Warbonnet – Introduction To Cirque Climbing

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Summary

Shirley climbing up the snow gully to reach the Warbonnet-Plume notch (August 2, 2004).

Shirley and I decided to do the Northeast Face, Left route on Warbonnet as a “warm up” climb during our first outing to Cirque Of The Towers . Although there was no topo for the route (and only a short, vague paragraph describing the route in Kelsey’s book), we figured that at grade II, 5.7 “how bad could it be”? Our concern was the fact that on both our day 1 in Pinedale, WY and day 2 approach we got nailed by early afternoon thunder/lightning storms. Both times like clockwork at 2pm….but again, given the fact that it’s only “grade II” and we’re practically camped next door to it, “how bad could it be”? The climb seemed to be a perfect apetizer climb after the approach day, made painful not so much by distance or elevation gain – those were actually pretty mild by Olympics or North Cascade standards – but by the two bear canisters in my pack and 7+ days worth of food. Additionally, we thought that the north and northeast faces of the mountain looked quite handsome as did the summit ridge.

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A stormy sunset over Warbonnet as seen from The Cirque (August 3, 2004).

Woke up at about 7 or 8 am, got some food in us (freeze dried Granola – add water and it tastes like cereal – or so they say, I thought it tasted like fecal matter) and started hiking towards the obvious snow gully between The Plume and Warbonnet’s NE face. As the gully is in the shade, snow was firm to the point that we decided to make use of crampons we hauled in all this way. Few hunderd feet up the gully , we encountered the first of several painful slab crossings. The snow cover partially protrudes up onto the steep slab making for neither a secure snow nor a secure slab section. I cramponed and dry tooled my way up the thing and decided to hip belay Shirley. To all those who think we’re overly conservative….well, (I gave this some thought), scenarios of climbing with a friend vs. a loved one are quite different. In the former, one focuses on himself/herself not messing up and dying; in the latter, one focuses not just on himself but also on the partner much more so than in the other case. Anyway, atop this 20 foot slab section, we encountered more snow followed by more slab. This sequence was repeated several times. Approximately, 200 feet below the top of the gully, we moved left onto class 4 rock (wet and mostly loose) and climbed it to the top. The gully is unpleasant and a bit scary since should something come down from the top – given the rock quality, not an unlikely scenario – you’re wearing a big target sign on your body. Book claims that “4th class ledges” on the opposite side offer an alternative (gully was more direct from our camp site). The approach also took us much longer than we expected. It is now close to 11 am.

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Shirley napping atop P4 of Northeast Face, Left of Warbonnet (August 2, 2004).

Once at the col or notch, guidebook copies firmly in hand, the head-scratching begins. “Scramble left from Plume notch to a right facing dihedral and follow it for a few easy pitches. Above a short, left-facing corner continue up, then right, for a few 5.7 pitches to the rightmost chimney…head up the chimney….” is pretty much what you get from Kelsey. Well, there are a few dihedrals on the left side of NE face. Sure, some of them immediately look like they wouldn’t go below 5.9, but that still leaves more than one option. In the end, I shoot straight up 4th class slabs till I arrive at the base of a steep wall (atop large ledge) 200 feet above the col. From here, I look right and then traverse left then up an easy and short dihedral (maybe 5.6?). Things are pretty easy so far – just as the book suggests. No obvious signs that we’re on or off route (abundant flora suggests the latter). Pitch three, I follow a sloping 2 foot ramp up and right then decide to shoot up a crack/flake system. This brings me to some difficult terrain about 30 feet up. “Shit!”. Decide to traverse right then downclimb. The blessing of climbing on twin ropes is that when in a squeeze, you can (probably shouldn’t but can) switch to a “double rope” mode – i.e. toprope your second for the pendulum. Eventually reach a wet, mossy groove and easier climbing. I belay Shirley from an “alcove”. The presence of rap slings here again yields no clue as to whether or not we’re on route – has the previous party bailed here because they too screwed up? Shirley follows the pitch and pendulums across on the “free” strand of rope. The mountains ring with the stream of profanity that ensues. But all is good.

