After
a forced rest day because of a huge blister on Lucie's foot, we have another
short day in Black Velvet Canyon. We climb "Amber", a route just to the
left of the well-known Wholesome
Fullback.
Amber
is overall a pretty good route; a good line with a good crux pitch, but some
unpleasantly brittle rock on the 3rd, and particularly the 4th pitch. It is
a relatively new route, so it might clean up as traffic increases.
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On
the Black Velvet Canyon approach trail .
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"Amber"
climbs the Wholesome Fullback Buttress in 4 pitches.
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The
first pitch (10a) of Amber goes up the finger crack of Wholesome
Fullback but stops at a bolted belay where WF continues up and
right.
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Hiher
on pitch 1.
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Eric
starting the crux pitch (10c).
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The 1st
pitch is short and tackles the crux 5.10a (tricky!) finger crack of "Wholesome
Fullback". It stops at a ledge with a bolted anchor where Wholesome Fullback
continues up.
The next
pitch (5.10c) is super fun, with a bit of everything (face, traverse, chimney,
crack), and very good rock. A long pitch.
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Below
the traverse on pitch 2.
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Chimneying
the flake, higher on pitch 2.
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The
third pitch is easier (5.8)...
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...but
has much suspect rock, so take care...
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Views.
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Next is
a standard RR edging pitch, with some suspect rock.
The last
pitch goes straight up a small roof at 5.8 (sandbag), then continues on edges
(very brittle, scary) to an anchor on a shoulder of the right arete. Note
that I stayed left of the wide crack as indicated in Handren's guidebook.
I believe this to be a mistake. The anchor is at the right hand side of the
crack, and so is - I think - the 5.8 climbing. By staying left, I found myself
on scary, brittle, and runout 5.9 face.
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Eric
starting the last pitch.
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Climbers
on "Prince of Darkness".
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Enjoying
the flowers on the way back to the car.
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We spend
some time snapping pictures of the Black Velvet Wall when we reached the top
of the buttress. Our friends Griet and Nico (from Belgium) are having fun
on Prince
of Darkness. A quick rap descent brings us back to our packs.
