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Trip: Mount Challenger - Easy Ridge to Challenger Glacier Trip Date: 09/03/2018 Trip Report: Fred and I did Challenger in 3 days over the Labor Day weekend via Easy Ridge. Simple conditions/bragging report is all you will get since the route is pretty straightforward and well documented. Good trails and cool weather made 15.5 miles and 6500' vertical melt away to camp on Easy Ridge just before point 6553'. The next morning we descended and crossed the Perfect Impass. This was easy, ascend 150' up from the base of the buttress, boot tracks will aid you; follow a faint self system. The climb back out was better than it looked up to come red rap tat (sketchy to rap off of)! The Steph Abegg beta photo is only good when the Impass is filled with snow which it was not. We cruised over Perfect Pass and traversed the glacier to the NE ridge of Challenger. The various moats and bergschrunds appeared to be impassable so we took the rock to the left, scrambling in crampons, then up the steep snow arete to near the summit rocks. The top out was easy, 4 pitons and a fixed cam, a ridiculous amount of pro for 30' of 5.5 and a couple of scramble moves. 12 hours camp to camp. Down to camp again and out the next day in the fog, perfect timing on the weather. Easy Ridge Trail down low, it improves higher up: Challenger Glacier from Perfect Pass: Fred on the glacier: Looking up to near the summit from the ridge. Luna Cirque: Fred's awesome summit shot of me, thanks!: Hiking out the next morning: Gear Notes: Glacier Gear, 4 slings Approach Notes: Trails all in good condition, Chilliwack River was an easy ford, attaining Easy Ridge was better than many "maintained" trails.

I took a summit shot of you as well. You're pretty small though

Trip: mt whitney - mountaineers route Trip Date: 06/14/2018 Trip Report: Whitney Via Mountaineers Route Tallest Peak in the Lower 48 Being the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, Mt. Whitney was a must-do in my list. I was looking for somewhere to go climb in the beginning of summer and after a quick search it became obvious the 14,505’er was to become my next objective. I sent a text with the idea for the trip to the two guys I knew would join me, Yen and Carlos. Within a week we where booked and ready to go. Id done plenty of hiking and camping with Carlos but he had never been on an actual climbing trip. He is very well versed in all things survival but lacks the technical knowledge that goes along with climbing. On the other hand, Yen had been with me to Shasta but has done far less hiking and camping. Needless to say we where a match made in heaven ready to have a blast on a week long adventure that would take us through Death Valley, climbing on Whitney, not showering for days on end only to finish the trip in a 5-star hotel in Las Vegas. We where in for a true adventure. Its June 11, I had spent the last 2 months training my ass of and growing my mountain mustache. My training had changed a bit going into this trip. Carlos and I had spent countless hours in our local climbing gym, working on our holds and making our way to 5.11’s(we had nice blisters and calluses to show for it). This along with our stair master of death challenges (more on this at the end of the article) was to be our arsenal to conquer Whitney. Pre Climb At about 11am I had gotten home from the office, finishing up some paper work that had to get done before I left. My wife was waiting for me with all the gear and bags stuffed in the trunk of the car. We picked up Carlos, then Yen and we made a last minute stop at Bass Pro Shops to buy some missing items before being dropped off at the air port. It was a long and uncomfortable flight in a budget airline to Las Vegas Nevada. We arrived at 11pm with neck Kinks and headaches but there was no time to waste, we where on a tight schedule. We picked up our rental car, stopped at Sonics for some refueling before hitting the road to death valley…The road seemed never ending with nothing in sight but the head lights of the car and the sky littered with stars as far as the eyes could see. The further we got away from the Vegas lights, the brighter the stars got till at one point I asked Yen to stop the car only to step outside and see the Milky Way towering over us. It was like something out of a National Geographic’s Magazine. After a few minutes of star gazing we hopped back in, windows down, music blasting and kept rolling through the Valley all through the night. About 3 hours in we all hit a wall. Not sleeping for the last 24hrs caught up to us and just as we are entering the national park we decided to pull over by the big “welcome to death valley” sign to try and catch some Z’s before the sun came up. It didn’t take long before the heat of the dessert woke us. We where sleeping all contorted in a car, 3 men full of camping gear in a small Toyota Rav 4. We looked like we’d been hit by a truck with bags under our eyes, hungry and smelly. We decided to drive and pull up to the first eating spot we could find. After a nice meal, and some freshly brushed teeth we continued our drive to where our climbing journey would begin. Our plan from the start was to arrive at Lone Pine and find a place 9,000’+ where we can camp and acclimate before starting the climb. We poked around and talked to the locals until we where directed to Horseshoe Meadows (approx. 