LEMKE CLIMBS
  • About
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    • 2019 Goals/Wishlist
    • Contact
  • Washington
    • North Cascades >
      • Sahale Peak, Boston Peak
      • Eldorado Peak, Klawatti Peak
      • Black Peak
      • Forbidden Peak West Ridge
      • Primus Peak Attempt
      • Big Snagtooth
      • Liberty Bell Beckey Route
      • Burgundy Spire North Face 5.8
      • Ragged Ridge - Katsuk, Kimtah and Cosho Peaks
      • Colfax Peak
      • South Early Winters Spire via SW Buttress
      • Chilliwack Mini-Slam
      • Mesahchie Peak
      • Inspiration Traverse
      • Mount Shuksan Ski
      • Full Pickets Traverse
      • Mount Goode NE Buttress & Storm King
      • Mount Baker North Ridge WI3
      • Snowfield Peak
      • Lincoln Peak
      • Silver Star Mountain
      • Mount Buckner & Horseshoe Peak
      • Azurite Peak
      • Tower Mountain & Golden Horn
      • Mount Logan
      • Custer Ridge & Easy Mox
      • Mazama Dome
      • Sherman Peak
      • Mount Ballard
      • Southern Pickets Traverse
      • Corteo Peak
    • Glacier Peak Wilderness >
      • Buck Creek Pass, Cloudy Peak, Spider Gap
      • Dome Peak, Spire Point
      • Mt. Maude and Seven Fingered Jack
      • Mount Formidable NE Face 5.6 Second Ascent
      • Dumbell and Greenwood Mountains
      • Glacier Peak Wilderness Mountain Massacre
      • Clark and Luahna Peaks
      • Sinister Peak
      • Chiwawa Mountain
      • Tupshin & Devore Peaks
      • Buck & Fortress Mountains
      • Glacier Peak
    • Olympic Peninsula >
      • Buckhorn Mountain
      • Flapjack Lakes Hike
      • Grey Wolf Peak, High Divide Trail
      • Mount Ellinor
      • Mount Constance West Arete
      • Mount Olympus
    • Alpine Lakes Wilderness >
      • Chikamin Peak
      • PCT - Snoqualmie to Pete Lake
      • Foss Lakes Hike
      • Necklace and Tank Lakes
      • Enchantments Day Hike
      • Granite Mountain (Snoqualmie)
      • Colchuck Peak
      • Cannon, Enchantment and Stuart
      • Ingalls Peaks
      • McClellan Peak
      • Dragontail Peak
      • Web Mountain
      • Mount Index Attempt
      • Snow Creek Wall Orbit 5.8+
      • The Tooth South Face
      • Eightmile Mountain
      • Argonaut Peak NE Couloir
      • Little Annapurna South Face 5.5
      • Snow Creek Wall Outer Space 5.9
      • Cashmere Mountain
      • Sherpa Peak North Ridge 5.8
      • Chair Peak NE Ridge
      • Lichtenburg Mountain
      • Mount Index
      • McClellan Butte
      • Chimney Rock
      • Alpine Lakes High Route
    • Pasayten Wilderness >
      • The Craggies
      • Tiffany Mountain
      • Pasayten Mini-Slam
      • Remmel Group
      • Jack Mountain
      • Robinson Mountain
      • Monument Peak Group
    • Mountain Loop Highway >
      • Vesper Peak
      • Mount Dickerman
      • Sloan Peak West Face 5.8
      • Mount Forgotten
      • Whitehorse Mountain
      • Gothic Peak
    • Lake Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness >
      • Star, Courtney, and Grey Peaks
      • Hoodoo Peak and Raven Ridge
      • Abernathy Peak
      • Mount Bigelow
      • Reynolds Peak
      • Oval Peak
      • Gardner Peaks
      • Chelan Sawtooth Trio
    • Southern WA >
      • Mount Adams
      • Mount Rainier - Emmons Route
      • Mount Saint Helens
      • Goat Peak
      • Lane Peak, Plummer Peak (Tatoosh)
      • The Unicorn (Tatoosh)
      • Little Tahoma
    • WA Rock and Ice Cragging >
      • Index Town Walls
      • Vantage
      • Mount Erie
      • Exit 38
      • Leavenworth
  • Colorado
    • San Juan Mountains >
      • Mount Sneffels Lavender Snow Climb
      • Uncompahgre, Matterhorn Peaks
      • Redcloud, Sunshine Peaks
      • San Luis Peak
      • Vermilion, Fuller Peaks
      • Stewart Peak, Baldy Alto
      • Jones, Niagara, American Peaks
      • Wetterhorn Peak, Handies Peak
      • Wilson Group
      • Arrow Peak
      • Mount Sneffels SW Ridge
      • Jagged Mountain, Chicago Basin
      • Teakettle Mountain
      • Dallas Peak
      • Vestal Peak Wham Ridge, Greystone Peak
      • Organ Mountain
      • Phoenix Peak
      • Half Peak
      • Point 13832 Group
      • Golden Horn
    • Elk Mountains >
      • Four Pass Loop
      • Castle, Conundrum Peaks
      • Snowmass Mountain
      • Cathedral Peak
      • South Maroon Peak
      • The Pyramids
      • North Maroon Peak, Sleeping Sexton
      • Capitol Peak, Mount Daly
      • Malemute Peak
      • Hagerman Peak
    • Sangre de Cristo Mountains >
      • Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point
      • Challenger Point
      • Mount Adams
      • Spread Eagle Peak
      • Humboldt, Obstruction, Columbia Peaks
      • Mount Lindsey, Huerfano Peak
      • Little Bear Peak
      • Crestone Needle Ellingwood Arete
      • California Peak
      • Crestone Peak North Buttress
      • Operation Dark Snake
      • Kit Carson Mountain
    • Sawatch Mountains >
      • Iowa Peak
      • Point 13,618 - Hunky Dory Lake
      • Gold Dust Peak, Notch Mountain
      • Mount Jackson
      • Mount Belford
      • Shavano, Tabeguache Peaks
