DEB On SEWS | chossclimbers.com

Summary

Shirley nearing the top of Direct East Buttress route on South Early Winter Spire (Sept. 30, 2006).

Shirley & I wanted to do Liberty Crack but couldn’t quite crawl out of sleeping bags pre-dawn (again). Did the Direct East Buttress (III 5.9 A) on South Early Winters Spire instead. Nice line. Did it at about 5.9 A0, yarding through much of the bolt ladders. Nice cracks on lower 4 pitches. Nice exposure & OK climbing on upper part (probably nicer if you free the bolt ladders). As always, transitioning from aid to free mid-pitch is a bitch. Cold when in shade. I liked East Face of Lex and even East Face of Minuteman better than this one.

Photo Essay

Starting up P1 of Direct East Buttress (though we simuled a few hundred feet of loose low 5th crap to get to base). Climber ahead is following pitch 2 (Sept. 30, 2006)

Shirley topping out on pitch 1 of DEB on SEWS.

Leading pitch 3 of DEB - very nice cracks in good quality granite (Sept. 30, 2006).

Shirley following the nice dihedrals on pitch 2 (I think) of DEB (Sept. 2006).

Shirley following one of the enjoyable lower crack pitches on DEB. This is roughly pitch 2 (Sept. 30, 2006).

Leading up to the first bolt ladder on DEB...pitch 5ish.

Shirley just above the first bolt ladder (Sept. 2006).

Shirley following the lower bolt ladder on Direct East Buttress (pitch 5; Sept. 30, 2006).

Shirley on a short 5.8-ish crack just above the 1st bolt ladder on Direct East Buttress (5.9 A0 or 5.11) of SEWS. The bolt ladder below takes you onto the east buttress proper and the exposure kicks in (Sept. 30, 2006).

Same spot...almost at belay...

Starting the pitch right after the hanging belay atop the lower bolt ladder of Direct East Buttress - two bolts take you to a shitty steep crack (pitch 6 or so). Initially poor rock and intermittent finger jams (Sept. 30, 2006).

Shirley belaying atop the lower of the two bolt ladders on Direct East Buttress (Sept. 30, 2006).

Looking back at Shirley belaying me from atop the first bolt ladder pitch. Shot taken from early in the lead of the pitch connecting the 2 ladders (Sept. 2006).

Shirley following the pitch between the two bolt ladder pitches on Direct East Buttress (III 5.9 A0) on South Early Winters Spire. I personally thought that this was the crux (if you aid the ladders) - balancy 5.9-ish face with some small cams in shitty cracks (Sept. 30, 2006).

Shirley belaying me up the 2nd bolt ladder on DEB. This is about 3 pitches from the summit. North Early Winter Spire forms the backdrop (Sept. 30, 2006).

Leading above the second bolt ladder (Sept. 2006).

Shadows of the spires in the Liberty Bell Group as seen from high on Direct East Buttress line on South Early Winter Spire (rightmost shadow). Liberty Bell is the leftmost shadow, followed by Concord Tower shadow, followed by Lexington Tower shadow, followed by North and South Early Winter Spires shadows. Hairpin turn and our car also visible couple thousand feet below (Sept. 30, 2006).

Shirley following a low 5th class pitch near the top of DEB - this is roughly pitch 8 or 9. Hairpin turn and the shadows of the Liberty Bell Group are below. Vertical pano shot (Sept. 30, 2006).

Shirley nearing the top of Direct East Buttress route on South Early Winter Spire (in shadow - the right shadow of the twin shadows below). This is roughly pitch 10 or so. Hairpin turn in highway 20 is below (Sept. 30, 2006).

Shirley topping out on the sub-summit of South Early Winters Spire after our climb of Direct East Buttress (Sept. 2006).

Shirley (whose size has been exaggerated by my down jacket) on the summit ridge of South Early Winter Spire after our climb of Direct East Buttress. Silver Star and Wine Spires are in background directly above Shirley's head (Wine Spires are the left side of that formation). Photo taken on Sept. 30, 2006.

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