Cirque of the Towers
Wyoming - USA

July 15 - 24, 2005
 

Day 3.  Monday, July 18, 2005
We got up at 7:30 to a beautifully clear, sunny day.  At that time it was 43 degrees F.  We got our climbing gear together and headed for Overhanging Tower at 8:30.  We mushed through snow until we got to the saddle at the base of Overhanging Tower.  We roped up and Robert lead the first pitch.  I then took the second pitch, both being quite easy, rated 5:4 or so.  While I was leading Robert said that a humming bird came by to inspect our bright red rope.  And in case you thought we were able to escape the mosquitoes up there, not so.  They were buzzing around us even when we got to the summit, at 12,164'.  As we were on a large ledge we stopped for lunch.  It was cold and windy so we both had our windbreakers on.   We then left our rope and gear, just taking our harnesses, a cordelette and a few slings with us.  From there it was an easy scramble to the summit, which we reached at 1:45pm.

Once I got to the summit I instantly got down a few feet because a wave of fear washed over me like I've never felt before.  I think it was because I knew that we were standing on an overhanging piece of rock which, in my mind, could go at any time.  The problem was that there were large cracks in the slabs of rock that made up the peak, which just made me feel uneasy.  I was quite surprised at myself as I have been on worse cliffs and peaks than that one.  I just got a grip of myself and carefully made my way down to where I felt more secure.

Jane a few feet from the summit of Overhanging Tower (alt 12,164') with Wolf's Head in the background.

Down climbing from there without a rope was not easy.  Robert was sorry he had left the rope behind as we had to leave a sling to get down one area that would have been just too exposed without some protection.  The Wind River Mountains book described it as an easy 4th class scramble.  We would beg to differ.  Once we got back to our gear we roped up and found a rappel station with several slings.  This was one long rappel which used up almost all of our 60m rope.  From there it was back across the snow which we glissaded most of the way down to Cirque Lake.  Then on down the valley to our camp, which we reached at 3:50pm.  We still wore long sleeves and long pants due to the bugs.  We went over to Warren and Martin's camp to get some Beta on their East Face climb of Pingora.  They later came by our tent to tell us they had decided to hike out the next morning and heading to the Tetons because the mosquitoes were driving them crazy.  We then had a wash, dinner and got in the tent.

Day 4.  Tuesday, July 19, 2005
We got up at 6am but Robert had trouble getting up as he vas very tired.  We only left camp at 7:25 with blue skies, a light breeze and 49 degrees F.  On the hike to the base of Pingora's South Buttress I was very winded.  I would take 40 or so paces and stop for a breather.  This went on all the way to the ledge at the base of the South Buttress.  It took us an hour to get from our camp to that ledge.

When you first look at Pingora from the valley the way to this ledge is not clear.  However, there is a trail leading to the base of Pingora on the south western side which takes you along a set of switchbacks, following the tree line.  There are a few kerns to keep you on the trail.

Ruffus, Festus and Robert on the ledge at the base of Pingora's South Buttress with Lonesome Lake in the background.

I got geared up and led the pitch to get to the ledge where the book explains Pitch #1 of the South Buttress starts.  We later found out that there was a way to go around which was rather exposed, but could be walked.  When Robert came up behind me we both decided that we were just too tired to continue.  There were two other climbers who had reached that ledge by the exposed scramble who went on ahead of us.  We sat around there watching them climb for some time and then set off down again.

The two climbers we watched as they went up the South Buttress.

We got back to the tent at 11:50am.  I made lunch with mosquitoes so bad that we could hardly stand it.  We walked while eating until we decided it was just impossible.  We then got in the tent, which was in the sun, so we baked in there for several hours until the shade finally came around at 4:30pm.  We then decided to brave it outside and go have a wash in the stream.  The stream is runoff from the melting snow so the water was VERY cold.  We also had to wash very fast before the mosquitoes had a chance to bite.  Once clean we retreated to the tent again until dinner time.  More coping with mosquitoes and then off to bed.  We then decided that we would hike out the next morning because being up there with all those mosquitoes was not much fun.

Jane Rappelling down Pingora.

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