      • Mount Antero, Cronin Peak
      • Twining Peak
      • Mount Massive
      • Casco Peak
      • Mount Huron
      • Mount Elbert
      • Mount Oxford
      • Mount Hope
      • Mount Yale
      • Lackawanna Peak
      • Mount Columbia
      • La Plata Peak
      • Rinker and Twin Peaks
      • Bull Hill, Mount Princeton
      • Missouri Mountain
      • Mount Oklahoma
      • French Mountain
      • Mount Ouray
      • Grizzly A, Garfield Peaks
      • Mount Harvard
      • The Three Apostles
      • Emerald Peak
      • Holy Cross
    • Greater Park Range >
      • Kneeknocker Pass, Piney Lake
      • Drift Peak
      • Sherman Peak, Dyer Peak
      • Gore Range Traverse
      • Quandary Peak
      • Pacific, Atlantic Peaks
      • Clark Peak
      • Crystal Peak, Peak 10
      • Fletcher Mountain
      • The DeCaLiBron
      • Loveland Mountain
      • The Mosquito Traverse
      • Mount Arkansas
      • Clinton Group
      • Eagles Nest, Peak C
      • North Star Mountain
      • Peak X
      • Wheeler Mountain
    • Front Range >
      • Mount Evans, Spalding
      • Mount Bierstadt
      • Mount Parnassus, Bard Peak
      • Cupid, Sniktau, Grizzly D Peaks
      • James Peak
      • Mount Silverheels
      • Grays and Torreys Peaks
      • Mount Edwards
      • Mount Flora, Longs Peak
      • Square Top Mountain
      • Petit Grepon South Face 5.8
      • Mount Meeker Dreamweaver Couloir
      • Santa Fe Peak
      • The Citadel & Pettingell
    • Colorado Ice Climbing >
      • Lincoln Ice Falls
      • Ouray Ice Park
      • Avocado Gully and The Drool
      • Hidden Falls
    • Colorado Rock Climbing >
      • Eldorado Canyon
      • The Flatirons
      • North Table Mountain
      • Shelf Road
      • Colorado National Monument >
        • Independence Monument
  • Wyoming
    • Wind River Mountains >
      • Gone With the Winds
      • Union Peak - Solar Eclipse
      • Wind River Peak
      • Wind River Slam
    • Teton Range >
      • Grand Teton Owen Spalding 5.4
      • Mount Owen Attempt
    • Wyoming Absarokas and Gros Ventre Range >
      • Jackson Peak
      • Francs Peak
    • Yellowstone National Park >
      • Top Notch Peak
    • Bighorn Range and Great Divide Basin >
      • Boars Tusk
      • Loaf Mountain
      • Cloud Peak
      • Black Tooth Mountain
    • Devils Tower
    • Cody Rock and Ice Climbing
  • Montana
    • Beartooth Mountains >
      • Whitetail Peak Group
      • Beartooth Mountain
      • Spirit Mountain Group
      • Mount Peal
      • Granite Peak Group
      • Castle Rock Group
      • Castle Mountain NE Couloir
      • Mount Inabnit and Sylvan Peak
      • Mount Hague South Slopes
      • Mount Villard and The Granite Peaks Traverse - 5.4
      • Spirit Mountain NE Ridge - 5.4
      • California Ice WI 4
      • The Ramp 5.8
      • Linea Alba 5.10d
      • Iceberg Peak
      • Metcalf Mountain North Rib 5.8
      • Villard Spires HP West Ramp
      • Cairn Mountain
      • Snowbank Mountain
      • Mount Wood Group
      • Bears Tooth
      • Glacier Peak Catch-a-Sunrise FA
    • Montana Absarokas & Gallatin Range >
      • Black Mountain
    • Southwest Montana Ranges >
      • Sacajawea Peak
      • Arrow Peak
      • Koch Peak
      • Saddle Peak
      • Baldy Mountain
      • Sphinx Mountain
    • Glacier National Park >
      • A Taste of Glacier National Park
      • Divide Mountain
    • MT Rock and Ice Climbing
  • Utah
    • Uinta Mountains >
      • Kings-Emmons Ridge Run
      • Hayden Peak
      • Iron Hayden Wall Rock Climbing
    • Wasatch Range >
      • The Sundial Eleventh Hour 5.8
      • Mount Timpanogos
    • San Rafael Swell >
      • Ramp, Cistern Canyons
      • Salt Wash, Black Mountain, Moroni Slopes
      • Ding, Dang Canyons
      • Little Wild Horse, Bell Canyons
      • Quandary Canyon
      • San Rafael Knob
      • Miners Hollow (Knotted Rope Canyon)
      • Temple Mountain
      • Chimney Rock
      • Bottleneck Mesa
      • Window Blind Peak
      • Lower Baptist Draw & Upper Chute Canyon
    • Capitol Reef National Park >
      • Cathedral Valley Tour
      • Sheets Gulch
      • Halls Creek Narrows
      • Brimhall Canyon and Strike Valley Overlook
      • George Benchmark
    • Moab Area, Canyonlands, Arches >
      • Maze District
      • Needles District
      • Maze District
      • White Rim Trail Biking
      • Elephant Butte, Bullwinkle Tower and Lizard Rock
      • South Six Shooter
      • Elephant Canyon
      • Parriott Mesa
      • Ancient Art
      • Castleton Tower North Chimney 5.8
      • Klondike Bluffs
      • Mount Peale & Tukuhnikivatz
    • Robbers Roost Country >
      • Horseshoe Canyon, Goblin Valley
      • Bluejohn Canyon
      • Happy Canyon Narrows
      • Shenanigans, Leprechaun Slots
      • Larry Canyon
      • Merry Piglet Slot
      • Lower Maidenwater Canyon, Turkey Knob
      • Morocco Canyon
      • Monkey Business Slot
      • Hog Canyon Slots
      • Upper Maidenwater Canyon Slots
      • Mount Ellen
      • Buck Canyon
      • Point 4906
      • Alcatraz Canyon