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I start up the fourth pitch. Here the terrain steepens significantly. Few feet above our belay, going gets progressively harder. Voices in my head (normally hear them only at work or when scared or when not drinking) begin talking sh.. – “you’re off route!!” and my all time favorite “you’re gonna die!!”. This mental state does not make climbing any easier. Perhaps the pitch is only a 5.7, but with mossy cracks as repositories for pro, lichen-covered and a tad loose rock for foot and handholds I feel pretty sketched. The pitch (as I recall) consists of flaring hand and finger cracks and flakes. I keep on climbing as there’s really no belay options. A ray of sunshine illuminates my depressed state of mind as a piton appears at my face level!! I can move it with my fingers, it’s capacity to hold a fall is crap but it’s the first sign that we’re on route!!! Some route anyway…I hear Shirley inform me of the 10 remaining feet of rope. Above, I do see the terrain kicking back. I’m out of rope and still a few feet short. I ask Shirley to take me off belay and to move up a few feet. Soon I’m on a narrow ledge at the mouth of a dark, mossy chimney. Shirley comes up and looks at me with a smile – she too has seen the piton.

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Shirley at the belay atop P5 of Northeast Face, Left route on Warbonnet (August 2, 2004)

Despite its unattractive look, I’m much tempted to take the chimney thinking that salvation is just over its horizon but instead I look at Kelsey’s “description” of the route which insists on a rightward traverse high on the route. There is a reasonable looking crack or 6″ groove heading right and slightly up from the belay. Decide to take it. 20 feet later I have the option of taking a shallow finger crack up or downclimbing righward. We hear the sound of thunder in the distance though the sky to the NE looks clear. My mind is made up. I downclimb, traverse a bit more right and follow easier ground up. I encounter another piton (and a fixed nut or something). Overcome with joy, I reach a belay at the mouth of a much less prominent chimney…what actually looks like a series of short (~20foot) chimneys. The chimney pitch is mostly easy after 1st awkward move into it. There’s a pretty pleasant finger-to-hand crack up higher and right of chimney. We top out and see the incoming storm over Big Sandy Lake. The wind picks up. We don’t have much time.

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Summit photo snapping takes a back seat to getting down. We get quite a light show over Big Sandy Lake as we begin dropping down the south slopes (class 2-3). The sky goes dark and visibility drops to crap. We’re about 500 feet below the summit when the rain starts. Find a “cave” under a house sized boulder. For the next 2 – 3 hours we have quite a show : lightning, thunder, rain, and hail. It’s not the distant flashes that are scary – it’s those that seem to come from all around indicating their proximity to our position. Eight pm approaches and with it goes much of the daylight. With the frequency of lightning down to almost zero, we crawl out of our shelter into drizzle. The descent continues made more difficult by slick rocks on the class 3 sections. We reach the Sundance-Warbonnet saddle and begin dropping down the talus toward the area between Arrowhead and North Lakes. Just above the lakes, we turn left hoping not to lose all the elvation we’ll need to regain to go over Jackass Pass. Bad idea. Car sized escalating to house sized boulders are in our way. Hopping, dropping, and scrambling makes for slow progress toward Arrowhead. It’s dark now and in a moment of a moronic spell in the morning I only tossed in one headlamp into our pack. Shirley goes first illuminating the way and I try to follow her footsteps. Boulder hopping over slick, dark rock is fun stuff (that is once you’re home and reminiscing about it over some milk and cookies)! Finally, the mean size of the boulders decreases to TV-sized and we’re traversing over Arrowhead Lake. Soon thereafter we’re descending into the Cirque looking for our tent in a moonless, wet night.

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Shirley on the stellar hand traverse three pitches below the summit of Wolfs Head (Aug. 2004).

Our plans to climb something the next day were put on hold. We slept in and focused on drying out our junk (ropes were soaked). In retrospect, the late start on climb day was the mistake. Thankfully we were not punished as the rain and storm held off until we were on our way down! Once again the rains arrived that afternoon (and again at night). The next day we climbed Wolfs Head East Ridge route (after an uncertain start in the morning once again due to building clouds). This was a fun, mostly stress-free climb (other than keeping a constant eye on the sky) on perfect rock. Five somewhat wet days in the Cirque proved enough. We hiked out and went for some dry cragging at Devil’s Tower. We’ll be back next year to do Pingora and hopefully Shark’s Nose.

Photos

Shirley on the approach to the Cirque Of The Towers...this is somewhere above Big Sandy Lake I think (August 2, 2004).

Shirley hiking into the Cirque Of The Towers below Jakass Pass. Pingora dominates the view.

Northeast Face

Shirley climbing up the snow gully to reach the Warbonnet-Plume notch where technical rock routes on Warbonnets NE face begin. The gully is not particularly steep (30 degrees?) but at this time of the year snow was discontinuous and we faced wet slab sections which were a bit scary (August 2, 2004).

Northeast Face of Warbonnet route, a grade II class 5.7 outing - as seen from the Warbonnet-Plume Col. Think we were grossly correct in our route finding as we encountered two pitons (near top of P4 and P5) and two pieces of fixed pro (as well as a bail sling or two).

