top. I was all set. Crux of pitch 1 was trying to keep my rock shoes dry while starting from a 20 degree snow slope. Shirley led the crux pitch with one hang to figure shit out….though I think it was just a mental hesitation due to that little voice in her head saying: “it might be 10d…DDDDDD!” After that things eased considerably. Beautiful climbing – bolted where needed, trad protected elsewhere. A direct and an exposed line to the top of the buttress. Only down side was the cold temperature – we had direct sunshine for only about 2 pitches, otherwise it was shivering time at belays. Pitch 9 roof was trivial: not reachy and with a bolt in your face. Pitch 10 was some of the best face climbing we’ve ever done – super positive and steep patina flakes (solid too!) with over a thousand feet of air below your feet. Simply AWESOME! I linked pitches 9 & 10 and Shirley linked 11 & 12 to the top. The reported 10c 12th pitch was probably no harder than 9/10a and only for two or three moves. The 9 double rope raps down the face went without a hitch and we were back in the car as the sun set. A wonderful day of climbing and our first line on Mt. Wilson.
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Diet Delight.The state of lazy was officially reinstated on Sunday. We decided that the boundary conditions for the day were: short approach and easy climbing. Flipping through the Hendren scripts over more Einstein bagels, Shirley pointed to Diet Delight on Windy Peak’s east face. As I recalled Dow’s SP description speaking well of this line, the decision was ratified and soon we were dragging the muffler of our economy rental to the trailhead. Shirley led the Straight Shooter-like first pitch (very aesthetic) and I led the evens. We spent an hour on top sunning ourselves trying to soak up enough rays to hold us over in the rainy Portland till the next desert outing. For something that is 3.5 pitches long, it sure has a pain-in-the-ass descent. Later that night we were home soaking in the 40F temps and relentless drizzle.
Photos
The 12-pitch Inti Watana (5.10) route on Mt. Wilson as seen from the hike into Oak Creek Canyon (not the approach).Shirley following pitch 1 of the beautiful Inti Watana (5.10, 12P) on Mt. Wilson (March 2009).Views from the first belay of Inti Watana (March 2009).Shirley nearing the top of pitch 1 of Initi Watana. The snow below in the approach gully enhanced the alpine-ish ambiance (March 2009).Shirley leading the crux pitch (#2) of Inti Watana on Mt. Wilson (10c) – the actual crux is at the shallow (& smooth) right-facing dihedral just above (March 2009).Shirley leading the crux pitch (#2) of Inti Watana (5.10) in the bowels of Mt. Wilson belayed by yours truly. Nearly all 12 pitches of the route are visible in the photo (March 2009).Shirley past the crux on pitch 2 (March 2009).Daddy following pitch 2 of Inti Watana and happy to have a TR on his fat ass. Snow in the approach gully below provides an alpine ambiance (& freezer temps; March 2009).Almost there (March 2009).Leading pitch 3 of Inti Watana (March 2009).Shirley following pitch 3 of Inti Watana – easy, well-bolted and more solid than it looks (March 2009).Shirley starting up pitch 4 of Inti Watana (5.10) on Mt. Wilson. The top of the route is visible 8 pitches above (March 2009).Higher on pitch 4 (March 2009).Shirley high on pitch 4 (March 2009).Yours truly following pitch 4 of Inti Watana (March 2009).Starting up pitch 5 (March 2009).Shirley starting up pitch 5 (March 2009).More pitch 5 action (March 2009).Looking back towards the state highway (and our car) from high on Inti Watana (March 2009).Shirley starting the 6th pitch of Inti Watana (March 2009).Shirley leading pitch 6 (March 2009).Pitch 7 (March 2009).Shirley following pitch 7 of Inti Watana (March 2009).The view north from the top of pitch 7 of Inti Watana. Rainbow Mountain is in the foreground; Bridge Mountain is in the background (March 2009).More of Shirley on pitch 7 of Inti Watana (March 2009).Shirley leading pitch 8 (March 2009).Higher on pitch 8 (March 2009).An easy roof at the start of pitch 9. Is that a paunch?Shirley on pitch 9 (combined with 10; March 2009).Shirley on pitch 10 (March 2009).More stellar views from near the top of the route (March 2009).Shirley following pitch #10 of Inti Watana – probably one of the funnest 5.9 faces we’ve ever climbed! Amazing steep patina flake pulling with the approach gully a 1000 feet below (March 2009).Topping out on pitch 10 of Inti Watana (March 2009).Freezing cold Shirley at the 10th belay on Inti Watana on Mt. Wilson. Rainbow Mountain (foreground) and Bridge Mountain form the backdrop (March 2009).Shirley starting up pitch 11 (March 2009).Shirley leading the final two pitches (11 & 12) of Inti Watana on Mt. Wilson. Though the guidebook gives the final pitch a 10c rating (like pitch 2), that’s kind of over-grading (10- likely; March 2009).Cold Shirley at the top of Inti Watana – 12 pitches up and 10 long raps to go till Mex food (March 2009).Back at the base and starting the hike down (March 2009).Shirley hiking down after our climb of Inti Watana on Mount Wilson (March 2009).Shirley hiking in to the Diet Delight (5.9) on Windy Peak. These are the characteristic chocolate colored rocks mentioned by some guidebooks (March 2009).Shirley starting up Diet Delight (3P, 5.9) on Windy Peak (March 2009).Higher on pitch 1 (March 2009).More of Shirley on pitch 1 (March 2009).Shirley leading pitch 1 of Diet Delight on Windy Peak (March 2009).Leading pitch 2 of Diet Delight (March 2009).Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 2 (March 2009).Shirley on pitch 2 (March 2009).Shirley topping out on pitch 2 of Diet Delight (March 2009).Shirley starting the lead of pitch 3 (March 2009).More of Shirley leading pitch 3 (March 2009).Following pitch 3 (March 2009).Fourth pitch scramble to the top (March 2009).Top of the route (March 2009).
