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One of Tim Lawrence's long-time objectives was the East Face route on Chianti Spire, often referred to as Rebel Yell. This steep pure crack line up the most difficult Wine Spire is really not a simple route, and had already caused Tim, a very strong trad climber, to back off once. Tim and I had been climbing together again for part of the Spring, and agreed to try this route. I have never climbed any of the Wine Spires, so this would be my first trip up to Burgundy Col, and Tim wanted another crack at the route.
We went up on a weekend. The first day we were going to try Serpentine Cracks on Liberty Bell, but it rained well into the morning at Washington Pass, and we waited around a while for the rock to dry before running up the Beckey Route on Liberty Bell in 21 minutes, and then doing the S Face/Overexposure route a few times just to get some climbing in. On Sunday, however, the weather was better and we got an apline start for the East Face of Chianti, starting up towards Burgundy Col in the grey before dawn. The approach to Burgundy Col is actually pretty manageable with day packs: the first bit is classic climber trail straight up the hill, but you get a nice break halfway, and the final slopes up the the col are shorter. We arrived in under 3 hours from the car, and were greeted by (what else?) some goats licking salty pee off the rocks. The col was a bit windier, perfectly alpine!
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From the col you downclimb down the snow on the other side and contour in just a few minutes to a small snow terrace beneath the E Face of Chianti. The route starts near here, up the slope on the far side of this snow terrace. We made our way to the base of the route, taking a while to figure out the best way to get onto the rock, and getting there. The last time Tim had been here there was much less snow, and almost another pitch of rock climbing exposed. Now it was just deep snow. While the 5.8 start pitch is further right, Tim wanted to lead the same pitches he climbed last attempt, so started with a direct start at about 5.10a to the base of the big corner system that comprises the first several pitches of the route.
The corner system is vertical with steps, and wide for the first two steps before becoming hands and fingers. Tim led this next pitch, where he had backed off before, in one long rope-streaching 60m pitch. (The topo breaks this into 2 pitches.) The first short wide section is completely manageable with one hard move in the 5.8 range. The second wide section is 5.10a; there is pro on the inside of the wide crack. The final 30 m are sustained 5.8 hands and fingers, with some grass in the cracks. A belay by bushes is nice and relaxed.
Tim had not gotten this high before, and because we had unknowingly run the last two pitches together, the topo now confused us. So we tried to climb up and climbers right, over a weak overlap with a small bush. Tim backed down, it was not 5.8 climbing. I then took a stab at it, and led a mentally challenging 5.7 R chimney on decomposing granite with no pro. I brought Tim up, confident that we were on route, but Tim was convinced we were off route and we finally rapped again. On the way down we inspected the face, and discovered where the route actually went! Now is when we discovered where we were, and that we had run p2 and p3 together. It all made sense now. So Tim re-lead p4, at 5.8 with the blind reach-around. This was a fun pitch on somewhat sporty pro.
It was 4:30pm when I arrived at the belay. With 2 more difficult pitches above us, and the headlamps in the packs, I voted for bailing. Tim wanted to continue, he could smell victory, but in the end consented to going down. From the base of the final pitches there is a single bolt anchor one can use to rap directly down the face. We were on the ground a few raps later, and headed back down Burgundy Col, getting to the car just before dark.
Tim went back the on one of the following weekends and finished the route with another partner, but for me the route is still incomplete.