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Neal's Photo Gallery

1. East Face... ... 6. Zermatt- 2008 7. Independenc... 8. Desert... 9. Hamilton Lakes 10. Terri's... 11. Memorial... 12. Snow Creek ... 43. Mt. Whitney
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Neal's Photo Gallery
Hamilton Lakes
Neal Harder, Chris LaBounty, Brandon Thau, Dave Nettle, and Peter Croft putting up new routes in Sequoia National Park.
Date: 09/20/2009
Size: 84 items
Views: 112
Day 1-The hike in
Item Actions Day 1-The hike in
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 2
The hike in to Hamilton Lakes is about 15 miles on the High Sierra Trail. Here Chris stops to take a picture of the Castle Crags across the South Fork of the Kaweah River. 07/15/2009
Brandon
Item Actions Brandon
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 3
Brandon sporting his "pugs" on the hike 07/15/2009
The mules
Item Actions The mules
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 6
Dave Nettle arranged mule transportation to carry in our climbing gear and food. It was a great idea right up to the point where Chris, Brandon, and I had to carry all of the gear and trash back out. 07/15/2009
Angel Wings west face
Item Actions Angel Wings west face
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 3
A first view of Angel Wings. This formation sits just west of Hamilton Lakes and is one of the largest walls in the Sierra Nevada. 07/15/2009
Waterfall and Angel Wings
Item Actions Waterfall and Angel Wings
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 3
Some stunning waterfalls are passed on the High Sierra trail near Hamilton Lakes. 07/15/2009
Angel Wings
Item Actions Angel Wings
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 1
Brandon, Dave, and Peter would spend most of the trip working on a route that goes up the right side of the main cliff. Chris and I put up a 5 pitch route on the first day that is on the lower part of the right-hand formation, and links up to the bottom of an existing route: "South Arete Direct" to form the new "South Arete Direct Direct". 07/15/2009
Deer at camp
Item Actions Deer at camp
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 1
Several deer, including fawns, bucks, and the doe seen here, ambled through our campsite each evening. 07/15/2009
Upper Hamilton Lake
Item Actions Upper Hamilton Lake
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 5
This is the view from our campsite. 07/15/2009
Hangin out at camp
Item Actions Hangin out at camp
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 2
Neal Harder, Brandon Thau, Dave Nettle, Peter Croft, relaxing at camp. 07/15/2009
Cookin Dinner
Item Actions Cookin Dinner
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 4
Dave Nettle shows off our delicious dinner. 07/15/2009
Day 2- South Arete Direct Direct
Item Actions Day 2- South Arete Direct Direct
Date: 09/22/2009
Views: 5
Our route follows the red line. 1 pitch of 4th class (purple) links it to the bottom of the 'South Arete Direct' route (green), which can also be accessed from the side by scrambling up on 3rd and 4th class ledges. The complete link-up is yet to be done, and will make a 20+ pitch route ascending over 2000 vertical feet! 09/22/2009
Neal starts up pitch 1
Item Actions Neal starts up pitch 1
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 2
Climbing into unknown territory is always exciting. We found right from the start that the cracks were clogged with dirt and some cleaning would need to be done to make this route enjoyable. 07/16/2009
Cris ponders the roof on pitch 2
Item Actions Cris ponders the roof on pitch 2
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 5
A perfect hand crack through the roof made this pitch fun and not as difficult as we expected. 07/16/2009
Neal following pitch 2
Item Actions Neal following pitch 2
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 4
. 07/16/2009
Cris cleaning on pitch 3
Item Actions Cris cleaning on pitch 3
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 2
Pitch 3 sported a long continuous finger crack- choaked with dirt and grass. I spent 20 minutes cleaning the very bottom of the crack and then lowered off to let Chris have a go- he was much more persistent than me and cleaned the rest of it on aid over 07/16/2009
Neal hanging out at the belay
Item Actions Neal hanging out at the belay
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 2
I got some time to relax which Chris was slaving away above. 07/16/2009
Chris working higher in the finger crack
Item Actions Chris working higher in the finger crack
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 2
. 07/16/2009
Neal follows pitch 3
Item Actions Neal follows pitch 3
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 3
When the cleaning was done the pitch turned out to be pretty fun and difficult- in the 5.10 range for sure. With more cleaning it may go at 5.9. 07/16/2009
Chris and Neal at the top of pitch 4
Item Actions Chris and Neal at the top of pitch 4
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 2
A delicate traverse on pitch 4 required 1 bolt for protection, the only fixed gear on the route. The last pitch went up another dirty crack with some loose rock and dubious gear. I found a way around it on 5.6 terrain, but Chris followed the natural line and called it 10a-ish. 07/16/2009
At the top of our new route.
