Veser Peak - Ragged Edge

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Description:  

Sept 2016

Gabe, Jesse, Marcy and I were ​looking for a one day moderate alpine climb while the alpine rock season was winding down,  so we quickly opted for Vesper.  Gabe and Jesse chose to do the slightly harder and more direct True Grit, and Marcy and I did the growingly popular ragged edge route - both of these routes were established, or re-established within the past few years.  For the approach we followed the scramblers approach to the upper slabs and then traversed right to the col, as opposed to the more direct but also more scrambly route as described in various route descriptions- this worked out nicely.  From here, the scramble to the base of the route is quite exposed and heathery so take care. 

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For Ragged Edge we started on the left variation and ended up linking pitches 2 and 3 together.  Route finding is the main crux of the route since the face is slabby and often devoid of cracks, so venturing off route could be a challenge to bail from, especially if the rock has succumb to the lichen and moss.  I found our pitch 5 to be fairly heady - from the 2nd bolt you make almost a 90 degree traverse right where you have some committing slab moves with limited pro - maybe I missed the obvious features but the moves anf friction didn't instill confidence.  The follower can climb down a step or two and back up, making a potential fall less dramatic.  The last pitch is pretty easy and straightforward 5.5. 

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Gabe and Jesse enjoyed True Grit, though Gabe said that he enjoyed ragged edge much better when he did it last year.  They also had some rockfall from a party above so be careful as there is lots of rock and these routes will have several parties on a busy day. 

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If your looking for a fun 1-day climb with good alpine rock and amazing setting, these are wonderful options.