Vasiliki Ridge - Clean Break

August 2002

DAY 1 - Approach and Bacchus tower

I had my eye on this climb ever since I first saw it in the Cascade Alpine Guide... at 13 pitches and 5.10c, it always seemed way beyond my ability.  After a summer of some successful rock climbs, including Slesse,  Mark and I felt ready to attempt this climb.  Our plan was to leave fairly early on Saturday from Seattle and drive up to Silverstar creek where the approach begins.  If we still had daylight left after the approach we would climb something on the ridge or boulder around.  The hike started off on a good trail which after climbing steeply for a mile or so began to fade into the forest floor.  We ended up heading to the North and West probably too soon and were cliffed out after climbing the ridge for 600 feet or so.  We descended back through the brush and I lost my sunglasses somewhere after tripping over a log.  With slide alder in front of us we angled up onto some large talus and toward some granite slabs.  From here open forest lead us below the ridge where we could see Clean Break up and to our left.  Some cool looking rock formations (Bacchus tower) towered directly above the large flat boulder on which we erected the tent.

CLEAN BREAK (mostly follows the ridge crest -- the break is the clean white scar on the lower right hand part of the ridge)

The weather now had turned funky and had started to spit a bit of rain mixed with snow so we debated our options.  It was still relatively early... around 2PM so we decided to go give Bacchus tower a try.  There appeared to be a cool line on the East face which looked like it might go.  The rock seemed shattered but up higher on the tower it looked pretty good.  One feature that intrigued us both was a knife edge ridge that ran to the summit.

Bacchus Tower (Compound fracture route follows the yellow line to the summit)  Click Here for route description.

We scrambled up the talus slope and then onto some steeper snow using a rock as an ice axe.  We dropped into a moat and continued up until it was time to rope up.  We climbed some solid granite up and onto a mid 5th class ridge with an occasional tree to sling.  Once we got up to where the climbing was steeper, we set up a belay.  Mark led off climbing some steep and often loose rock until he was able to set up another belay below a steep face. I followed the rope up and was reeled in.

   Steep Clean Granite

I grabbed the rack and headed up some enjoyable steep but solid climbing until I was able to traverse left across a steep slab and below a open book/hand crack.  Mark quickly followed and headed up toward what would be the crux of the climb, a difficult 5.10 roof which he protected well with a #1 cam.

Mark Pulls the Crux

I have to give Mark credit for the difficult lead which I fell on twice attempting to surmount the roof.  Once above these difficulties the climbing eased into welcome terrain (5.6 well protected ground).  I quickly led up with Mark simul-climbing behind me to reach the ridge crest.  It was exhilarating to be high on the ridge with the weather improving as the day wore on.

Straddling the ridge crest on Bacchus

A short time later we were on the summit enjoying the views.  The descent was easy with no rope required off the back of the tower.  Some exposed third class lead to the sandy slopes of Vasiliki ridge which we followed  north to the notch that would bring us back down to our camp.  This was good recon for the next day when we would use this same descent from the top of Juno-Jupiter tower and Clean Break.  Once back to the tent, Mark started dinner and I searched for water.  I found a stream about 100 yards to the South and what appeared to be a well used but empty camp site.  After a filling meal of dehydrated something or other we fell into a deep sleep.

DAY 2 Clean Break

Sunday dawned clear and crisp with the smell of autumn in the air.  Mark and I attempted to ready ourselves quickly but were slowed by engaging in a game of what to leave and what to take, debating methods of lightening our load.  We sped off from camp half expecting a horde to emerge and share the route with us.  We had just seen the climb featured in the Alan Kearney Northwest Climbs guidebook,  but it appeared as if we had the  whole valley to ourselves.  After 20 minutes of steep hillside climbing, we found ourselves at the clamoring over steep snow.  Again we grabbed rocks to use as daggers and made our way carefully up the 25 degree slopes.  We detoured onto some 4th class rock and scrambled up to a large shelf/ledge that had a fixed pin hammered into a crack. This marked the belay for the awe-inspiring vertical crack that split the headwall rising straight above us.  We flaked out the rope and geared up.  Mark being my rope gun for the weekend happily  took the lead.   Mark inched higher and higher up the face, climbing confidently.

   Mark jams the awesome 10- crack on Clean Break

  Mark moving higher up the intimidating first pitch

Before too long the familiar "Off Belay" command was issued and I laced up ready to be beaten into submission by the long and strenuous crack that Mark had so elegantly dispatched.  I struggled up the crack, clawing, falling and again, humbly congratulating Mark on an excellent lead.  After his patient belay, I emerged with hands bleeding.  We still had a lot of climbing left in front of us but the weather was beautiful and we weren't holding anyone up.  Mark took the next lead up into the "Clean Break."  This was a great pitch that required concentration and footwork to overcome the overhanging overlaps.  What I especially liked about this pitch was that it was steep but did not require strength to overcome the difficulties.

On the feature of the climb known as the Clean Break.

Above the Clean Break we swung leads and did some simul-climbing as the ground became moderate.  We found ourselves back on the buttress crest heading higher and higher above the valley below.  The temperature was perfect... not too cold, not too hot.

  Climbing on the exposed buttress crest

  High above Silverstar Creek on Clean Break

The climbing continued to impress.  It was steep, fun and interesting.  We encountered one more hard section which consisted of a off-width about twp-thirds of the way up.  It was short-lived but provided for some moments of cursing and thrashing.  More climbing on the crest  led us to the summit with views of Washington Pass and all points on the compass.

  Robert on the Summit of Juno Tower after completing Clean Break