Item Actions At the top of our new route.
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 4
We've actually descended a little ways when this was taken, on the original approach route for the South Arete Direct. The top of our route is to the right of these ledge systems, and leaves one 200' pitch of 4th class to reach the start of the South Arete Direct. 07/16/2009
Brandon and Peter working on the main wall
Item Actions Brandon and Peter working on the main wall
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 1
Across from our position we had good views of Brandon, Peter, and Dave making their way up the project that Dave Nettle had started years earlier. 07/16/2009
Dave Nettle jugging fixed lines
Item Actions Dave Nettle jugging fixed lines
Date: 07/18/2009
Views: 5
. 07/18/2009
Peter Croft with storm clouds brewing in the high sierra
Item Actions Peter Croft with storm clouds brewing in the high sierra
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 1
Peter Croft is famous for such achievements as the first link-up of El Capitan and Half Dome in a day (with the late John Bachar), free soloing Astroman (5.11), long technical ridge traverses such as the Evolution Traverse (5.9, 9 miles), and much more. He's also a really nice guy who just loves getting out in the high country. 07/17/2009
Looking down Dave's project from their high point
Item Actions Looking down Dave's project from their high point
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 2
. 07/17/2009
Brandon on the fixed lines
Item Actions Brandon on the fixed lines
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 3
. 07/17/2009
Brandon hand drilling a protection bolt high on the wall
Item Actions Brandon hand drilling a protection bolt high on the wall
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 2
. 07/16/2009
Free climbing a section low on the wall
Item Actions Free climbing a section low on the wall
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 5
. 07/16/2009
Working out moves on new sections of the route
Item Actions Working out moves on new sections of the route
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 4
. 07/16/2009
Brandon, Cris, and Peter relaxing in camp
Item Actions Brandon, Cris, and Peter relaxing in camp
Date: 07/16/2009
Views: 1
. 07/16/2009
Sunset at camp
Item Actions Sunset at camp
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 3
. 07/17/2009
Day 3 - The Prism, Right Arete
Item Actions Day 3 - The Prism, Right Arete
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 2
On the second day Chris and I left the Hamilton Lakes and hiked around to the next valley, towards Tamarack Lake to a formation we call The Prism. A few years ago Brandon, Chris and I put up a route on the left side of the main face called "Left Facet" (5.10a, 10 pitches). This time Chris and I focused on the righthand side of the main face. 07/17/2009
Start of Prism, Right Arete
Item Actions Start of Prism, Right Arete
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 3
After scouting around for the best looking line we settled on this obvious crack system which provided fun climbing right off the ground. 07/17/2009
Chris gears up for the first pitch lead
Item Actions Chris gears up for the first pitch lead
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 2
. 07/17/2009
Forging into more unknown territory
Item Actions Forging into more unknown territory
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 2
. 07/17/2009
Neal follows on pitch 1
Item Actions Neal follows on pitch 1
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 2
. 07/17/2009
Neal heads up pitch 2
Item Actions Neal heads up pitch 2
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 4
This pitch featured an exciting roof move followed by some rather run-out face climbing. It goes at about 5.9 but was probably the scariest pitch I did the whole trip. 07/17/2009
Neal negotiating the small roof on pitch 2
Item Actions Neal negotiating the small roof on pitch 2
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 3
. 07/17/2009
Neal on top of pitch 4
Item Actions Neal on top of pitch 4
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 3
. 07/17/2009
An old bolt!
Item Actions An old bolt!
