Dreaming of Babylon

Rick McGregor sent these notes (“based on notes from my climbing logs 12/12/74-11/1/75 and 12/1-14/2/75 and some later notes”) on various routes he climbed in the seventies:

Slabs between the Phil’s Bivvy Slabs and the Gill’s Bivvy Slabs [I think - certainly between the Phil's Bivvy Slabs and the Great White Slabs] (Darrans guide, pp124-126):

* Africa Slab (18) 45m

The slab directly behind the biv [Phil's], a steep section of slab bounded by 2 water streaks. There are 3 difficult sections, between scalloped ledge/footholds. The top 25m to the belay is low angle.
Descent: walk down the side.
First ascent: Rick McGregor, Peter Newton, 2/2/78

* Susceptibility Slab (19) 50m

Above the 2nd stream East of Gill’s Bivvy is a steep, clean slab with a triangle of white/red rock below it. Start at the white slab.
Pitch 1, 25 m: Climb the white slab, move left and then up trending right to the foot of a short corner which is climbed to a belay ledge.
Pitch 2, 25 m: From left on the belay ledge start up the slab, trending right (crux) to the righthand rib which is followed to the top. Sparse protection.
Descent: walk down on the eastern side.
First ascent: Rick McGregor, Peter Newton, 3/2/78

Great White Slabs: Braustin Ooks

[I hate that name... Darrans guide, pp127-128. The first 3 (?) pitches were done by Rick McGregor with various partners including Peter
Newton in a number of pushes in Feb. 1978. The route was completed - probably later the following summer, ie early 1979, by Bill Atkinson and Brian Fish - don't know whether Al Cutler was involved or not]

North Face, Barrier Knob

[First foray onto the face? Darrans guide, p140, route listed as 11, McGregor, was climbing with Bill Atkinson in Feb. 1975, and is probably between 9 and 10 in the photo on p. 138, heading up towards the big roofs]
Three and a half pitches of a new route in the middle of the N Face.
1. I led up rib onto easy ground then trending left across steep slab, across to flake crack and thin layback move then round corner into shallow groove (c. VS/16-17). 2 pegs for aid (thin free) to foot of wet groove.
2. Bill led up the groove, moving out left at the top with a peg for aid. Up easy ground and around left.
3. Left and then up flake crack on jams and side-pulls. Up easy ground to foot of overhangs. Saw 2 skinks on belay ledge.
4. Bill led left and up groove, over loose blocks then aiding on nuts out left (A2) to an alcove under an overhang, moss caterpillar unrolling beneath his feet. Came up against a 6-inch crack and placed a bolt (one of the first in the Darrans) and brought me across – quite freaky – magnificent position under huge overhangs [in the middle of the face?].
Abseiled off the bolt, a sling, a peg and a sling to the deck.
7 hours total on the route including abseils.
Bill Atkinson, Rick McGregor, 8/2/75

SE Buttress of Sentinel

[Darrans guide, p144. First ascent, Feb. 1975] Scrambling (4th class) along ledge to get onto the buttress
1. Bill led up a groove to the left of the buttress (easy)
2. I led up a steep wall with cracks (fingers and hand jams) round right to groove, mantel onto foothold. Up on jams, up groove and round right onto the rib where the wall steepens. Sloping belay ledge. (Severe/gr. 15 for a while). Absolutely fantastic climbing on good rock.
3. Bill led on up the rib, round right on loose blocks, up a groove and out right up an exposed 5 ft wall to belay.
4. 20 ft scramble to ridge.
Total of 4 hours climbing.
First ascent: Bill Atkinson, Rick McGregor, Judy Terpstra, 1/2/75

West Twin

[Darrans guide, p147, ridge left of route 2 in the photo on p147]
First (?) ascent of West Ridge (“McInnes Ridge”) of the West Twin from the snow field below the Sth Face of the West Twin (after scrambling 300 ft up a ramp and climbing 1 and a half pitches on the South Face then abseiling off).
First ascent (?): Bill Atkinson, Rick McGregor, 30/1/75
[Bill and I believed - I can't remember why - that this ridge (left of route 2 on the photo on p. 147) had already been climbed by Hamish McInnes. The guidebook credits McInnes and Ken Hamilton with climbing the West Twin from the East Twin, p. 147]

Advertisement