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Basic Alpine Climb - Slippery Slab Tower/Northeast Face

Gorgeous day for the 6 of us to climb Slippery Slab

Sharon Carlson Sharon Carlson
August 09, 2018
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • Forest Service road to trailhead is suitable for all types of vehicles.  A few potholes but easily avoidable. Tunnel Creek Trail well marked.  PCT in great conditons and easy climb to ridge to Slippery Slab.  Plenty of water along the trail until about half mile from Trap Lake.  Small standing puddle just below the base of the climb, but I recommend obtaining water at the stream below Trap lake.

Six of us all met at the Brickyard Park and Ride at 5:15am. Carpooled from there to the Tunnel Creek Trailhead. Started hiking just before 7:00am. Arrived at the base of Slippery Slab at 10:30am.  Took a few breaks along the way. A couple of us filled up water bottles at the stream half mile below Trap Lake.  PCT follows up above Trap Lake to the Ridge.  Well worn trail visible from the ridge heading South towards the base of the climb.  Scramble up the boulder feild to the base of Slippery Slab.   

Geared up and started climbing at 11:15.   The gully is easy to distinguish.  However, the first step up is a bit of a challenge but once up the rest of the gully is very easy.  Some of us started up just to climbers left of the gully and that proved to be a much harder traverse into the gully.  Easy climb up to a belay tree with a nice ledge.  Webbing present around the base of the tree in good conditon.  Easiest way up the low 5th class route is straight up above the belay station into a dihedral that has little hand holds on the right side.  Climb roughly 40ft up and then move left and climb the ridge on your left up to an easy blocky area.  Once past the blocky area you will see the belay/rappel tree.   We did not belay anyone up from this tree.  We all continued up to the summit, which is just shy of a full rope length.  Set up a belay station from the summit and belayed our followers up from there.   Last rope team reached the summit just after 1:15 pm. 

Great views from the summit.  Did see a plume of smoke in the north that appeared like a new forest fire had just started.  

We set up a double rope rappel from the rappel tree.   There are several webbings slung around the tree, which all look in good conditon.  The double rope rappel will take you all the way to the base of the climb. Two single rope rappels would work, but the double was very convient. 

Started back to the car around 3:15pm and arrived to our cars at 5:45pm.   

Wonderful day, easy climbing and lots of fun with a great group of Mountaineers.