My girlfriend and I got ourselves in a similar pickle last weekend. I thought I could take a shortcut to the ridge via a chute (slide?) on the south side. The bottom part of it was horribly loose but not steep. The top part was steeper but had more rock, so I figured we'd be ok. Sure enough, when getting to the steeper part, the first hold I grabbed onto just crumbled off! So, getting up higher was downright scary and we already told ourselves we would definitely not come down the same way. My girlfriend was in a panic because we were basically stuck. Luckily I managed to get ourselves back down. Had no idea the rock out there is so rotten and crumbly. Scary stuff! Gives a great boost to your mental awareness though! I was drained when we got back down.
I think a lot of people don't realize you have to do some attentive routefinding to make your way up safely to this peak. It looks like the both of us got stuck in different areas on the way to the headwall, but what we had in common was that some chute or line looked like the way to go and turned out to be a bad choice. Hope your girlfriend doesn't get scared off by your experience.
Augie
Yeah, that peak is kinda sketchy. Our line of approach would've been easy if there was some solid ground; crazy how bad rock can change things dramatically! Luckily she still trusts me :-). I actually had second thoughts about the chute but she agreed we should just give it a shot. I guess I should've stuck with my first thought of taking the 'standard' route. Oh well, live and learn, right ;-)?
A friend of mine and me tried going up Mill Creek and straight up one of the chutes that goes directly to the summit. We did it when there was more snow (the creek bed and chute were totally covered but late enough in the season to be firm enough to walk on. After playing dodge ball up the chute with grape to baseball sized rock fall, About 500' below the summit I heard some large noises that could only mean something big was coming. We both retreated off the perfect crampon snow/ice of the chute to opposite rock cliffs on the sides. Sure enough a torrent of rock came bouncing down the biggest being the size of a refrigerator that took about six bounces as it flew past us (reminded me like we were in a pinball machine. Needless to say, we retreated after that (it was only getting warmer as the morning wore on and rock continued. The rock in the area is in such bad shape because Mill Creek is one of the branches of the San Andreas Fault.
The description of your predicament is well captured. I often tell people that one of the things I enjoy about rock climbing is purely the problem-solving aspect. You are provided with X, Y, and Z, and you have a goal to accomplish (whether to reach a summit or to solve a single crux, or even to escape a predicament). While I enjoy your story, I hope you also find value in bringing along a rope and using for sections like this in the future!
Thanks for your comment. You're right; there's nothing like a problem-solving situation with the adrenaline flowing!. You know, I don't think that section could have been protected. I just shouldn't have gone off route not knowing what was up higher.
Overall, was the approach a Class 4 if you stayed on route? I've looked at Galena a few times, but most of the horror stories about falling rocks send me away.
Regarding the headwall (not the climb up to Galena Peak from the jumpoff), here's what I know from my limited experience, and something I've not seen mentioned: the place is crumbling away. I've tried it only twice, once making it up, another time almost making it [before inching my way back down from 40 feet below the lip]. I've been on top of the jumpoff several other times (arriving via the Vivian Creek Trail above and south). Each time I've been, the place is different. Truly morphed! First time, there was a sandy beach (with bear prints), 30 feet back from the lip to the bushes. Next time I was there, that beach had been reduced to a few feet. The place is literally crumbing away in real time.
First time up from the bottom, hiking alone, I found myself at the point where the angle gets so steep and the ground so loose, without helmet or gear, that I bailed. It was just before that moment of commitment you've described, so I made it down safely, with tail between legs. Couldn't figure out what had happened, since I'd read so many times about how everyone and their 85yo grandmother had climbed this thing.
Here's the thing, when I went back with some friends just two months later (or less), the wall had lost about 10 feet of thickness. The face of it was utterly different. Yes, a major storm had been through, the route up the Mill Creek was strewn with 10-15 foot boulders that were not in the same position as before, etc., etc. So, don't be fooled into thinking that route up the headwall you are reading about now will be there when you arrive.
The other thing is, even if you think that a 5 foot rock lodged in the side of the wall, near the top, looks solid, it's probably not. It is VERY disturbing when said rock begins to slide beneath you and you don't find any handhold to transfer your weight to. At 55, I've still got things to do in life; the thrill for me is not in the danger. Glad I can say I climbed it once, though.
BeDrinkable - Mar 23, 2006 4:16 pm - Voted 10/10
I know the feeling.I'm all too familiar with that sinking feeling of being boxed into a bad situation. I'm glad everything worked out!
Augie Medina - Mar 25, 2006 4:31 am - Hasn't voted
Re: I know the feeling.Thanks for your post. There's something positive about knowing that you can get yourself out of what at first appears to be a hopeless situation.