      • Hard Day Harvey Slot
      • Mount Ellsworth
      • Good Day Jim Canyon
      • White Roost Canyon
      • Upper Stair Canyon
    • Escalante National Monument >
      • Phipps Canyon and Arch
      • Red Breaks Slot
      • Dry Fork Slots, Coyote Gulch
      • Little Death Hollow/Wolverine Canyons
      • Egypt 3 Slot
      • Egypt 1 Canyon
    • Zion/Bryce >
      • Ataxia Tower Ashtar Command 5.9
      • Mount Kinesava Cowboy Ridge
      • Birch Hollow
      • Aires Butte
      • West Temple
      • Mystery Canyon
      • Crazy Streak
    • Cedar Mesa Region/Valley of the Gods >
      • Eagle Plume Tower Eagle Feather 5.10b
  • California
    • High Sierras, Southern CA Ranges >
      • Telescope Peak, Manly Beacon
      • Tahquitz Rock Whodunit 5.9 - June 2016
      • Tahquitz Rock Long Route 5.9 - July 2016
      • Palisade Traverse
      • White Mountain
    • Yosemite National Park, Central CA
    • Northern CA Cascades >
      • Lava Beds National Monument - August 2015
  • Oregon
    • Oregon Volcanoes >
      • Three Fingered Jack
      • Mount Scott
    • Blue Mountains >
      • Twin Peaks
    • Trout Creek Rock Climbing
  • Alaska
    • Eagle Peak and Mount Ewe
    • Jatt Peak and Portage Pass
    • Rainbow Peak
    • Mount Brooks Attempt
    • Arrigetch Peaks Trek
    • Ab Mountain Hike
    • South Suicide Peak
    • Mount Hunter West Ridge Attempt
    • Cantata Peak Attempt
    • East Twin Peak
    • Mount Alice
    • Crow Pass and Hope Point Hikes
    • Indianhouse Mountain Attempt
    • Lynx Peak
    • Harding Icefield Hike
    • Hatcher Pass and Grapefruit Rocks Climbing
    • Mount Sanford
    • Mount Hunter West Ridge
  • Nevada
    • Ginger Cracks 5.8
    • Mescalito Dark Shadows 5.8
    • Birdland and Olive Oil
    • Frogland 5.8
    • Johnny Vegas 5.8
    • Schaeffer's Delight & Triassic Sands
    • Solar Slab - 5.6
  • British Columbia
    • Mount Matier
    • Taiya Peak
    • Bugaboo Spire NE Ridge
    • Mount Sabine Easy Honey 5.10b
    • Mount Sir Donald NW Ridge Attempt
    • Black Tusk
    • Squamish Ticks
    • Slesse Mountain NE Buttress
  • Alberta
    • Mist Ridge Hike
    • Mount Temple Attempt
    • East Wendell Peak
    • Loder Peak
    • Tower Mountain Attempt
    • The Rimwall
    • Mount Yamnuska Directissima 5.9
    • Mount Lawrence Grassi
    • Mount Lorette
    • Roche A Perdrix
    • Mount Edith Cavell East Ridge 5.3
    • Mount Louis Kain Route
    • Eiffel Peak
    • Canadian Rockies Ice Climbing
  • Other States
    • Arizona >
      • Grand Canyon Bright Angel Trail
      • Beanfest at Cochise Stronghold
      • Baboquivari Peak
      • Humphreys Peak
    • New Mexico >
      • Philmont Trek August 2008
    • Yukon >
      • Canyon Peak
  • International
    • Mexico & Central America >
      • Mexico - Pico de Orizaba, Izta - March 2012
      • Guatemala Volcanoes
    • South America >
      • An Introduction to Patagonia
      • Cordillera Blanca - Tocllaraju and Urus
      • Nahuel Huapi National Park & The Frey
      • Exploring Pucon and Lanin Volcano
      • Cordillera Blanca - Ishinca Peak and Artesonraju
      • Cordillera Blanca - Quitaraju & Alpamayo
      • Exploring Southern Peru
      • Cerro Helio Azul & Tronador Attempt
      • Aguja Guillaumet Amy Couloir
      • Cerro Puntado & Palo
      • Cerro Colorado
      • Cerro Puno & Agudo
      • Cerro Trinidad Attempt
      • Volcan Quetrupillan
      • Cerro Placas
      • Nevado de Acay
      • Pequeno Alpamayo
      • Huayna Potosi
      • Illimani
      • Chiaro de Luna
    • Oceania >
      • Exploring New Zealand's South Island
      • Puncak Jaya
      • Mount McPherson and Talbot
      • Single Cone
      • Mount Cook
      • Mount Aspiring
      • Manakau
    • Central Asia >
      • Kyrgyzstan 2021
  • Sorted by Year
    • 2008 Trip Reports
    • 2009 Trip Reports
    • 2010 Trip Reports
    • 2011 Trip Reports
    • 2012 Trip Reports
    • 2013 Trip Reports
    • 2014 Trip Reports
    • 2015 Trip Reports
    • 2016 Trip Reports
    • 2017 Trip Reports
    • 2018 Trip Reports
    • 2019 Trip Reports
    • 2020 Trip Reports
    • 2021 Trip Reports
  • Vanlife
    • Conversion Journal >
      • Floor Installation
      • Folding Bed
      • Coffee Table
      • Thinsulate Installation
      • The Couch
      • The Wardrobe
      • Bookshelf
      • Water System
      • Electrical System
      • The Pantry
      • Refrigerator
      • Tire Upgrade
      • Heating System
      • Composting Toilet
  • About
    • Whats New
    • 2019 Goals/Wishlist
    • Contact
  • Washington
    • North Cascades >
      • Sahale Peak, Boston Peak
      • Eldorado Peak, Klawatti Peak
      • Black Peak
      • Forbidden Peak West Ridge
      • Primus Peak Attempt
      • Big Snagtooth
      • Liberty Bell Beckey Route
      • Burgundy Spire North Face 5.8
      • Ragged Ridge - Katsuk, Kimtah and Cosho Peaks
      • Colfax Peak
      • South Early Winters Spire via SW Buttress
      • Chilliwack Mini-Slam
      • Mesahchie Peak
      • Inspiration Traverse
      • Mount Shuksan Ski
      • Full Pickets Traverse
