The Index

Route: Index by FA route
Posted On: 8/30/2022, By: slawrence2011
Info: Approach through Ruby basin was tough, even with GPS, but only lost it a couple times thanks to my diligent partner. I added a cairn on the right side of the trail shortly past the train stop where you have to look for a trail heading up a steep hill in the woods about 50 feet to the right. It is obvious when you look, if you look at the right time. We didn't manage the full approach to upper Ruby in one day due to moderate rain making the vegetation wet, and starting a bit late, close to 9. Spent the next day moving our packs from Ruby lake to upper Ruby. Did Index the following day. Thanks to Steve Gladback and Boggy and Blazintoes for the great TR's, had both printed and referenced them extensively. This made getting to the Index gully relatively easy on grass. The gully itself had a tiny bit of snow in it, and the 5.0 move at the top felt very sandbagged for the grade. My partner went for the solo, and a handhold ripped off, thank God he had other secure holds. I welcomed his offer for the rope. To me, the stemming felt technical in wet rock and mountaineering boots. That was the so called "easy" variation up the right, which also didn't look like it would take any gear. The direct chockstone left looked like it might take gear, so I think I will try for that next time. That move felt way more scary than the actual climbing. Only variation we did from the TRs, was instead of downclimbing T1 to the crack on T2, my partner saw a cairn angling for a direct entry to the chimney skipping the 5.7 moves at the bottom, easy with long limbs for grabbing the jugs and stemming. Curious if that was the original FA way, given Gladbach and Peter, and Boggy and Blazintoes both described downclimbing to the base of the chimney (which I recommend, easy and fun!).The Gladbach Green tat, yellow tat (previous?), and rap rings at the top of T2 to rap to the T2/T3 saddle, was in decent enough shape to be re-rigged, thanks crew for leaving rings! The OW was full value, and I barely got it, and was breathing heavily for close to 10 minutes after topping out. The pins on the summit felt good, red tat there was good, replaced the older tat on one of the pins. We backed up all pin anchors and had the heavier rap first for all. The red tat on the T2/T3 saddle was hanging in shreds off the pins with no hardware in sight. Replaced the tat and added a rap ring. The final red tat on the pinch at the top of the chimney was cut halfway through in one spot with no hardware, so replaced with fresh tat and a rap ring. Racing weather on the way out, but thank God, didn't turn into much. My partner had to cancel on me on Little Finger due to not liking the way the mountain project description looked, including the note of one star for historical significance, and a horrible climb otherwise (and the partner claims that advancing years and general decrepitude were also factors). Maybe I will agree once I do it, but I appreciate historic chimneys, and I know some others do too. I know Gladbach did! That being said, let me know if anyone wants to go for little finger from 9/21 to 9/25, and let's throw Index in there while we're at it, tat is ready to go! Just make sure to read mountain project before we get out there! https://www.mountainproject.com/route/107245196/little-finger-by-fa-route