Luciano136 - Oct 3, 2006 11:52 pm - Voted 10/10
Got in trouble there tooMy girlfriend and I got ourselves in a similar pickle last weekend. I thought I could take a shortcut to the ridge via a chute (slide?) on the south side. The bottom part of it was horribly loose but not steep. The top part was steeper but had more rock, so I figured we'd be ok. Sure enough, when getting to the steeper part, the first hold I grabbed onto just crumbled off! So, getting up higher was downright scary and we already told ourselves we would definitely not come down the same way. My girlfriend was in a panic because we were basically stuck. Luckily I managed to get ourselves back down. Had no idea the rock out there is so rotten and crumbly. Scary stuff! Gives a great boost to your mental awareness though! I was drained when we got back down.
Augie Medina - Oct 4, 2006 7:36 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Got in trouble there tooI think a lot of people don't realize you have to do some attentive routefinding to make your way up safely to this peak. It looks like the both of us got stuck in different areas on the way to the headwall, but what we had in common was that some chute or line looked like the way to go and turned out to be a bad choice. Hope your girlfriend doesn't get scared off by your experience.
Augie
Luciano136 - Oct 4, 2006 8:59 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Got in trouble there tooYeah, that peak is kinda sketchy. Our line of approach would've been easy if there was some solid ground; crazy how bad rock can change things dramatically! Luckily she still trusts me :-). I actually had second thoughts about the chute but she agreed we should just give it a shot. I guess I should've stuck with my first thought of taking the 'standard' route. Oh well, live and learn, right ;-)?
TripoliRick - Apr 8, 2008 11:13 pm - Hasn't voted
Galena PeakA friend of mine and me tried going up Mill Creek and straight up one of the chutes that goes directly to the summit. We did it when there was more snow (the creek bed and chute were totally covered but late enough in the season to be firm enough to walk on. After playing dodge ball up the chute with grape to baseball sized rock fall, About 500' below the summit I heard some large noises that could only mean something big was coming. We both retreated off the perfect crampon snow/ice of the chute to opposite rock cliffs on the sides. Sure enough a torrent of rock came bouncing down the biggest being the size of a refrigerator that took about six bounces as it flew past us (reminded me like we were in a pinball machine. Needless to say, we retreated after that (it was only getting warmer as the morning wore on and rock continued. The rock in the area is in such bad shape because Mill Creek is one of the branches of the San Andreas Fault.
Augie Medina - Apr 9, 2008 3:14 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Galena PeakThanks for your story. Close call. Good thing you were paying attention. I'll remember never to try that route!
Augie
cammed - May 19, 2012 7:01 pm - Hasn't voted
problem solvingThe description of your predicament is well captured. I often tell people that one of the things I enjoy about rock climbing is purely the problem-solving aspect. You are provided with X, Y, and Z, and you have a goal to accomplish (whether to reach a summit or to solve a single crux, or even to escape a predicament). While I enjoy your story, I hope you also find value in bringing along a rope and using for sections like this in the future!
Augie Medina - May 19, 2012 9:42 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: problem solvingThanks for your comment. You're right; there's nothing like a problem-solving situation with the adrenaline flowing!. You know, I don't think that section could have been protected. I just shouldn't have gone off route not knowing what was up higher.
cammed - May 30, 2012 3:17 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: problem solvingOverall, was the approach a Class 4 if you stayed on route? I've looked at Galena a few times, but most of the horror stories about falling rocks send me away.
Augie Medina - May 30, 2012 4:25 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: problem solvingIf you stay on route and if it's not icy, it is like Class 2-3, actually.
pawl - May 9, 2013 7:29 am - Hasn't voted
It's crumbling awayRegarding the headwall (not the climb up to Galena Peak from the jumpoff), here's what I know from my limited experience, and something I've not seen mentioned: the place is crumbling away. I've tried it only twice, once making it up, another time almost making it [before inching my way back down from 40 feet below the lip]. I've been on top of the jumpoff several other times (arriving via the Vivian Creek Trail above and south). Each time I've been, the place is different. Truly morphed! First time, there was a sandy beach (with bear prints), 30 feet back from the lip to the bushes. Next time I was there, that beach had been reduced to a few feet. The place is literally crumbing away in real time.
First time up from the bottom, hiking alone, I found myself at the point where the angle gets so steep and the ground so loose, without helmet or gear, that I bailed. It was just before that moment of commitment you've described, so I made it down safely, with tail between legs. Couldn't figure out what had happened, since I'd read so many times about how everyone and their 85yo grandmother had climbed this thing.
Here's the thing, when I went back with some friends just two months later (or less), the wall had lost about 10 feet of thickness. The face of it was utterly different. Yes, a major storm had been through, the route up the Mill Creek was strewn with 10-15 foot boulders that were not in the same position as before, etc., etc. So, don't be fooled into thinking that route up the headwall you are reading about now will be there when you arrive.
The other thing is, even if you think that a 5 foot rock lodged in the side of the wall, near the top, looks solid, it's probably not. It is VERY disturbing when said rock begins to slide beneath you and you don't find any handhold to transfer your weight to. At 55, I've still got things to do in life; the thrill for me is not in the danger. Glad I can say I climbed it once, though.
Augie Medina - Oct 11, 2013 3:25 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: It's crumbling awayThanks much for your observations. Your comments are helpful because people contemplating this climb need to be aware of what they're getting into.