      • Mount Goode NE Buttress & Storm King
      • Mount Baker North Ridge WI3
      • Snowfield Peak
      • Lincoln Peak
      • Silver Star Mountain
      • Mount Buckner & Horseshoe Peak
      • Azurite Peak
      • Tower Mountain & Golden Horn
      • Mount Logan
      • Custer Ridge & Easy Mox
      • Mazama Dome
      • Sherman Peak
      • Mount Ballard
      • Southern Pickets Traverse
      • Corteo Peak
    • Glacier Peak Wilderness >
      • Buck Creek Pass, Cloudy Peak, Spider Gap
      • Dome Peak, Spire Point
      • Mt. Maude and Seven Fingered Jack
      • Mount Formidable NE Face 5.6 Second Ascent
      • Dumbell and Greenwood Mountains
      • Glacier Peak Wilderness Mountain Massacre
      • Clark and Luahna Peaks
      • Sinister Peak
      • Chiwawa Mountain
      • Tupshin & Devore Peaks
      • Buck & Fortress Mountains
      • Glacier Peak
    • Olympic Peninsula >
      • Buckhorn Mountain
      • Flapjack Lakes Hike
      • Grey Wolf Peak, High Divide Trail
      • Mount Ellinor
      • Mount Constance West Arete
      • Mount Olympus
    • Alpine Lakes Wilderness >
      • Chikamin Peak
      • PCT - Snoqualmie to Pete Lake
      • Foss Lakes Hike
      • Necklace and Tank Lakes
      • Enchantments Day Hike
      • Granite Mountain (Snoqualmie)
      • Colchuck Peak
      • Cannon, Enchantment and Stuart
      • Ingalls Peaks
      • McClellan Peak
      • Dragontail Peak
      • Web Mountain
      • Mount Index Attempt
      • Snow Creek Wall Orbit 5.8+
      • The Tooth South Face
      • Eightmile Mountain
      • Argonaut Peak NE Couloir
      • Little Annapurna South Face 5.5
      • Snow Creek Wall Outer Space 5.9
      • Cashmere Mountain
      • Sherpa Peak North Ridge 5.8
      • Chair Peak NE Ridge
      • Lichtenburg Mountain
      • Mount Index
      • McClellan Butte
      • Chimney Rock
      • Alpine Lakes High Route
    • Pasayten Wilderness >
      • The Craggies
      • Tiffany Mountain
      • Pasayten Mini-Slam
      • Remmel Group
      • Jack Mountain
      • Robinson Mountain
      • Monument Peak Group
    • Mountain Loop Highway >
      • Vesper Peak
      • Mount Dickerman
      • Sloan Peak West Face 5.8
      • Mount Forgotten
      • Whitehorse Mountain
      • Gothic Peak
    • Lake Chelan Sawtooth Wilderness >
      • Star, Courtney, and Grey Peaks
      • Hoodoo Peak and Raven Ridge
      • Abernathy Peak
      • Mount Bigelow
      • Reynolds Peak
      • Oval Peak
      • Gardner Peaks
      • Chelan Sawtooth Trio
    • Southern WA >
      • Mount Adams
      • Mount Rainier - Emmons Route
      • Mount Saint Helens
      • Goat Peak
      • Lane Peak, Plummer Peak (Tatoosh)
      • The Unicorn (Tatoosh)
      • Little Tahoma
    • WA Rock and Ice Cragging >
      • Index Town Walls
      • Vantage
      • Mount Erie
      • Exit 38
      • Leavenworth
  • Colorado
    • San Juan Mountains >
      • Mount Sneffels Lavender Snow Climb
      • Uncompahgre, Matterhorn Peaks
      • Redcloud, Sunshine Peaks
      • San Luis Peak
      • Vermilion, Fuller Peaks
      • Stewart Peak, Baldy Alto
      • Jones, Niagara, American Peaks
      • Wetterhorn Peak, Handies Peak
      • Wilson Group
      • Arrow Peak
      • Mount Sneffels SW Ridge
      • Jagged Mountain, Chicago Basin
      • Teakettle Mountain
      • Dallas Peak
      • Vestal Peak Wham Ridge, Greystone Peak
      • Organ Mountain
      • Phoenix Peak
      • Half Peak
      • Point 13832 Group
      • Golden Horn
    • Elk Mountains >
      • Four Pass Loop
      • Castle, Conundrum Peaks
      • Snowmass Mountain
      • Cathedral Peak
      • South Maroon Peak
      • The Pyramids
      • North Maroon Peak, Sleeping Sexton
      • Capitol Peak, Mount Daly
      • Malemute Peak
      • Hagerman Peak
    • Sangre de Cristo Mountains >
      • Blanca Peak, Ellingwood Point
      • Challenger Point
      • Mount Adams
      • Spread Eagle Peak
      • Humboldt, Obstruction, Columbia Peaks
      • Mount Lindsey, Huerfano Peak
      • Little Bear Peak
      • Crestone Needle Ellingwood Arete
      • California Peak
      • Crestone Peak North Buttress
      • Operation Dark Snake
      • Kit Carson Mountain
    • Sawatch Mountains >
      • Iowa Peak
      • Point 13,618 - Hunky Dory Lake
      • Gold Dust Peak, Notch Mountain
      • Mount Jackson
      • Mount Belford
      • Shavano, Tabeguache Peaks
      • Mount Antero, Cronin Peak
      • Twining Peak
      • Mount Massive
      • Casco Peak
      • Mount Huron
      • Mount Elbert
      • Mount Oxford
      • Mount Hope
      • Mount Yale
      • Lackawanna Peak
      • Mount Columbia
      • La Plata Peak
      • Rinker and Twin Peaks
      • Bull Hill, Mount Princeton
      • Missouri Mountain
      • Mount Oklahoma
      • French Mountain
      • Mount Ouray
      • Grizzly A, Garfield Peaks
      • Mount Harvard
      • The Three Apostles
      • Emerald Peak
      • Holy Cross
    • Greater Park Range >
      • Kneeknocker Pass, Piney Lake
      • Drift Peak
      • Sherman Peak, Dyer Peak
      • Gore Range Traverse
      • Quandary Peak
