Dave, how many pitches of 5th class on this climb by your count? I couldn't decide for sure from the route description, with the traverses and all. Btw, it is Cecile Lake rather than Cecil Lake. You can see it here.
I suggest going to the left, farther than you think, through the woods, to get to Cecile. It is a walk, the notch on the right side at the end of the climber trail requires 4th-easy 5th class scrambling. It took us less than a 30 minute stroll in the morning from Minaret Lake to the base of the route. The camping at Minaret is much better than Cecile.
alecFerguson - Oct 22, 2007 3:43 pm - Hasn't voted
Beta
Overall, a well done page, with all the beta I would have written.
If someone knows a good descent route that would be a welcome addition. We tried to find the route described in Peter Croft's guide. We went north-northwest on a ridge from the summit, but cut down at the earliest possible place. We found a good rappel route set up for one 60 meter rope. We continued down the prominent couloir to the south of Clyde Minaret, with one rappel into a slot. This descent route worked very well in September with no snow.
This route is very long, because every pitch is full ropelength. Get an early start. The rock isn't granite, and takes some getting used to.
Oh yeah: this is one of the best routes I've ever done.
before doing this route, we read three different options for descents, one from peter croft and two from sp parker. they all seemed overly confusing, and in one of parkers descriptions, potentially wrong. here is our descent, which was generally easy, straightforward, and involved nothing harder than class 3. from the summit, head north on the ridge until you are blocked by a 20 ft. high wall. head left and slightly down on easy ledges for ~50 feet until you see a slung chockstone with carabiners. single rope rappel into the 3rd class gully. from these first anchors, look across the gully to the ridge on its opposite side; you will see another slung chockstone with white/yellow webbing. after your first rappel, head generally across the gully to these anchors. single rope rappel into the next gully over. from here, you can 3rd class it down and left to the obvious notch at the top of the ken/clyde couloir. 3rd class down this to a single rope rappel on your right. 3rd class again until you hit a huge chockstone; parker calls this a double rope rappel, in fact it was a short single rope rappel. maybe a double rope rappel in early season with a lot of snow in the gully, but there are anchors down lower as well, if needed. from here, scree/talus down to cecile lake. i'm sure this description can be condensed quite a bit. also, for the approach from minaret lake, you can follow cairns up the right side of the slope from minaret lake, through easy talus/trail to get to cecile lake. takes about 20 minutes.
bearbnz - Jun 9, 2004 11:36 am - Hasn't voted
Route CommentDave, how many pitches of 5th class on this climb by your count? I couldn't decide for sure from the route description, with the traverses and all. Btw, it is Cecile Lake rather than Cecil Lake. You can see it here.
Dave Daly - Jun 14, 2004 11:21 am - Hasn't voted
Route CommentWe counted 13 pitches. However, we did the direct variation at the very base of Clyde Minaret. The 5.6 start may shorten it up by a pitch....I think.
stoneman5 - Aug 18, 2004 6:41 pm - Hasn't voted
Route CommentI suggest going to the left, farther than you think, through the woods, to get to Cecile. It is a walk, the notch on the right side at the end of the climber trail requires 4th-easy 5th class scrambling. It took us less than a 30 minute stroll in the morning from Minaret Lake to the base of the route. The camping at Minaret is much better than Cecile.
alecFerguson - Oct 22, 2007 3:43 pm - Hasn't voted
BetaOverall, a well done page, with all the beta I would have written.
If someone knows a good descent route that would be a welcome addition. We tried to find the route described in Peter Croft's guide. We went north-northwest on a ridge from the summit, but cut down at the earliest possible place. We found a good rappel route set up for one 60 meter rope. We continued down the prominent couloir to the south of Clyde Minaret, with one rappel into a slot. This descent route worked very well in September with no snow.
This route is very long, because every pitch is full ropelength. Get an early start. The rock isn't granite, and takes some getting used to.
Oh yeah: this is one of the best routes I've ever done.
Dave Daly - Oct 26, 2007 1:41 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: BetaWhen we did it, we took the Rock Route (4th class), which is northeast of the summit.
stella - Jul 29, 2008 10:11 pm - Hasn't voted
good descent optionbefore doing this route, we read three different options for descents, one from peter croft and two from sp parker. they all seemed overly confusing, and in one of parkers descriptions, potentially wrong. here is our descent, which was generally easy, straightforward, and involved nothing harder than class 3. from the summit, head north on the ridge until you are blocked by a 20 ft. high wall. head left and slightly down on easy ledges for ~50 feet until you see a slung chockstone with carabiners. single rope rappel into the 3rd class gully. from these first anchors, look across the gully to the ridge on its opposite side; you will see another slung chockstone with white/yellow webbing. after your first rappel, head generally across the gully to these anchors. single rope rappel into the next gully over. from here, you can 3rd class it down and left to the obvious notch at the top of the ken/clyde couloir. 3rd class down this to a single rope rappel on your right. 3rd class again until you hit a huge chockstone; parker calls this a double rope rappel, in fact it was a short single rope rappel. maybe a double rope rappel in early season with a lot of snow in the gully, but there are anchors down lower as well, if needed. from here, scree/talus down to cecile lake. i'm sure this description can be condensed quite a bit. also, for the approach from minaret lake, you can follow cairns up the right side of the slope from minaret lake, through easy talus/trail to get to cecile lake. takes about 20 minutes.