We flew in via Helicopter and set up basecamp below the Taku towers West face on the Juneau ice field.
Solarsphere 12a, 360m. FA: Gabe Hayden, Brette Harrington. June 2018.
This line climbs the Central tower on the Taku Tower. The feature is looks rocket-like hence the name Solarsphere. To start, we opted to climb the right-leaning ramp for the fastest approach to gain the upper wall, however, this section is feathered countless variation possibilities. Around 170m traverse a ledge to access the steeper face, marked by an obvious white corner.
The first pitch is the crux. I used a mix of free and aid to establish the pitch, then placed a hand drilled bolt while on rappel. We then freed the pitch at 12a.
P1. Climb up the White Corner on layback flakes. As the corner pinches down, clip a protection bolt and dive into a bolder problem (reachy) on the left face. Trend up steep terrain, climbing to the left of a roof. 10m more to reach a belay stance under an overlap (#2, .3, .4 for an anchor). 12a, 45m.
P2. Follow the line of weakness trending up and slightly right. At the ropes length reach a ledge where a bolted anchor marks the next belay. (1 bolt and 1 piton) 5.10, 60m.
P3. Climb left past a large flake. Thin gear protects a bolder move off the ledge. Climb up cracks and into an overhanging corner protected with a black alien. Belay at the tip of a sub-tower. 11a, 50m
Move the belay down into the notch.
P4. Traverse right, onto the exposed face. Climb the hidden right facing corner, with good jams and good gear. A crux boulder problem on edges leads to a shoulder. Slab climb to the top, and belay at at slung horn. 11c, 30m.
Decent: Downclimb the ridge making a few rappels, on set anchors where needed. Rappel the Harrington-North line (tricky to find).
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| p1 Gabe coming up P1 of Solarsphere before the bolt was added (hence the bird beak placements) |
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| Brette starting up p4 Solarsphere |
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| Brette Starting up p1 Solarsphere |
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| Solarsphere: Belay at the end of p2 |
Sweet&Spicy is named after the ever popular tea brand. The name seemed a fitting tribute to my dear friend Caro who had left her entire bag of tea to supply our tea needs.
I spotted this line a week or so prior our ascent while climbing on the left wall with Caro North. It stood out to me as the most stunning feature on the face, fashioning a thin crack system up a rounded buttress, crossing through a roof, then dissolving out of view. With some imaginative scanning, the upper wall looked to lead into a series of dihedrals that all were potential candidates to link to the the summit.
Gear: Standard free climbing rack, including a #4. We brought aid gear but never needed it.
P1. The first pitch climbs a gentle depression, leading to a belay under a roof at the full 60 meters. 5.6, 60m
P2. Pitch two begins with a crux, pulling around the thin roof, then leads into easier terrain following a crack. Belay in the red band of rock, to the left of a sharp tooth flake. 5.9, 55m.
P3. Traverse right around the flake and start up the steep wall. Challenging and sustained. 11b, 60m
P4. Climb up, trending leftward to position in a right facing corner below the roof. (Be careful not to continue up into the obvious Chimney system). After the roof make a few committing moves in a thin layback corner, then continue up an elevator shaft chimney. Make a a belay at easier terrain. 11c, 60m.
P5. Climb up 4th Class terrain and build a belay at the base of a splitter face crack. 30m.
P6. Climb the crack that splits the face, predominately hand sized, and belay at the extent of the rope. 60m, 10c
P7. Make a few bouldery moves off the belay to mantle over the shoulder, then wind through blocky terrain to the summit ridge. 5.10, 40m.
We continued to the true summit from here.
Decent: Downclimb the ridge making a few rappels, on set anchors where needed. Rappel the Harrington-North line (tricky to find).
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| p3. Sweet&Spicy |
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| Gabe climbing to the belay on p3 Sweet&Spicy |
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| Climbing through the roof on p4 of Sweet&Spicy |
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| Sweet&Spicy: P6 |
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| Solarsphere: Gabe coming up p4 |
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| Solarsphere p4 |
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| Gabe starting up p2. Sweet&Spicy |
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| Toping out of Solarsphere |
Harrington-North 5.10, 5 pitches
As shown in the topo, Caro North and I climbed a line on the left wall of the Taku Towers.
It begins in the obvious ramp system, then weaves up the face, as direct as possible. The gear was often spaced, but the climbing exceeded 5.10. The rock is very featured with sculpted holds and gentle crack systems.
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| Caro climbing through roofs on p.3 |
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| Brette on p2 |
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| climbing up p3 |
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| Brette starting up p4. |
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