      • Pacific, Atlantic Peaks
      • Clark Peak
      • Crystal Peak, Peak 10
      • Fletcher Mountain
      • The DeCaLiBron
      • Loveland Mountain
      • The Mosquito Traverse
      • Mount Arkansas
      • Clinton Group
      • Eagles Nest, Peak C
      • North Star Mountain
      • Peak X
      • Wheeler Mountain
    • Front Range >
      • Mount Evans, Spalding
      • Mount Bierstadt
      • Mount Parnassus, Bard Peak
      • Cupid, Sniktau, Grizzly D Peaks
      • James Peak
      • Mount Silverheels
      • Grays and Torreys Peaks
      • Mount Edwards
      • Mount Flora, Longs Peak
      • Square Top Mountain
      • Petit Grepon South Face 5.8
      • Mount Meeker Dreamweaver Couloir
      • Santa Fe Peak
      • The Citadel & Pettingell
    • Colorado Ice Climbing >
      • Lincoln Ice Falls
      • Ouray Ice Park
      • Avocado Gully and The Drool
      • Hidden Falls
    • Colorado Rock Climbing >
      • Eldorado Canyon
      • The Flatirons
      • North Table Mountain
      • Shelf Road
      • Colorado National Monument >
        • Independence Monument
  • Wyoming
    • Wind River Mountains >
      • Gone With the Winds
      • Union Peak - Solar Eclipse
      • Wind River Peak
      • Wind River Slam
    • Teton Range >
      • Grand Teton Owen Spalding 5.4
      • Mount Owen Attempt
    • Wyoming Absarokas and Gros Ventre Range >
      • Jackson Peak
      • Francs Peak
    • Yellowstone National Park >
      • Top Notch Peak
    • Bighorn Range and Great Divide Basin >
      • Boars Tusk
      • Loaf Mountain
      • Cloud Peak
      • Black Tooth Mountain
    • Devils Tower
    • Cody Rock and Ice Climbing
  • Montana
    • Beartooth Mountains >
      • Whitetail Peak Group
      • Beartooth Mountain
      • Spirit Mountain Group
      • Mount Peal
      • Granite Peak Group
      • Castle Rock Group
      • Castle Mountain NE Couloir
      • Mount Inabnit and Sylvan Peak
      • Mount Hague South Slopes
      • Mount Villard and The Granite Peaks Traverse - 5.4
      • Spirit Mountain NE Ridge - 5.4
      • California Ice WI 4
      • The Ramp 5.8
      • Linea Alba 5.10d
      • Iceberg Peak
      • Metcalf Mountain North Rib 5.8
      • Villard Spires HP West Ramp
      • Cairn Mountain
      • Snowbank Mountain
      • Mount Wood Group
      • Bears Tooth
      • Glacier Peak Catch-a-Sunrise FA
    • Montana Absarokas & Gallatin Range >
      • Black Mountain
    • Southwest Montana Ranges >
      • Sacajawea Peak
      • Arrow Peak
      • Koch Peak
      • Saddle Peak
      • Baldy Mountain
      • Sphinx Mountain
    • Glacier National Park >
      • A Taste of Glacier National Park
      • Divide Mountain
    • MT Rock and Ice Climbing
  • Utah
    • Uinta Mountains >
      • Kings-Emmons Ridge Run
      • Hayden Peak
      • Iron Hayden Wall Rock Climbing
    • Wasatch Range >
      • The Sundial Eleventh Hour 5.8
      • Mount Timpanogos
    • San Rafael Swell >
      • Ramp, Cistern Canyons
      • Salt Wash, Black Mountain, Moroni Slopes
      • Ding, Dang Canyons
      • Little Wild Horse, Bell Canyons
      • Quandary Canyon
      • San Rafael Knob
      • Miners Hollow (Knotted Rope Canyon)
      • Temple Mountain
      • Chimney Rock
      • Bottleneck Mesa
      • Window Blind Peak
      • Lower Baptist Draw & Upper Chute Canyon
    • Capitol Reef National Park >
      • Cathedral Valley Tour
      • Sheets Gulch
      • Halls Creek Narrows
      • Brimhall Canyon and Strike Valley Overlook
      • George Benchmark
    • Moab Area, Canyonlands, Arches >
      • Maze District
      • Needles District
      • Maze District
      • White Rim Trail Biking
      • Elephant Butte, Bullwinkle Tower and Lizard Rock
      • South Six Shooter
      • Elephant Canyon
      • Parriott Mesa
      • Ancient Art
      • Castleton Tower North Chimney 5.8
      • Klondike Bluffs
      • Mount Peale & Tukuhnikivatz
    • Robbers Roost Country >
      • Horseshoe Canyon, Goblin Valley
      • Bluejohn Canyon
      • Happy Canyon Narrows
      • Shenanigans, Leprechaun Slots
      • Larry Canyon
      • Merry Piglet Slot
      • Lower Maidenwater Canyon, Turkey Knob
      • Morocco Canyon
      • Monkey Business Slot
      • Hog Canyon Slots
      • Upper Maidenwater Canyon Slots
      • Mount Ellen
      • Buck Canyon
      • Point 4906
      • Alcatraz Canyon
      • Hard Day Harvey Slot
      • Mount Ellsworth
      • Good Day Jim Canyon
      • White Roost Canyon
      • Upper Stair Canyon
    • Escalante National Monument >
      • Phipps Canyon and Arch
      • Red Breaks Slot
      • Dry Fork Slots, Coyote Gulch
      • Little Death Hollow/Wolverine Canyons
      • Egypt 3 Slot
      • Egypt 1 Canyon
    • Zion/Bryce >
      • Ataxia Tower Ashtar Command 5.9
      • Mount Kinesava Cowboy Ridge
      • Birch Hollow
      • Aires Butte
      • West Temple
      • Mystery Canyon
      • Crazy Streak
    • Cedar Mesa Region/Valley of the Gods >
      • Eagle Plume Tower Eagle Feather 5.10b
  • California
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LEMKE CLIMBS

