Longs-Pagoda-Chiefs(G.Gorge)

[lordhelmut]

Hey,

kind of last minute, but dos anyone know if there is a route from Pagoda to Chiefs Head that is 4th class (or low 5th)? I've read thebeave7's TR on here of his Keyboard of the Winds Traverse from Longs to Pagoda during his Grand Slam and then I saw his SP Glacier Gorge report showing the view from Chiefs Head over to Pagoda, mentioning he simply couldn't see any feasible route over there. Has anyone found one?

I was hoping to climb Longs via the entire Trough from Glacier Gorge, traverse over to Pagoda and if possible, finish off with Chiefs Head and maybe even the Spearhead, time/weather permitting. I guess if the traverse over to CH is too hairy, I could always descend down into the Gorge, hike around Spearhead and climb it via Stone Man Pass, but thats a really long, annoying day.

Thanks for the help.

[thebeave7]

Follow the link above to Jim Disney's TR for the Glacier Gorge traverse. I've been poking around and both Jim and John Prater/Bill Wright have reported nothing by class 5 (5.7 at that) routes up/down the West ridge of Pagoda. John did say there may be an elaborate series of highly exposed class 4/5 easy moves one could use to get up the face next to the West ridge, but I have yet to scout this out.
Best bet is to wrap down from Pagoda to Chiefshead, then its an easy jaunt from there.

Eric

[lordhelmut]

Oh yes, down and back up would suck something awful. The Pagoda gully down into Glacier Gorge is miserable. Even coming down off of Stoneman is non-trivial if you haven't done it before. I don't mind long gnarly days but I would never go down the Pagoda gully, up Stoneman, then down the 3rd/4th class route on Spearhead. It would be slow and miserable on the knees with a lot of slipping and sliding.

Agreed. I vaguely remember the descent from Stoneman when we went from McHenry's to Spearhead and the sick joke that was the standard route up Spearhead. After much contemplating, I think I'll just climb Meeker and Longs via Loft and then time/weather permitting, I'll add on Pagoda, maybe Storm on the way back for good measure. Thanks for the links Merlin and the insight Eric, I'll save those rappels for another day. Have a good one.

Brian