Baker North Ridge beta

[needtoclimb]

Heading up there next weekend, and looking for beta whether two ice tools are needed, or a tool and an ice axe. Right now I am taking two tools, but wouldn't mind saving the weight, and bringing the longer ax to use while traversing glacier.

 

Anyone been up there this time of year and know?

 

 

[YocumRidge]

Yes, two sharp tools are definitely needed as well as a dozen of screws for the crappy brittle ice we found on the NR two weeks ago:

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=958757

We did not bother with the regular axes but we camped by the Colfax and traversed to the ramp via the Roman Nose (I wish we had some rock pro). The crevasses and a moat by the Coleman HW opened up and the snow bridges were all wet snow, so we run full belays across that sketchy section.

There was NO snow on the top of the ridge - it was all ice and snice.

[marc_leclerc]

Don't climb it with some guy who is going to unrope and abandon you on the summit because 'its cold'

[needtoclimb]

Thanks for the info. What type of rock pro? you talking nuts, blades or cams?

[genepires]

only ice screws. (at least 7) there is no rock worth putting gear into. The normal and more sensible approach is straight up the glacier far away from any rock. try to steer clear of any rock faces anyway due to the loose nature of the rock and exposure to flying missiles. This includes a camping spot used my many people.

Edited June 6, 2010 by genepires

[jordansahls]

It sounds like later in june or even early july may be a better time to climb this route. Or am i just making things up?

[Julian]

We tried it last year in mid-August and by then it was badly out of season. We attempted to approach the cutoff by first climbing high towards Colfax and then traversing across the front of the Roman Nose. This proved to be a terrible strategy (although it's debatable if a diagonal path across the glacier would have been better given the complexities of descending that way we encountered later), as we could not find any protection and traversed loose class 3/4 "rock" (with the occasional patch of black ice underneath) with a 100 foot fall into the bottom of the moat looming. We bailed at the cutoff in the face of massive rockfall just as we were debating how to cross the bergschrund.

 

This year I'm planning to go back in early July assuming good weather patterns, taking a more direct route across the Coleman.

[tomtom]

I've climbed it in the past with one tool and a BD Raven Pro. Now I've got a pair of BD Venoms (50 cm and 64 cm) which I've used on the North Ridge in August and the Coleman Headwall in September.

[needtoclimb]

I am hoping for good weather this weekend, and at the least my brother and I will ascend up to the Coleman and camp, and make a determination there. All this snow and weather is concerning me.

 

I have a handful of screws, but apparently not enough. Big favour here, can anyone lend me a 4-5 screws for next weekend. I will supply you with your favourite 12-pack or liter. IF you live North SEattle to Bellingham, I will call you and figure out best time for me to pick them up. (my wife is pregnant, so after a couple climbs this month, I am done with technical stuff for a while. No point dropping several hundred dollars on more screws just for one climb.)

[J Surette]

Would you be able to post some Beta or a TR when you get back. Looking at heading up the North ridge soon and I am curious about conditions, ice, angles, and pitches. Have a blast.

[spionin]

Big favour here, can anyone lend me a 4-5 screws for next weekend. I will supply you with your favourite 12-pack or liter. IF you live North SEattle to Bellingham, I will call you and figure out best time for me to pick them up. (my wife is pregnant, so after a couple climbs this month, I am done with technical stuff for a while. No point dropping several hundred dollars on more screws just for one climb.)

 

you got it dude. check your pm.

[kurthicks]

be careful up there this weekend. see the NWAC forecast. i was just on the Coleman for four days and can say that there is new snow accumulation up high and a lot of wind transport all over the north ridge and surrounds yesterday.

[Choada_Boy]

Seriously have not had a spring here yet.

[Bigtree]

Did anyone give the route a go or at least have a look-see this past weekend (i.e., June 12/13)? Had planned to go this coming weekend, but would like the some beta before trying to firm up plans; especially given atypical season and recent avy warning. Thanks.

[G-spotter]

on MCR there was a report of a big slide off the north face that crossed the usual "high approach" to the north ridge and north face, from June 8

 

http://www.acmg.ca/mcr/archives.asp

[Bigtree]

Thanks G-Spotter.

 

"A piece of ice fell of the cliffs on the N Face, (around 9300ft), rumbled down, entraining snow, and creating a dust cloud that rolled over the approach to the N Face. The debris from the avalanche came very close to the usual approach, and would of smoked anyone taking a "high Line" to the start of the route."

 

Exactly what I'm worried about.

[YocumRidge]

"Pieces of ice" fall there all the time in what we thought not so dangerous conditions and the naturally triggered avys on the north side of the Coleman HW are not something unlikely:

 

 

When we were up there, someone who hiked the CD route warned us to stay away from the "sketchy NR" because "an elephant sized ice chunk had just broke off the ice cliff and went down".

We said it's perfect timing - we were on our way right there.