manakau

manakau - 8556' - east ridge class 3
​december 2019

With just one week left in New Zealand, weather in the southern Alps was abysmal. Actually, I got word that Lake Wanaka had flooded this past week and closed the Matukituki River Road shutting off all access to Aspiring merely a few days after I climbed it. Parts of the town are also flooding which was caused by a combination of springtime snow melt and heavy rains. A large landslide also covered the road to Tasman Lake, further extending the already long walk into the Plateau hut if one chooses to walk in for Mount Cook, and another landslide blocked the highway towards the west coast over Haast Pass. Weather this week has been very rainy after my successful climb on Aspiring. You could say I got very very lucky to climb these mountains, as some of my friends trying to climb them now are getting shut down.

Anyway, to escape the bad weather I drove to the northeast part of the south island, and settled in at Kaikoura for a night, enjoying a lovely beachside hostel and had the local catch of the day for dinner. I had my eyes on Manakau, a 2608 meter high ultra-prominent peak in the Seaward Kaikoura Mountains. Gimpilator has a good page about it on SummitPost, however things have changed dramatically since his visit in March 2016, due to the Kaikoura earthquake that hit on November 14th 2016 which caused 100,000 landslides (yes, you read that right) in the Kaikoura region. One such landslide completely reshaped the Hapuku River valley, forever changing the approach for this mountain. In an event of total biblical proportions, during the earthquake a multi-dozen million cubic meter historic landslide came off the eastern flank of Surveyor Spur (the ridge you ascend on the route up Manakau; more on that further down) and cascaded down the Hapuku River Valley for a full two miles burying the entire valley floor in an average of 10 meters of rubble with some areas getting over 50 feet of coverage. In the process, all trees in the valley were stripped clean down to the roots and the steep valley walls showed clear evidence of getting sliced clear of all vegetation, rocks and hope as the landslide would have scoured down the entire valley. When it was all said and done, the valley was widened due to the massive amount of rubble and nothing more than cobbles, boulders and sand filled the new valley floor which was now raised in elevation 30-50 feet the entire way. At the upper end of the landslide where the slide would have first it the valley floor after falling from the steep flanks, the rubble created a wall across the valley over 300 feet tall creating a new lake. Over the past 2-3 years the water outflow from the new lake forced its way through the wall and cut a path, dividing the rubble exposing near vertical moraine-like cliffs above the stream. The scale of this event is truly astounding, and I will do my best to show it in the photos below.