Shirley at the Warbonnet-Plume Col, the base of Northeast Face, Left. Pingora Peak and Lonesome Lake are in the background (August 2, 2004).

Shirley following P2 of Northeast Face, Left of Warbonnet Peak. This is the low 5th terrain above the initial ~5.6 small dihedral move on the pitch (August 2, 2004)

Shirley coming up P3 of Northeast Face, Left route (III 5.7) of Warbonnet. The Plume spire is below as is Arrowhead Lake (August 2, 2004)

Looking down from the lead of P4 of Northeast Face, Left of Warbonnet. Shirley (red helmet...just to distinguish her from the crowds of climbers below 🙂 is belaying me ~160 feet below.

Shirley napping...I mean belaying me... atop P4 of Northeast Face, Left of Warbonnet. This steep (crux!!) pitch deposits you at the mouth of the INCORRECT chimney. From this position, a 50 foot rightward traverse is required to reach the CORRECT chimney (see subsequent photos, August 2, 2004).

A small foot ledge somewhere on P5 of Northeast Face, Left route of Warbonnet - another piece of evidence that this route does not get done very often (August 2, 2004). JonBradford added the following: The Blue flowers are called Sky Pilot the yellow ones are a variety of Cinqefoil

Shirley following near top of P5 of Northeast Face, Left route. This is the low angle mouth of the final chimney pitch (August 2, 2004).

The view back down to the Cirque from somewhere on P5 of Northeast Face, Left route. Our tent (about 1500 feet below) is circled. Pingora and Wolfs Head are in the background (August 2, 2004).

Shirley at the belay atop P5 of Northeast Face, Left route. This is at the base of the final chimney pitch up Warbonnet. Our ice axes (and crampons) came in handy on the approach via the snow gully - it is also not an approach you want to do twice hence need to carry over your snow junk with you on the climb (August 2, 2004)

Leading the last pitch of Northeast Face, Left route. This is a mostly easy chimney (~5.6) with a tricky start (5.7?). Camelbak is hanging below me. Shirley is belaying me below (August 2, 2004).

Storm is coming in - time to start moving. This is looking ~ west from about 30 feet bleow the summit of Warbonnet after our climb of Northeast Face, Left route (August 2, 2004).

Shirley topping out on P6 of Northeast Face, Left route about 30 feet below the summit. A thunderstorm is moving in - it would strand us 500 feet lower for over two hours. In the background several Cirque peaks can be recognized including (from right) Pingora, Bollinger Peak, Wolfs Head (along with Bollinger, they look like a single mountain in the shot), Overhanging Tower (or Shark's Nose...not sure), Block Tower, and Watchtowers (August 2, 2004).

Shirley belaying me 30 feet below the summit of Warbonnet following our climb of its Northeast Face, Left route. Storm is near - we're feeling a strong urge to be lower at this point. The Cirque is in the background - you can just make out a section of Wolfs Head on the right (August 2, 2004).

Shirley coming over the summit of Warbonnet after our climb of its Northeast Face, Left route. This is the only summit shot we have as we were hussling to escape an approaching thunderstorm (August 2, 2004).

The view out of our cave during our descent from summit of Warbonnet after climbing the Northeast Face, Left route. The cave was a large hole under a huge boulder about 500 feet below the summit on the class 3 descent route. We got pinned there for >2 hours while a thunder and lightning storm raged outside. In the foreground is Sundance Pinnacle - a prominent tower on Warbonnet's south flanks. The lake in the picture is Big Sandy Lake (August 2, 2004)

Shirley hiding out somewhere below the summit of Warbonnet. This is on our descent when a storm hit (Aug. 2004).

Shirley in camp the morning after our climb of Warbonnet's Northeast Face...and the rainstorm that followed (Aug. 2004).

Shirley cooking up a freeze dried meal in our camp in the Cirque Of The Towers (Aug. 2004).

Wolfs Head (left) with its East Ridge route and Pingora (right) with its Northeast Face in profile on the right. Both North American Classic Climbs (Aug. 2004).

Mitchell Peak as seen from the shores of Lonesome Lake. The face on the left (shadow) contains two published routes, a III 5.7 and a IV 5.9. The backside of the mountain provides a gentle walk-off option. Jackass pass is on its right side (August 4, 2004).

Shirley admiring the The Warriors from the shores of Lonesome Lake. Jackass Pass is behind her. The Plume (a small tower adjacent to Warbonnet) is the first formation right of the pass & Warbonnet is the first major mountain right of pass (August 3, 2004).