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 5
At the top of the 4th pitch we discovered this old quarter inch bolt, probably drilled in the 70's. We believe this party came in from the side looking for the easiest route to the summit. There was a second bolt near the top of the 5th pitch, though neither bolt was really necessary in our opinion. 07/17/2009
Neal on the ridge traverse
Item Actions Neal on the ridge traverse
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 3
After reaching the summit, an exciting ridge traverse is required to get off, which can mostly be done unroped. We got hit by a few raindrops as we negotiated the crux of the descent, but it cleared up by the time we were on solid ground- funny how weather always seems to hit us at the worst possible moments!! 07/17/2009
Chris and Neal at the summit: The Prism, Right Arete (5.9, 8 pitches)
Item Actions Chris and Neal at the summit: The Prism, Right Arete (5.9, 8 pitches)
Date: 07/18/2009
Views: 4
. 07/18/2009
Last look at the summit before heading down the ridge
Item Actions Last look at the summit before heading down the ridge
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 2
. 07/17/2009
Chris on pitch 4
Item Actions Chris on pitch 4
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 2
. 07/17/2009
Back at camp making plans for the next 2 days
Item Actions Back at camp making plans for the next 2 days
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 3
. 07/15/2009
More delicious food
Item Actions More delicious food
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 3
. 07/15/2009
Day 4- Climbing a few pitches on Dave Nettle's Route
Item Actions Day 4- Climbing a few pitches on Dave Nettle's Route
Date: 07/18/2009
Views: 3
On the fourth day we opted to take a bit of a rest. We climbed the first two pitches of the route Dave, Peter, and Brandon were working on, and then bailed off when thunderstorms moved in. We got just a sprinkling of rain. 07/18/2009
Peter, Neal, Chris, and Brandon back at camp sorting gear and hangin out
Item Actions Peter, Neal, Chris, and Brandon back at camp sorting gear and hangin out
Date: 07/15/2009
Views: 4
. 07/15/2009
The next crew
Item Actions The next crew
Date: 07/17/2009
Views: 4
That night we were joined by a few more climbers who planned to take over some of our gear and the rest of our food after we left- we got a lot of bang for the buck out of those mules! 07/17/2009
Day 5- Eagle Scout Peak
Item Actions Day 5- Eagle Scout Peak
Date: 09/22/2009
Views: 5
On the 5th day Brandon joined Chris and I on a route on the north-west facing wall of Eagle Scout Peak. We know a few routes have been done on this wall so we can't say for sure if our line was a first ascent, but it was a great line, 4 pitches of really exciting climbing. 09/22/2009
Eagle Scout Peak from Angel Wings
Item Actions Eagle Scout Peak from Angel Wings
Date: 07/18/2009
Views: 3
It's a long hike up to Eagle Scout Peak from Hamilton Lakes, but worth the effort. Our route was 6 long pitches and went at about 5.10b. It followed a crack system on pretty much a straight vertical line from base to summit, topping out about 100 feet to the left of the true summit. 07/18/2009
Neal and Eagle Scout Peak
Item Actions Neal and Eagle Scout Peak
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 7
. 07/19/2009
Eagle Scout Peak and Precipice Lake
Item Actions Eagle Scout Peak and Precipice Lake
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 3
Precipice Lake was made famous by Ansel Adams' photograph titled "Frozen Lake and Cliffs":
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/LargeImage.aspx?image=/lotfinderimages/d50563/d5056399x.jpg 07/19/2009
Chris climbing talus up to the base of Eagle Scout Peak
Item Actions Chris climbing talus up to the base of Eagle Scout Peak
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 3
. 07/19/2009
Brandon on the huge snowfield below the peak
Item Actions Brandon on the huge snowfield below the peak
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 2
Maybe you could call this a glacier, but it doesn't look like it has much flow. It did however present a challenge for us to just get to the base of our route. A few sketchy moves up the icy slope were required to get on the rock. 07/19/2009
Neal and Brandon approaching Eagle Scout Peak
Item Actions Neal and Brandon approaching Eagle Scout Peak
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 5
. 07/19/2009
Neal at the base of Eagle Scout Peak
Item Actions Neal at the base of Eagle Scout Peak
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 5
Our route starts at the highest point of snow in this photo. 07/19/2009
Neal negotiates the ice to get onto the route
Item Actions Neal negotiates the ice to get onto the route
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 3
. 07/19/2009
Neal belays Brandon as he starts the first pitch
Item Actions Neal belays Brandon as he starts the first pitch
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 5
. 07/19/2009
Brandon half way up pitch 1
Item Actions Brandon half way up pitch 1
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 4
The first pitch was spectacular- one of the best pitches I've climbed in the high sierra. Lie-back flake, finger crack, hand crack, back to thin fingers lie-back and finishing with a nice mantle onto a flat ledge. 07/19/2009
Brandon belays at the top of the first pitch
Item Actions Brandon belays at the top of the first pitch
Date: 07/19/2009
Views: 5
. 07/19/2009
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