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Tentalus Enchainement (above Squamish) - Last
Friday / Saturday with 2 guests.
Very dry conditions as expected. Main crux at this
time of year is to get into the rock from the snow and onto the snow from
the rock (large overhanging rimaye, with a biiiiig gaps).
(1) For the approach, took a line on the left side
of the ridge after stepping from the snow onto the rock (only a big step), then
traversing left 100 m through ledges, and climb an obvious 50 m chimney to
go back in the ridge (topo recommands a start on the West side of
the ridge but was not practical in this season (or I did not look hard
enough...).
(2) For descent
from Tentalus, prefer the High route, just below the ridge line passing at
the base of the witch's tooth and the base of
Dione's butress (stay as high as possible/practical) which is the #20 route on
Alpine Select (K. McLane Guide).It was not
possible to get on the glacier below Dione
as indicated on route #20 because of the rimaye situation. The only escape was
to climb a 45 deg ramp up to the lower section of Dione's East ridge
(Class 4) to reach Dione's ridge, approximatly 15 meters above to
the 30 m rappel station leading to the base of Dione's normal
route. After that, the descent from the base of the last rappel is clear except
for the 1st large crevasse which needs to be negotiated through a good
bridge on the West side (near the rock). Another system of
crevasses below needs to be negociated on a 1.5 m wide strip of
solid snow between two other crevasses.
This route is great as you are always on fair
quality rock (never felt unsafe, even if another party would have been
above me...). Easy pro (I had 3 cams : Metolius # 6; #7; Black Diamond
.4 cams and a set of nuts (very small were usefull as the rock is
sometime compact). Lot's of slings&cordelette
as ususal for the Alpine...left quite a few on the way.
Bivouac about 50 m below the North ridge of
the Tentalus; great platform for all of us with water nearby.
A very esthetic traverse !
Bruno Bagneres
MG, North
Vancouver.
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