[gb]

This route on Chimney is, I believe, the easiest and cleanest route on the peak. The Overcoat route is good and most direct. Approach to Overcoat Glacier: Follow Stefan and Greg’s instructions to reach the NE Glacier/now snowfield at 5200’. In early season ascend the broad gully directly to the Overcoat Glacier at 6600’ (+- depending on melt back). Do not ascend this gully if not snow covered. There is a much better and safer way. At the northern base of the snowfield below a steep buttress at 5200’, work a good distance right on an easy ramp, passing a watercourse. Shortly, the white rock on the ramp begins to steepen and leads to some small trees. Ascend straight up a short distance through these (class 2-3) to another ramp ledge. Work right. There will be some white rock at the end of the ramp/ledge with a steep wall a short distance above. The wall is broken by a steep heather ramp with a few small trees. Ascend this (again Class 2-3) and above the steep band work left to grass and moss and then onto yet another easy ledge system which is followed right, ending at a seasonal snowfield beneath a cul de sac. At around 6200’ here, yet another ledge/ramp can be easily followed up and left. A bit of bedrock and rubble or seasonally steep snow leads to the plateau of the Overcoat Glacier. See Stefan's map from his 2010 trip report: https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7993499 (Second to last image) Chimney Rock North Face/A classic route: This is the 1957 route of Jackson and White. Lowell S. and I tried this in 1974 on a traverse from Rampart Lakes to Mt. Daniel but bailed beneath the intimidating summit block of Chimney. I returned in 1981 and climbed this route with Mark F. It is a very nice and clean route on good rock, certainly the best route on Chimney Rock. (I’ve also done the direct NE face). Tom and Iron’s photo shows the north side of the Chimney massif in their 2011 trip report: https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7993811&highlight=chimney+rock (Third picture from the bottom) Ascend the Overcoat Glacier to the narrowing snowfinger nearest Chimney Rock’s true summit. Hopefully, climb this route before the seasonal snow at the top melts out as it would likely get messy. The snow ends at a broken and steppy, moderate-angled small buttress (Class 3-4) which is ascended to the top of a blob of rock adjacent to the NE corner of the summit block. In 1981 we rappelled here to the northwest (but I believe Lowell and I downclimbed this intimidating pitch in 1974). Per Beckey’s description, at the base of the rappel, work NW on steep, broken rock to an inconspicuous gully below the big overhanging band of the summit formation. Climb a 20’ wall (5.4, small stoppers) to the right of the gully. Then make a short traverse to beneath the prominent chimney that splits the summit block. The upper Chimney (4’ wide) is much easier than it appears and goes easily at 5.2, protected by (in our case) slings. My notes say that the chimney ascended “is not the visible one”. The traverse on the North Face beneath the overhanging summit block is not long. Easy slabs wind their way to the summit. Overcoat E. Face. The most direct route to the summit on good rock and heather. I would assume we climbed the route in Stefan’s photo of Overcoat Peak here: https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7993524 (7th from last image) It is possible that we ascended left of the inscribed route but we ascended an obvious ledge system left to exit where Stefan shows the exit. I climbed this route in 1974 with Lowell S. I repeated what I believe was the same route around 2000. In the latter case I used a rope and my notes say include #1-1/2 to #3 friends, and a few stoppers. My notes from 2000 go on to say: Overcoat’s most obvious route follows a ramp that diagonals from the right edge of the east face leftward to within 200’ of the summit in the center of the face. Work left across an exposed traverse or better ascend one of two dihedrals to easier ground. Ascend another steep corner then work right to broken blocks and slabs to the summit. At the top of the dihedral I climbed (I believe in both 1974 and again later) there may be a couple of easy/moderate 5th class moves (stemming I recall).

[puzzlr]

Thanks for posting this. The UW Archive has a Chimney Rock register that spans 1973-1980, just before your 1981 climb. What month (day?) did you climb it? I see that Lowell S. had climbed the East Face Direct with his brother Carl and Doc Stein on 6/26/1977. But in general it seems like Chimney Rock is climbed much less frequently in recent years, at least based on register signings. 1973: 12 parties 1974: 10 parties 1975: 5 parties 1976: 8 parties 1977: 16 parties 1978: 3 parties 1979: 11 parties 1980: 8 parties ... 2008: 2 parties 2009: 1 party 2010: 3 parties 2011: 5 parties 2012: - 2013: 1 party 2014: 1 party 2015: 1 party (so far) Of course this is subject to some people not signing the register. We found the current PVC pipe cap very hard to get off and some may not have tried as hard.

[b00]

:>)

[gb]

We climbed Chimney Rock on August 5-7 (almost certainly the 6th) of 1981. The ascent of Overcoat was in late September of 1974, as I said, on a traverse. I only have pictures (4X6) that go back to 1971, but really I didn't climb much until '74 (outside of a Pickett traverse in 1972 or 3 and some ski ascents like Baker, Silver Star, etc. Unfortunately, the photos are unlabeled and I really only have memory to go by. I didn't start a climbing log until September of 1976 and continued that through about 1992. I switched to slides in October of 1978 and have labeled all my slides until switching to digital in 2014 so I have a record of that as well. But after 1992 I only have the slides and on a few trips I didn't carry a camera (weight). The second climb of Overcoat was around September 4th of 2000 and was a guiding trip. I am sure Lowell would have had a diary for the 1974 trip. The Chimney route is one I would repeat. The memories are good of that route. My ascent of the East Face was with Garth, but I don't recall the year.