Prusik Peak and Toketie Wall

A three day weekend was in order to end the summer climbing season in the Cascades of Washington. I though that something in the Enchantment Lakes Wilderness would be perfect. I called up Dan to see what he was up to. I told him that I had never climbed on the south face of Prusik Peak before. Knowing full well that he had several times as I heard him mention how good the climbing was. Earlier in the year I had scaled the west ridge on a short traverse.

I drove into town on a thursday afternoon and we got the goods all ready. Dan and I would hump in and rest our first day right near Prusik Peak. Then we would move over to Toketie Wall to climb the standard route which was obscure enough for us finally we would scurry out and down Toketie Creek back to the Icicle Creek trailhead.

Dan nor I were strangers to the 10 mile approach required to get to Prusik Peak. We left out and marched up the neverending trail into the woods. Three hours later and much sweatier than before we started getting up into the high country. Once you see McClellan Peak and Temple Ridge you know you are making it somewhere... Otherwise it's just forest most of the time. The water up in there is so cool and refreshing. Then finally the death march crosses Trauma Rib in order to gain Lake Viviane. A perfect camping area with lots of water and goats nearby. That night we set up our camp and just relaxed under the stars.

By 8 am we were up fueled by coffee and I was leading up the first few hundred feet of cracks on the Beckey Route, South Face of Prusik Peak. The climbing was pretty good and left us on ledges for belays most of the time. In about 4 pitches we hit the headwall below the summit. There was a vertical hand crack leading up from the ledge. I was not sure if we were on Snafflehound Ledge or not. I didn't really care as long as we got some nice crack climbing in.. This pitch we protected with a blue camalot. I think with the newer version of camalots it would be slightly larger. Whatever... We ran into a recess behind a small tree and then belayed at the notch just below the summit blocks. I had the last 25 feet or so of 5.9 fingers and hands to the top. Before we knew it we were back at camp eating dinner and planning out the next day on Toketie.

On Sunday we rose early again. Only moving after slugging coffee down. Not long later we passed through gorgeous meadows, then Shield, Mesa and Earle Lakes before turning east down into Toketie Creek. Toketie Creek is fairly obscure, or was at the time we climbed here. It has gained a little popularity since then. We crossed some marshy areas and were hit with a great view of our objective Toketie Wall head on. It looked about 600 feet tall, steeper on the right side with large chimney features. We had the almost useless topo from the Beckey Alpine Guide scratched by someone probably smoking too much in the 70s and relaying that to Fred via a third person or something like that. Anyway we only used that to identify the large features on the wall. We began our climbing at the lowest point of what appeared to be the main buttress. About 2-3 pitches along it was pretty clear that this was going to be more adventure climbing than casual cragging. There were sometimes large loose blocks which we had to surmount and place protection behind, mossy ramps, and kitty litter dirt spots on the ledges and in the cracks. Don't get me wrong the climbing was still good. About half way up I lead out on a traverse left and managed to belly flop up over some wet mossy rock. Further up we hit some large bombay chimneys with gravelly sides. We veered out left from a belay on a rock and finished off on 5.9 kitty litter crack climbing in a short corner. Arriving at the top of the wall we did a few ceremonial trundles of 200 lb stones. I think one of them almost hit the lake! It feels good to be able to trundle when you are sure that no other people are around.

Our descent was out left of the wall. It consisted of twisting down and around grassy ledges until hitting a ramp which took us back to our packs. The sun was starting to go down and we had to make some quick time. We beat bush down Toketie Creek as night fell. We were on a faint trail sometimes and then finally lost it. It didn't matter. Straight down was the way out anyway. Finally we hit the paved trail which leads down to Snow Creek Wall and were drinking beer within an hour or so.

The Beckey Route on Prusik is worth doing at least once. I should go back and do that Stanley Burgner route next. Toketie Wall is pretty fun too. I'm not sure it is worth the effort of going up there just to do that one wall but some people are into it. If it is mixed in with something else it makes it all more worth while.