East Ridge

Warbonnet Peak from the base of East Ridge route on Wolfs Head the morning before our climb (Aug. 2004).

Shirley (cold) getting ready for the climb of the East Ridge of Wolfs Head (Aug. 2004).

A climber on the summit of Pingora as seen from the Wolfs Head - Tiger Tower Col (Aug 2004).

Shirley topping out on the so called approach pitches on the East Ridge route of Wolfs Head...this is at the start of the ridge proper. Sharks Nose is in background (Aug. 2004).

Daddy starting the East Ridge proper on Wolfs Head (Aug. 2004).

Leading the second pitch of the initial ramp on East Ridge of Wolfs Head. This is over mostly easy terrain. We simulclimbed this section to the point where the ridge flattens out. The second from the party ahead of us is just above me (August 4, 2004).

Shirley following the East Ridge route on Wolfs Head right before the first tower traverse (August 4, 2004)

Shirley pushing the pack through the squeeze slot on the East Ridge route of Wolfs Head (August 4, 2004).

Looking back at Shirley from the piton traverse pitch on the East Ridge route of Wolfs Head (Aug. 2004).

Leading the second hand traverse on the East Ridge route of Wolfs Head. This is about 4 pitches below the summit (August 4, 2004)

Shirley following the stellar handcrack three pitches "below" the summit of Wolfs Head on the East Ridge route. This is the third and last of the hand traverses (probably the most spectacular both position-wise and exposure-wise). Jackass Pass and Warbonnet Peak are in the background. Cirque Lake can be seen below (August 4, 2004).

Shirley on the stellar hand traverse three pitches below the summit of Wolfs Head (Aug. 2004).

hirley following an easy chimney on the third pitch from the summit. This is the final hand traverse crack pitch of the East Ridge route (August 4, 2004).

oming up the second-from-top pitch on the East Ridge route of Wolfs Head. Mount Mitchell is in background on left; Warbonnet (upper third of its NE face) is on the right (August 4, 2004).

Shirley at our last belay before the summit on the East Ridge route of Wolfs Head. In the background are Pingora Peak (foreground, just above Shirley's knee) and Mount Mitchell in background on the right (August 4, 2004).

The final easy pitch to the summit of Wolfs Head on the East Ridge route (August 4, 2004).

Shirley on the summit of Wolfs Head after our climb of East Ridge. Summit of Bollinger Peak is in the background on right. This is roughly looking NW from summit (August 4, 2004)

East Ridge of Wolfs Head in all its glory as seen from near the summit. Pingora is background (Aug. 2004).

Shirley changing over to approach shoes just below the Wolfs Head - Overhanging Tower notch following our last rappel. This is the typical weather that hit us on every descent - the time of the day is about 4 or 5pm (August 4, 2004).

Mount Mitchell visible over Cirque Lake (Aug. 2004).

Mount Mitchell visible over Cirque Lake (near base of Wolfs Head). The steeper walls on the left reportedly host two routes, a 5.7 and a 5.9 (Aug. 2004).

Block Tower (left), Shark's Nose, and Overhanging Tower reflecting in Cirque Lake (August 4, 2004).

Shirley hiking down after our climb of Wolfs Head East Ridge. Mount Mitchell is on the left and top of Warbonnet is on the right. Shirley's looking at Wolfs Head (Aug. 2004).

South face of Wolfs Head peak as seen on the approach to East Ridge route. The grassy ledges "approach" to the route proper can be seen on the right (early August 2004

Shirley hiking back to camp after our climb of the East Ridge on Wolfs Head. The storm is clearing and Warbonnet dominates the view (Aug. 2004).

A stormy sunset over Warbonnet as seen from The Cirque (August 3, 2004).

Warbonnet from The Cirque. You're looking at its impressive north (shadow, host to the 5.10 route) and northeast faces (light, host to two 5.7 routes). Adjoining spire on the left is The Plume which (according to Kelsey's guidebook) hosts a few III 5.9 routes. One of two options for accessing the two 5.7 routes on the NE face is visible in the photo as well: the snow gully leading to the Warbonnet-Plume Col (August 2, 2004).

Warbonnet Peak in Wyoming's Cirque Of The Towers. Sunny face is the northeast face with its route the Northeast Face, Left (III, 5.7; Aug. 2004).

Shirley hiking out of the Cirque Of The Towers with Pingora in background (Aug. 2004).

Shirley hiking out of the Cirque Of The Towers somewhere by Big Sandy Lake (Aug. 2004).

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