Chinaman's (Ha-Ling) Peak - Northeast Face

This weekend Anne and I managed to get up the Northeast face of Chinaman's (Ha Ling) Peak. I was up it once before, 15 years ago, with my Dad. Since that trip it seems as if the bolted stations have gotten more plentiful, and the odd bolt on a few pitches has been added. Since this was Anne's first long rock route outside of Bear's Hump it was interesting getting her perspective of an alpine route.

The thing she was most surprised about was the sense of security provided by the bolted stations. She mentioned how different the climb would have been without bolts to end every pitch. I had to agree. Since there isn't always a lot of gear on alpine climbs, the stations made it feel more sporty than the usual "on your own" alpine feel. No judgments here. I only wonder if adding bolted stations to the Hump will remove much of its mini-alpine feel? Something to consider.

(image on the right pilfered from Rockclimbing.com)

Ha Ling Beta
You don't need a big rack on this route. There are lots of fixed pins, and aside from the top pitches, you really can't place much gear on a pitch.

Gear: I would suggest

• a half set of cams, 0.5" to a 2.5" (0.5" is the most useful size)
  
• three tri cams (pink, red, brown)
• stoppers #4-#10 - double up only on the #4's, this route really liked #4's
• 12 runner/draws
• double length runner or two

You certainly could get by with less, but this would be the most you would need to feel comfortable.

I would say, if possible, simul climb up to pitch #5. This is where the right traverse begins. This belay is a bad spot for rock fall. This will probably save as much time as soloing up the two 4th class pitches, and is a bit safer. Just be wary of rope drag. You can also link pitches up in the dihedral to save some more time.

We had about 3 hours of climbing. When approaching the route, get to the base of the cliff early instead of traversing left on the shale.