North America, United States, Washington, University Peak, Bear Raid Wall, No Bear Wall

Publication Year: 1995.

University Peak, Bear Raid Wall, No Bear Wall. Matt Graham, Barbara Presteridge and I climbed the direct north face (III, 5.8) of University Peak in July. The route started near the right side of a large tarn in the basin below the face. We headed up scree for 1000 feet to a large gendarme and climbed to the right around it. We continued up steep fourth-class, staying right of the rock outcrop. At the top of the outcrop, we moved left to a prominent arete just east of three large gullies. Two crux pitches went up the arête to easier climbing and the summit. In July, we three climbed Bearly Done (I, 5.10a) in the Bear Raid Wall, which is just off the Kearsarge Pass trail, a short distance past Flower Lake. We started at the lowest part of the wall and climbed an arête to a ledge below an offwidth crack. We moved right and over a bulge to a layback crack, which went up and right to a large ledge. An easy traverse took us right into a gully leading to the trail above the cliff. No Bear Wall is the south-facing wall west of Bench Lake in the Kearsarge Pass area above (he waterfall seen from Bench Lake. It has many crack systems. In July, we same three climbed ten short routes on this wall on the north side of the valley.

Mingo Morvin