Cooke Booke Trip Report 7/12/09
Davidji and I headed up on Saturday night. Amazingly we found a legal campsite at Porcupine Flat. We did our part to stimulate the economy by paying the ten bucks. We got up at the rather leisurely hour of 6:30 and made our way over to the climb by 8:00. The standard start goes up the book on the right. If you go this way supertopo has two starts to P2, either a tricky 10c which is bad for the follower or a 40 foot rappel. Neither of these appealed to me. There is a climbing traverse between these options, which I believe is the original route.
The original route and the alternate start we took are marked on the pic below.

The first pitch has a reputation for tricky pro but I thought it was there if you go up towards the pin on the topo. If you go right directly to the corner it looks like fun but maybe the pro is scarce. However you go, the climbing backs off pretty quickly as you move up the corner
Here is a pic looking down the pitch from the belay.

Here’s a pic looking up P2.

You climb the cool flakes in the pic and then move from face into the main book. A fun pitch. The topo says you can combine pitches 2, 3 and 4 into two pitches but we used the standard belays, which are generally comfortable.

Here’s a pic looking up P3.
Looking up it seems there are a lot of features on this pitch but it proves to be surprisingly tenuous climbing. Pro is good though.

Here’s a pic looking down at the top of the pitch.

I had started the route in my t-shirt, still warm from the walk in. I was shivering in the wind by the time I finished belaying P2 and put on my fleece shirt. Several times I considered putting on my shell. This is a cold climb. Just more adventure to be savored!

Here’s a pic looking up P4, the crux pitch.

We were using double ropes, which was not really needed the way we went. This is the second time I’ve used this technique and you can see in the pic I had trouble feeding it out right and the ropes got twisted. The crux is right above the block. Tons of pro. It is a little daunting for the leader because you will hit the block if you pop. The moves are more balance than power. I was pretty happy to get it clean while following. The pitch is sustained in difficulty after that but with occasional good rests and pro. Pitches 3 and 4 are both excellent and we were completely stoked to have climbed them. We were also now in the sun, oh yeah.

P5 is kinda scrappy.
We finished up at about 12:30.

Summit Views- Fairview Dome

Mt. Conness

On the way out we still had a little gas in the tank so, since no one was on it, we did the first pitch of West Crack, which is a lot of fun.

See ya out on the rocks,
Zander