DESTINATION Claude Birdseye Point 1 Photoset
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| Hike & Climb | 24.66 Miles |
7,027 AEG |
| | Hike & Climb | 24.66 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 7,027 ft AEG | | | | |
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| Solo • Trad • 5.3 Unknown Unknown • 40 Feet 1 Pitch | | |
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[ show ]
| partners | | | Pro: A few medium size cams | Very rarely in the Canyon does a backup plan work this nicely. The original plan, which was admittedly ambitious in nature involved Shiva and Osiris in a one day push from the Shiva-North Rim Saddle. We had permits for three days and began our journey Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
We stepped off Friday with packs loaded down by water and although our pace was generally good to the rim, the weight was felt on our shoulders and backs. I carried in 14 liters of liquids for a frame of reference. The descent went generally smooth despite us doing nearly half of it with head lamps. We camped at the saddle where we prepacked our day packs, ate and wondered aloud about the day ahead of us. We fell a sleep to a crystal clear night with the massive outline of Shiva looming over.
We left camp at 4:00 a.m. on the dot with head lamps on. There would be no warm up to this day, as our work began immediately when we left camp and began the steep, loose climb to Shiva's headwall and distinct crumbling arete. The scramble up Shiva was surreal. The scrambling felt more airy and the route finding was more engaging. The sight of headlamps going down South Kaibab in the distance further enhanced the ambiance of our headlamp ascent. We topped out at the jugs at 5:42 a.m and after a quick signing of the register were on our way.
We dropped off the southwest side of Shiva and used a distinct drainage to descend and gain the coconino bands of Shiva. Osiris came into view for our first time from here, it looked amazing and the lure of the summit was strong. With a little trial and error, we picked our way through the cliff bands until reaching the main wall that would be our guide for the somewhat tedious traverse. As we traversed, Osiris revealed itself more and the approach to its saddle and "possibly" up it came into sight. Unfortunately, the more we saw of Osiris the more clear it became that bailing was the prudent decision. We had a tremendous descent still ahead of us to reach the saddle of Osiris which sits atop the redwall. Then we would have to commit to an unproven guess that we could pick our way through the Supai bands guarding its north side to the summit, or commit to a tedious traverse to the Ra-Osiris Saddle and the known route up. Neither one of us had the stoke for those options and neither one of us believed it would be a good idea to still shoot for the summit with those options and the heat. We were making good time at the point we bailed, but that did not deter from our belief that we made the right decision. Luckily, I was able to convince Sean he was due for a second ascent of the elusive Claude Birdseye Point; a summit he climbed in 2019 after four years in the making.
The approach to CBPT was per usual for the canyon, but along the way we did encounter some of the more unstable and unpredictable coconino plates I have walked on. Use caution, if in the area. We both soloed the easy, but awkward and airy climb to CBPT's summit. The 40 foot climb is listed at 5.3, but one can bring a few cams to protect, or have a competent leader solo it and bring the second up on belay. We spent a considerable time on the summit and then began our tedious journey back to our camp at the saddle. The descent of Shiva was painstaking and long. Needless to say, we were very happy when we finally made it back to our camp at the saddle.
After taking an extended break at camp, we packed up and started the strenuous climb back to the north rim. We did not break any speed records on the way out and finished just before and a little after seven.
Not bad for an off the couch Canyon adventure. CBT is an excellent summit that offered some superb perspectives of that area of the Canyon. Osiris is still on the todo list, but a revised itinerary and approach may be necessary, also 20 degrees cooler temperatures couldn't hurt. |
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