Trip: American Border Peak - Southeast Face

Date: 9/15/2007

Trip Report:
Ever since I saw the Border Peaks from Mt McGuire three years ago I wanted to climb them, so when I was looking through the BCMC trip schedule and found a trip going to the ABP I instantly joined.
We met in Chilliwack at 5:00 AM and drove up the Tamihi Creek FSR until we could drive no more, then we walked up the road until hitting a spur road at 5,000 ft of elevation. From the end of the spur road we bushwacked through forest and some slide alder for a while until we reached a large scree slope below the ABP. We dropped our big packs and set off up a ridge of trees heading up to the SE Ridge the people in the front went around a small grey bluff by the trees but Me, my Dad and another climber named Andrew thought that the bluff looked simple enough and would be faster than going through the trees. The bluff however, was the cliff of death because rocks were constantly falling on top of us and just about killing us. Once managed to get up the cliff alive we moved into the trees and scrambled up to the ridge were we scrambled across East facing Slabs made of awful choss. But soon enough we were off the slabs and scrambled along the face until we reached the "great chimney" me and my Dad soloed thw chimney (5.4) and the climbers that used ropes came up shortly after. From the top of the chimney it was a quick scramble on the ridge to the summit and we waited for the rest of the group to join us before heading down. Overall the climb was just a scramble except for the chimney, most people who are confident on rock could probably just solo up and down the chimney but ropes are advisable if you dont often climb 5th class in the Alpine. Also I recommend doing a two day trip (like us) because the area is so spectacular.

sweet, dude

keep it up

Hey, does anyone know what the NE face route is like on the ABP

Thanks for the TR. Having viewed it from the Mt. Baker Ski Area many times; now, I know what it looks like from the summit.

In winter and spring - nice snow.
In summer and fall - downsloping ledges covered in gravel.

Eryl Pardoe, who did the 3rd or 4th ascent of Slesse NE Buttress, was killed on the NE Face of ABP in 1970. In late summer.

didn't he die because he couldn't self arrest a slide on steep snow because he had a technical tool rather than an ice axe? ... more summer snow in 1970?

Didn't he slip on gravel, and then fell onto a snow patch (where he couldn't arrest)

Heres the report on the accident:

http://alpineclub-edm.org/accidents/accident.asp?id=612

It's an unpleasant sounding slip.

That's a fucking grisly accident report



Sna?

I've always worried about self-arrest with ice tools. I even posted a ( much sprayed on) question about this once.

Apparently he was the most experienced member of the group as well...must have been awful to be there.

GULP!

None of that spray was flaming you. Stop whining.

To answer that question, the spray magnet one, most people (imo) just take ice tools and no alpine ax if they are going to need both on steeps. For something like Liberty Ridge where it can get steep but not real steep, an alpine ax and one ice tool. I used a Forrest hammer with an ice pick on it and only used it getting on the liberty cap serac and up the Liberty Cap snowfield.
Feel better?