Climb: Torment-Forbidden Traverse-Torment-Forbidden Traverse
Date of Climb: 8/15/2006
Trip Report: My friend, Giora, and I climbed the Torment-Forbidden traverse in two full days last week.
The weather forecast of "partially cloudy" had me a bit concerned, but things turned out great and the clouds really added to the atmosphere without ever turning threatening.
Some friends had tried the South Ridge route on Torment the previous summer and got shut down, finding themselves on 5.8-5.9 climbing when the route is supposedly mid fifth. So I guess, I was concerned about that too. Following Nelson's description though, we had no trouble finding our way to the summit of Torment. The climb was easy and fun and the rock was better than anticipated.
From the notch below the summit block (the start of the Torment-Forbidden ridge), routefinding became a bit trickier. We crossed a snowfield, passing a few gendarmes. This brought us alongside a wall with the ridgetop high up on our right above us. There was an easy traverse on broken rocks, but we elected to climb straight up mid-fifth class climbing. It took us a couple pitches to summit this formation as we meandered up the easiest lines.
Once we got to the top of this hump, we went from being unsure to being stoked. The view of the entire rest of the climb lay before us and the bivy site (again Nelson's route descrip) was a mere 20ft downclimb below.
We settled in, put on some warmer clothes and brewed up dinner and more water. What a spot!!! Protected and beautiful. Not a soul around. Wasn't even cold!
The next day found us crossing the steep snow (what am I saying, this shit was water ice!) in our aluminum crampons. We had two, Grivel Black Compact tools between us. After crossing the first band of ice to a rock island with one tool. I brought Gi over and told him a sure as hell wanted both tools for the next and way longer section.
So I started up from the rock island anchor hoping for enough rope to make the ridge crest. No such luck. I was 2/3's of the way up when Gi shouted "15 feet!" There was a little ice ridge that provided a bit of a stance and I ended up chopping a stance and a bollard for pro.
After tying into the bollard (backed up with one of the tools), I zip-lined the other tool and my gloves down to Gi. He was able to nerve his way up with just the one Compact. Another short lead for me and we were finally to the top. Yikes. Gripping stuff. Definitely the crux of the route.
The rest of the climb was spectacular. Parts of the ridge were like a sidewalk with thousand feet of air on either side. Gi got his wish for sure! We did two rappels off the ridge during the traverse. One shortly after the snowfield off a gendarme and the other just before the notch at the base of the west ridge of Forbidden.
Finishing on Forbidden reminded me of what a spectacular climb that is! We cruised it in 3 running belays. The rock is unbelievably good.
We rapped (5) the NEface down to the ledge system and soloed across and back to the base of the east ridge.
It was probably 7:30pm, Wednesday, by this time and we sat smiling in the sun for awhile before plunging down into the fog which filled up the Boston Basin below us. We found the way down into the basin but couldn't find the upper camps in the fog and increasing darkness. We found a couple really nice camp spots and ended up just crashing there until dawn rather than beat around in the dark looking for the trail.
Morning came and the upper campsites were close, 100yds away perhaps. Oh well, we slept well.
Two young women were bivied there and had their stove going when we came by. Out to hit the west ridge that day...Said they heard us at night for awhile, but then it got quiet and they assumed we headed down.
Anyhow, this climb was superb. One of the best yet!!
Gear Notes: 1 50m, 8.3mm rope
med alpine rack
lots of slings (~14)
aluminum crampons
1 Grivel Black Compact tool each
Could've had an ice screw or two.
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