Trip Report
On a Wing and a Prayer, Throwin down on Angel Wings!
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Wednesday August 8, 2012 3:57pm
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Angel Wings has captured my interest for years, after hiking beneath it summer after summer as I put one foot in front of the other slowly walking around the Sierra with Outward Bound groups.
But when Matt called me up and said that he had arranged for a packer to drop all our gear off up at Hamilton, the hook was set.
We originally planned to go in and climb a wall style nailing route, but I got sick and the number of days available was shortened, so we opted for the "classic" Nettle route, the South Arete Direct.
Instead of uploading all the pictures over here, I am going to make you go through the arduous process of clicking on this little link, for the real goods.
Enjoy!
http://ryanhuetter.blogspot.com/2012/08/on-wing-and-prayer.html
Hoots
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About the Author
Hoots is just a dude living on the Eastside, who just pretends to be a climber in between bouts of snail-eye. He plans on spending more time fishing, less time grovelling. |
Comments
JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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Wow! If that first picture of the main Angel Wings cliff doesn't get your juices flowing, your climbing senses must have disappeared. Fine photos and account of a classic, big, High Sierra climb.
Thank you very much.
John
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Impaler
Social climber
San Francisco
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Nice report and awesome job getting out there! Are you saying that Dave Nettle and Jim Nowak did the FA in 1991? The Fiddler-Monier guide says FA Rowell Jones 1971, FFA Leversee McConachie 1984... I'm confused.
Nevertheless, I'm stoked! Thanks for the TR!
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Hoots
climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Author's Reply
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Aug 8, 2012 - 04:48pm PT
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Yep, that's what I'm sayin! The Rowell Route (and I am assuming the Leversee FFA) go past the Black Roof and then stay in the chimney. This does not look at all appealing.
The Nettle Direct goes up the chimney for one pitch and then up onto the main orange pillar.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Way to go Hoots! I just started psyching about going in there at the ripe young age of 51. All hope is not lost....
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RP3
Big Wall climber
Newbury Park
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Nice work my friend!
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Ezra Ellis
Trad climber
North wet, and Da souf
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Nice job hoots, thanks,
Bruce, I didn't know you were AARP material....:)
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nutjob
Sport climber
Almost to Hollywood, Baby!
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Excellent! The best outdoor adventure of my life before I really got into climbing was on a trip passing right under that. I remember sitting on Black Kaweah, and Precipice Lake, and Hamilton Lake, thinking "I absolutely have to climb that thing" and I didn't know anything about using ropes or special shoes.
I don't really have a bucket list, but if I did that thing would be near the top.
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Levy
Big Wall climber
Calabasas
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Nice job! I did a loop backpack trip back there in 1977 and was amazed by the lush meadows & stunning peaks rising above the Hamilton Lakes area. I've always wanted to get back there. This T.R. rejuvinated my desire big time. Next year perhaps. TFPU!
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yo
climber
Mudcat Spire
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Nice work, boys.
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jahil
Social climber
London, Paris, WV & CA
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Excellent trip report ! One more to put on the list
steve
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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I am going to make you go through the arduous process of clicking on this little link, for the real goods.
All that work of clicking for only nine pics?
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Dirka
Trad climber
Hustle City
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!!!
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Myles Moser
climber
Lone Pine, Ca
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Aug 10, 2012 - 03:30am PT
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Boom!! Well done Ryan!
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Rhodo-Router
Gym climber
sawatch choss
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Aug 10, 2012 - 09:25am PT
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Somr guys have all the luck...or maybe they're just good. Please do not post any more of this obscene granite porn, I can't take it!
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Urmas
Social climber
Sierra Eastside
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Aug 10, 2012 - 11:39am PT
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Good onya for going in there and doing a route! That would be my first choice if I were to go back there.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Aug 10, 2012 - 11:46am PT
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HA! Yes Ezra, I'm AARP material. Ahh to be 25 again....
All that work of clicking for only nine pics?
Strange, I was thinking that too. Such an awesome formation.
But then, I put up nine pics for one pitch routes...heh..
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Hoots
climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Author's Reply
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Aug 10, 2012 - 12:40pm PT
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Yah... the picture thing. That beast was tight and burly enough to want to keep the camera safely packed deep in the bag for the first several pitches, and the Black Roof, well, you want a real heads up belay for that one. Don't want to have your leader crash onto your head from straight above ya.
The real gems out there look like the Prism and Saber Ridge, two of Thau's recent contributions. Matt and a couple other dudes climbed them the week prior to our trip and confirmed the amazing quality of Saber- like Cathedral Peak followed by a WAY better version of Mathes! Gotta get back there for that one...
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Sloaner
Mountain climber
Oakland, CA
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Aug 10, 2012 - 03:15pm PT
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Amazing!
I have been talking about Angel Wings for two years now and can't wait to climb it.
It's difficult to convince others to hike the 20 or so miles to get there.....
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grubs
climber
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Aug 23, 2012 - 07:28pm PT
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I guess the word's out on the Prism and Saber Ridge... easily worth the 15 miles to reach them. It's been a number of years since I soloed Mathes Crest, but I think Saber Ridge is worthy of the comparison, and same difficulty 5.6/5.7ish. And don't ignore Eagle Scout Peak's north face- there's a gem of a route on there- 6 pitches 5.10a or so.
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mooser
Trad climber
seattle
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Aug 23, 2012 - 07:39pm PT
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Thanks for the TR! That is a truly magnificent looking hunk of stone in person.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
Boise, ID
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Aug 23, 2012 - 08:41pm PT
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Yeah, it is. Good on ya, Hoots.
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