Don't Miss The Best Pitches Around

I've been working on writing a book to the best alpine and alpine-ish rock climbs in the Cascades, and I have been pondering what the very best pitches are. Either of these pitches is well worth doing on its own, as a day's solitary goal.

Matt Van Biene Photo - FFA of P3 "L&H"

Matt Van Biene Photo - FFA of P3 "L&H"

Here are 2 of them. If you are in the area, PLEASE go do them.

I can see both of these pitches being neglected and ignored, because they are both optional (more difficult) variations to the existing routes. The first one is an optional pitch #3 to "Ellen Pea" and the second pitch is an optional pitch #6+7 on "The Tiger".

Both are well protected and have a couple bolts or good pins but generally require a bunch of small/medium widgets, intricate sequences, powerful crux moves, and PERFECT STONE.

The only semi-decent shot of "Eye of the Tiger" - a direct hard 5.12 variation to "The Tiger" which substitutes for normal pitch 6, 7, 8 in a 45m lead.

P3 of the red line above

The blue line above, leaving the cave

One good idea to keep in mind if you do the "Eye of the Tiger",  a 45m pitch with a lot of steep and powerful climbing on the first half: There is a cramped no-hands stance after all the 5.12 climbing, about 25m up the pitch. Unless you have a really burly following climber, the leader can throw in a couple pieces to clip to with a sling (there's a large fixed wire now) and untie, lowering down the lead end of the rope to the belay in the cave. Haul up the bag, big cams, shoes, tagline, etc etc, and clip them off to a piece here for the follower to pick up once they have done the steeper and harder climbing. Then re-tie-in and lead the rest of the pitch (5.10+) up to the nice belay ledge w/bolts. Nobody has to negotiate anything cruxy with extra weight on their harness, and you don't even need to lead with a tagline.

MVI 1816 from Blake Herrington on Vimeo.