Correction to Secor, Mount Julius Caesar
by Steve Eckert
Secor mentions a "class 2 slope" that goes south from the cirque
northeast of JC to the crest. There are several chutes, but nothing
that looks like an open slope. The first chute leaves from the
lake outlet, appears to be blocked by a cliff at the top
(at least in early morning light), and it heads southwest
instead of south. Further into the cirque is another chute, narrower and
not as tall, which is loose class 2 to a nice saddle. The other side of
that saddle, however, is not nice. We saw no way to stay on the ridge,
and traversing in class 3 lead us to cliffs before and below.
Fortunately there was one long chute cleaving the cliffs, and a 25'
rappel got us into talus which lead down, around, and up the southeast
bowl (above Chalfant Lake). This route is not mentioned by Secor, but is
class 2 to the summit. The east ridge of JC (south of the cirque) looks
unclimbable without a rope from both sides and from above.
The information in these pages is provided by
interested volunteers and has not been field checked.
R.J. Secor, The Mountaineers and the Sierra Club
are in no way responsible for the
accuracy of any route advice on this web site.
Safe climbers must be able to understand the terrain
and topography of the area they travel in, and they
must make wise route finding choices based on their
own knowledge, experience and observations.