Crackman Posted August 29, 2007 Share Posted August 29, 2007 Trip: Southern Pickets, Inspiration Peak - East Ridge Date: 8/22/2007 Trip Report: Four of us (Todd, Fred, Tommy, and myself) joined up for a weeklong trip to the Southern Pickets, with plans to climb the E ridge of Inspiration and the N buttress of Terror. The last weather forecast showed it clearing by mid day on Monday. So we decided to be optimistic and hope that we would only get rain on the approach. Sun: Headed up the Goodell Creek trail at noon under a steady rain. Bivied part way up. Mon: Awoke to more rain. Finished the approach to the beautiful campsite below the notch. Set-up camp and hoped it would clear soon. Never did. Tue: Rained all day with limited visbility. While we stuck to the tents, another group of 4 made an attempt on West side of W McMillian Spire, making it all the way to the base of the route before turning back. A peak at the Pickets between showers Wed: Finally clear skies. Headed out from camp ~7:30. Glacier crossing involved some crevasse navigation with a couple steeper sections to access the base of the route. Pitch 1: fun clean granite ~ 5.4 Pitch 2,3: Chossy & mossy Pitch 4: Clean, blocky climbing up to the E ridge proper Pitch 5,6: Broke into 2 short pitches to avoid rope drag and confirm route direction. Easily combined into a single pitch Pitch 7: The crux and highlight of the climb. We stuck to the perfect left handcrack only Pitch 8,9 Up to and around the East summit Pitch 10: Downclimb and traverse to the notch between the 2 summits Pitch 11: 4th class to the true summit The sun was setting as we topped out. The view of the N Pickets was spectacular. We began rapping down the W ridge with double 60m ropes. Things were going smoothly until the end of the 3rd rap, just above the exit gully, where we could not locate the next rap station. After all four of us had given up searching across loose slabs in the dark, we set up our own anchor and rapped off into the nastiest gully I've been in for years. Despite our best efforts, the darkness made it difficult to avoid launching unstable rocks and dodge them when we did. A couple of near misses convinced us to hunker down on a small ledge until the sun came up. Thur: We passed a few cold hours telling stories and watching for shooting stars. At dawn, a couple more raps took us down to the glacier. We climbed out of the moat and made a took a new path down through the crevasses to the slabs below. Spent the rest of the chillin at camp, catching up on sleep and food. Friday: A beautiful last day. We packed up, hiked out, and gorged ourselves on Buffalo steaks and beers :brew:in Marblemount. Gear Notes: We did the 4 man circus act with 3 ropes and 1 medium rack Approach Notes: Trail is well established all the way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrogdortheBurninator Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Nice work. So there were no problems exiting the hand crack at its very top? Looked from below like it trended way left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crackman Posted August 30, 2007 Author Share Posted August 30, 2007 Thin face moves up and right will get you to the belay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Nice work. So there were no problems exiting the hand crack at its very top? Looked from below like it trended way left. From where the climber is pictured, you go just up and right to the obvious notch by the tower on the right side. Easy from there. A strenuous, steep pitch of sustained 5.9, with a thin rightward traverse at the top....I remember gasping for air, carrying a pack full of boots, ax, crampons, water....but it's an exhilarating pitch! And you know that the hard part is over at this point....until the rappels down the bowling alley gully! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrogdortheBurninator Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 cool. we moved right a bit earlier in the crack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmncwrtr Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Great TR, Tim! I was wondering how it was going up there and hoping you'd gotten a break with the weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rad Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Way to persevere and good call waiting for daylight. That gully is bad news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriznitch Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 schweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRep Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 that looks awesome, definitely on the updated tic list!!!! good job guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esteban Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Hot damn Tim! It's been about 10 years since I was on Terror & Degenhardt, but I can recall looking East at Inspiration and ....well, feeling Inspired. You are still the man. I'm still jonesing to go in from the Canadian side some day.....maybe climb Phantom? Great TR. Esteban Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Nice stuff as always Tim! Thanks for sharing.....good one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 I'm still jonesing to go in from the Canadian side some day.....maybe climb Phantom? Not sure I entirely get this -- approaching Phantom would entail coming in via Big Beaver or Whatcom Pass, but neither requires starting on the Canadian side....what am I missing here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esteban Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 I'll drill it down for you goaty. Been into the Pickets many times, but never entered from Canada via Lil' Chilli (bordering Manning Park, that's the Canada part) and never topped out on Phantom Pk - always wanted to do both....cross W-pass, up and over the N ridge (very fun), cross C-glacier (slog), down into Luna Crk basin (majorly sucks) and up Phantom's E face. Thing that sticks, and is always the case w/ the P's, is you are stuck securing a shuttle or haulin' it back the way you came. An addendum would be to by-pass W-com and up Easy Rg. Is it crystal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goatboy Posted August 30, 2007 Share Posted August 30, 2007 Ahh, this reminds me of a scene from a Few Good Men: Jessup: We follow orders, we follow orders or people die, it's that simple. Are we clear? Kaffee: Yes, Sir. Jessup: Are we clear! Kaffee: Crystal. Esteban, I too am now clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esteban Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 Eggcellent. Looks like you've possibly seen that movie a few times? Cracker, Question about the route. I know you've not been there before, but did it seem weak on snow? This may have been made obvious by things such as odd rap anchors or big calving scars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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