As another aside, many more landslides covered the highway that runs along the east coast north and south of Kaikoura. The town was completely cut off for quite some time, and rebuilding the road took nearly 2 years to get it reopened for any traffic at all, and work is still ongoing to complete the re-building works over 3 years later. Sections of the beachfront highway for miles were covered in landslide debris that was measured in the hundreds of feet deep!

Returning back to my climb, I did not realize any of this until I was midway through the approach up the Hapuku River. I drove to the standard location where people park for hiking up this river valley on Grange Road which it at a measly 100 meters elevation. This would mean the net elevation gain for this climb is 2500 meters plus any ups and downs! I decided to break it into a day and a half, leaving at noon to hike in to Barrats Bivy (which I would find out no longer exists as it was buried in hundreds of feet of debris). Regardless, I started up the wide open lower Hapuku River, crossing to the east side of the stream utilizing large boulders where the road crosses. I was able to easily stay on the streams east side the entire way up to where you start up the bypass trail that heads above and around a section of the valley that narrows into a steep gorge. Since the trail ascends the small ridge on the west side of the valley, I had to ford the stream once immediately before starting up the trail to get back to the west side. A simply knee deep wade was required but this would be the only time I needed to get my feet wet.

Once on the trail, it was easy to follow, however I had to ascend 200 extra feet on a newly built steep trail to bypass another landslide that took out part of the trail that traversed the slope above the gorge. The extra gain added some time but was manageable. I then met up with a large side stream coming in from the west and hiked east down this valley for a few hundred meters before continuing left (northward) up the main Hapuku River. It was when I started this final segment I noticed something very odd. The entire valley floor was devoid of all vegetation and very wide. My suspicions were confirmed when I crossed paths with two local hikers returning from the new lake and they told me about what had happened here, also informing me that Barrats Bivy was destroyed. Not bringing a tent I would have to find a place to bivy, and hope it didn't rain. I continued up the consistent uphill grade constantly boulder hopping, easily crossing the stream on boulders as necessary until the large rightward bend in the valley that Gimpilator mentions in his page at 720 meters of elevation. This bend is where the route up to Stance Saddle (the beginning of Surveyor Spur) starts. I looked around for any kind of natural shelter where I could set up my bivy and in a small patch of trees, found a perfect spot right at the edge of the valley. It took me about 3.5 hours to reach this spot from the car. As I rested and drank some water, I heard small rock and scree slides coming down the steep slopes in the zone the landslide came from. Wind would also whip up rock dust and blow it down valley providing evidence that this whole mountainside was still unstable. I would soon realize that this entire mountain range is falling apart, and the rock comprising it is total garbage!

Seaward Kaikoura Range from the highway along the beach
Seaward Kaikoura Range from the highway along the beach
Starting up the Hapuku River from the car park
Starting up the Hapuku River from the car park
Where I crossed the Hapuku River just before the bypass trail
Where I crossed the Hapuku River just before the bypass trail
View further up the Hapuku Valley from the bypass trail
View further up the Hapuku Valley from the bypass trail
Landslide fill in the upper Hapuku Valley
Landslide fill in the upper Hapuku Valley
Walking on the landslide debris in the upper Hapuku Valley
Walking on the landslide debris in the upper Hapuku Valley
The 300 foot high landslide wall seen in center of the photo
The 300 foot high landslide wall seen in center of the photo


I doctored up my bivy a little bit, and as the afternoon progressed, it looked like I would be spared any rain. The only chance of rain that was forecasted was early in the afternoon, with the following day to be perfect. I ate some veggies and jelly beams for dinner and shortly before sunset drifted asleep under my secluded and protected tree canopy. At 5:30am I emerged and packed up my sleeping gear, and left it on a large rock near my bivy. By 5:45am I started hiking up the slope to Stance Saddle. It was roughly 330 meters ascent to the saddle (elev 1050 meters), which marks the low point on Surveyor Spur. The slope to the saddle was a lot of scree, but I was able to avoid most of the scree by stringing together vegetation zones. Once on the spur, I turned right and followed the faint trail through an initial shrubby section then through tussocks. As I gained elevation, there were huge tension cracks in the ground on the right side of the ridge as I hiked up, and very unstable material on the steep slopes below. This is where the large slide originated below me to the right (east). The soil horizon was clearly being stressed on the crest of the ridge where it hadn't completely fallen down the slope.

About 400 meters above Stance Saddle, the ridge steepened for a 30 meter section. I decided to climb directly up the steep rock slabs offering some class 4 scrambling to spice things up, however traversing horizontally left here to a short spur rib would bypasses this section keeping it at class 2. Above this the spur was a mix of easy walking and very loose scrambling. Between 1500 and 1900 meters the ridge was annoyingly steep and loose but always manageable. Shortly above 1900 meters it leveled off considerably into a gentle upward walk on fine scree all the way to unnamed Point 2210. Here I had a grand view of Kaikoura and the ocean, as well as a great overlook of the remainder of the east ridge to the summit of Manakau, still nearly 2 miles away. I also had cell service from about 1200 meters elevation and above as there was a clear line of sight to the Kaikoura Peninsula from here on up.

