Kelbalholt Peak

This started as a dream in February 2012, when I saw these peaks from the Stepladder Mountains.  I knew Kebaholt only as 1124m until 2018, when I saw the entry on peakbagger. I couldn't get folks to commit to the trip; in 2018, I planned to go with my bud Walt, after bailing on some peaks that had gotten far more snow than expected.  But 2 days before the scheduled climb date, my life was about to change a lot.

Opinions vary on the difficulty of Kelbaholt. Once I gave up on the grayer central gully and went N to the 1st slot, it was rarely above class 3, maybe one short stretch of class 4. However the crappy quality of the rock forced one to use rarer, more solid-looking holds. In a 1979 DPS report, Lu Petitjean said "A devious, zigzagging class 3-4 route was found on the peak which Cuno and Greg were climbing, and the two were soon on the summit. Surpassingly, a register was there. To the amazement of the two, it was the original register placed on August 16, 1925 by V.C. Kelly, CH. Bangs, and Joseph Holt. The three were employees of the Kit Carson Mine, founded by Kit Carson III. A picture of Kit Carson III was found in the register. The three named the peak "Kelbaholt", a contraction of their names. It was stated in their entry that many people had failed in their attempt to climb the peak."

Thanks to Tracy F., another neurologically impaired (as am I) friend, who wouldn't give up. The last record for a climb of Kelbaholt was in 1995. 

Harlan W.S. & Tracy F
Friday January 25, 2019

000irony
My exchange 4 days before
my life changed. Note the date. A brain
surgery took place in the intervening
11 months.
 http://hwstock.org/PT_my_story.pdf
PT is "pulsatile tinnitus."
 00map
General map of the
area. The Turtle Mt Road
is 2wd (maybe HC) for the
first 11 miles in. Report on
Carson's will follow.
 0map0
Closer view...
1map
...still closer on Kebalholt.
 DSC01417
The previous night I had
camped 5.5 miles from
us95, at a line of
palo verde shrubs. This
was the view of Kelbaholt
the next morn...
 DSC01418
...and Mopah and Umpah.
DSC01421d
Kebalholt as seen from our
next camp spot W of Carson
Wells. The indicated route
is my best guess; at the "?"
I'm not exactly sure where
we dropped into the slot.
 DSC01423b
I spent 30 minutes exploring
the "direct" route up the
gully.  What appear to be
5' ledges are actually ~15'.
The hardest I've climbed free
is 5.6, and the ledges route
seemed worse.
 DSC01427
The ledges. After 30
fruitless minutes, Tracy and
I found a route to R (N)
that was mainly class 3.
DSC01430
Tracy comes to base of ledges.
 DSC01431
After I left the ledges, I
checked around this
corner to N, looked good.
 DSC01432
I was surprised to
see a few cairns; these
may have been left on
Adam Walker's 1st
attempt (I'm sure there will
be a success soon), or date
from 1983.
DSC01433
After we started the last climb
300' below the summit, there
was just one ~class 4
section.
 DSC01434
Tracy comes up the last
section
 DSC01435
DSC01436
View S. The R peak, also
1124m on the topos, may
have slog routes to W and S
 DSC01438
The remains of the register
 DSC01439
View N
DSC01440
This was originally
a can-in-can register, but
either the last person put
it back in a hurry, or
animals tore into it. The
other can was at L a
few feet away.
 DSC01441
Tracy should get money
for product placement
of his Solomon trail
runners.
 DSC01442
The ridge. Not a good
traverse.
DSC01449 DSC01449b DSC01450
Tracy descends a key
notch from the ridge.
DSC01451 DSC01452
I put on my helmet for
descent, and Tracy would
wait for me to get ahead,
then I'd hide behind
boulders.
 DSC01454
DSC01455
View SE
 DSC01456
View up at a hidden nasty
slot.
 DSC01457
The slot becomes
invisible
DSC01458
A knife edge of rotten
rock, view E
 DSC01459
Many peaklets look like
they are approachable
from S.
 DSC01460
DSC01461 DSC01462 DSC01463
Bird's nest made
from catclaw and
cactus thorns.
DSC01464 DSC01465
View of Kelbaholt at
about 3 PM
 DSC01465b