Starting up the slope to Stance Saddle. Notice the landslide scar
Starting up the slope to Stance Saddle. Notice the landslide scar
View up Surveyor Spur from Stance Saddle
View up Surveyor Spur from Stance Saddle
Looking back at Stance Saddle
Looking back at Stance Saddle
 
Looking down at the Kaikoura Peninsula with Stance Mountain in center
Looking down at the Kaikoura Peninsula with Stance Mountain in center
Topping out on the class 4 slabs with the next section of Surveyor Spur coming into view
Topping out on the class 4 slabs with the next section of Surveyor Spur coming into view
View west from Surveyor Spur
View west from Surveyor Spur
Steep SE face of Manakau
Steep SE face of Manakau
Another view of Manakau with the long east ridge dropping to the right
Another view of Manakau with the long east ridge dropping to the right
Mellow slopes above 1900 meters on Surveyor Spur
Mellow slopes above 1900 meters on Surveyor Spur


From point 2210, I descended 15-20 meters to the small saddle and started sidehill traversing left towards the low 2110 meter saddle between Manakau and Surveyor Peak, which lied off to the northeast.This traverse was quite loose and full of scree since it was dry. In fact only small very scattered snow patches remained on the entire range which was very little for springtime in New Zealand I thought. When I reached the low saddle, I started hiking the long east ridge of Manakau which was considerable gentler than Surveyor Spur. As a comparison, Surveyor Spur gained nearly 1200 meters in about 2 miles of distance while the upper east ridge only gained 500 meters in the same horizontal distance. There were many small rock spires to traverse through and around but they were all easy to bypass. One large gendarme shortly below the summit was bypassed on the right (north) side with one short class 3 crack scramble, the rest of which was class 2+ on loose scree and talus. At 10:15am I stood on the summit, having gained 2000 meters in 4.5 hours. Not a great pace but acceptable considering I was still a bit tired from Cook and Aspiring. The view off to the west of the Inland Kaikoura Range was also drier than I would have expected. Only small fingers of snow in the most shaded couloirs on the south face of Tapuae-O-Uenuku (the highest peak of the Inland Kaikouras; also an ultra prominent peak) remained. Overall the views were not as inspiring compared to the massive glaciated peaks of the Southern Alps but the elevation gain required for these peaks certainly makes these mountains worthy.

With the wind whipping up a bit, I took a rest on the sheltered south side and refueled my body, drinking water and eating candy. By 11am I started down, and since so much of the terrain was soft scree I was able to make very quick work walking down at times plunge stepping in the scree almost as if it was snow. The worst par of the descent was in the 1900-1500 meter range on Surveyor Spur since there was a solid rock base with loose boulders and cobbles covering it in this zone. It was here to my utter surprise I ran into a couple people heading up! They had camped at the lake the night before which is why I missed them (the lake is a bit beyond the start of the route to Stance Saddle, and I didn't want to backtrack). I was astonished to find someone else crazy enough to go up this crumbling pile of sh## midweek haha. We briefly chatted and I provided them with some useful route beta and I continued down. By 2pm I was back at my bivy and packed up my sleeping gear and wasted no time starting the hike out. It was an uneventful return to the car which I reached at 5pm.

Tapuae-O-Uenuku in the Inland Kaikouras
Tapuae-O-Uenuku in the Inland Kaikouras
Final bit of the east ridge to the summit
Final bit of the east ridge to the summit
Tapuae-O-Uenuku from the summit of Manakau
Tapuae-O-Uenuku from the summit of Manakau
View east from the summit down the spine of the seaward Kaikouras
View east from the summit down the spine of the seaward Kaikouras
Kaikoura Peninsula viewed from the summit
Kaikoura Peninsula viewed from the summit
 
Manakau and east ridge from the return sidehill traverse to Point 2210
Manakau and east ridge from the return sidehill traverse to Point 2210
Town of Kaikoura
Town of Kaikoura
Beautiful flowers growing in the talus
Beautiful flowers growing in the talus
 
 
The new lake in the upper Hapuku Valley
The new lake in the upper Hapuku Valley
 
Looking back up towards Manakau from Stance Saddle
Looking back up towards Manakau from Stance Saddle
View from Stance Saddle
View from Stance Saddle
 
Cairn at Stance Saddle
Cairn at Stance Saddle
Upper Hapuku Valley with landslide
Upper Hapuku Valley with landslide
This was my bivy
This was my bivy
 
View of Manakau and the whole route seen from Parsons Road on the drive out
View of Manakau and the whole route seen from Parsons Road on the drive out


Photo Comparison
The below photos show the upper Hapuku Valley taken from the slopes below Stance Saddle. The first one is taken by Gimpilator in March 2016 before the earthquake and the second one was taken by myself just a few days ago. The difference is mind-blowing.

Taken by Gimpilator
Taken by Gimpilator
Taken by myself
Taken by myself


For more information and photos of the landslide check out this page

Approach Map; notice the green X marking part of the bypass trail no longer usable. Also note the Hapuku River no longer flows where the maps shows it in the first 3 miles from the car park
Approach Map; notice the green X marking part of the bypass trail no longer usable. Also note the Hapuku River no longer flows where the maps shows it in the first 3 miles from the car park
Surveyor Spur route map; note the new lake outlined in blue, the pink dot shows my bivy location
Surveyor Spur route map; note the new lake outlined in blue, the pink dot shows my bivy location
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