10,000’). We drove up the winding roads and arrived at this beautiful camp site. Carlos and I set up our hammocks (Yen would sleep comfortably in the car) where we would sleep. We spent the day hiking and hanging out with the fluffy little marmots. After staying up till the night fall to do some star gazing, it was time to hit the the hammocks. When it was time to get in It took me about 10 min before I thought I was settled only to spin around and flop right onto the ground. By this time, it was dark and cold and I was just craving a good nights sleep after having spent the previous night in the car. A few moments after I was able to get tucked in, I head a loud “ Thump!”. You guessed it, that was Carlos getting a good feel for the ground after loosing his balance on the hammock as well. I had a good laugh knowing I wasn’t the only one. Quickly after that I was out cold, or so I thought. Carlos ended waking up a good 10 times to urinate limiting my sleep to 30 min spans.The next morning, we packed up all our gear and headed down into town for the day. We stayed at a bunk house that night where we could shower and have a nice warm meal. We also went ahead and planed our nutrition for the climb. It consisted of nothing more that three 12” subway BLT’s which we would have for lunch and dinner for the next 3 days. At the moment it seemed like a better alternative to freeze dried mountain food. The following day we met with what would be our team on the mountain as well as the guides. Quickly went through everyone’s gear, checked food and reviewed poop bag instructions. Gear was packed in the cars and we set off to the trail head. Upon arrival, we rushed to the scale where we would compete amongst each other and see who packed the lightest. I won by a pound but that came by sacrificing layering in order to stay light and move quickly. Day 1 of Climb It was 7 of us at the start, we began moving quickly through the Whitney trail before arriving at the fork where we would break off to Lone Pine Creek. This trail would take us through a series of creeks where keeping your balance on the slippery rocks was critical if you wanted to keep your feet dry. We would then get to the base of the valley where we would climb some steep ledges which offered amazing views of Lone Pine and the monstrous granite walls. The ledges have some exposure and if your afraid of heights it will prove a difficult crossing. From here we hiked through some beautiful meadows and while walking up a steep granite slab, Terry one of our team members slipped. A nearby stream had been spilling water on to the slab making it extremely slippery. Terry hit the ground hard and pulled his hamstring badly. Luckily we where only a couple hundred feet from the where we would spend the night. We spread some of his heavier climbing gear amongst each other and Matt would throw Terry’s pack over his own, carrying the lions share of the weight. With a slow and steady pace, we all made it to upper boy scout lake. This would be our camp for the next two nights. Upon arrival we where all instantly mesmerized with the amazing views of the jagged peaks that surrounded us and the incredibly crystal clear lake full of fish. Of all the campsites I’ve ever been too, this one stands above all the rest. After exploring a bit and getting a quick bite, we broke off into our tent groups and began to settle in in our spots. The next day was to be the summit push so in an effort to be as rested as possible we went to sleep early. Summit Day It was 4am, and unusually warm for an early summer summit push. Our packs where practically empty except for some food, water and our crampons. We began the approach to the chute scrambling up the rocks at a hurried pace in order to maximize our opportunity of making the summit. There was not the slightest breeze and the sunrise created an alpenglow on Whitney, it really was a sight to be seen. Up until now everything was according to plan and the summit seemed almost guaranteed…When we made it to the chute and it was time to slap on our crampons, there was an over sight by the guides and they assumed Carlos’s boots would be fine even if they where not proper mountaineering boots. They where not rigid and would flex under minimal pressure. Even though the crampons fit, the fact that the boots where not the least bit stiff rendered them practically useless. Regardless we decided we would push on and Carlos would try his best. Then we ran into our second problem, given the warm temps the snow was very soft and slushy. This meant that for every 3 steps forward you where sliding one down and for Carlos it meant he would be sliding onto all fours and having to pick himself every time. As the hours went by, the chute that seemed like it would be a walk in the park proved to be a greater challenge than anticipated. We where making very little progress with the sloppy snow. We eventually reached the notch but our summit window was closing and we still had another steep section of the chute to climb. Carlos was beyond exhausted due to his less than ideal boot set up and the snow was getting sloppier by the hour. We ultimately made the decision to turn around, it was a tough choice to make because the weather conditions where perfect and I still had a lot of energy left in my tank but given the circumstance it was the right choice. We then took advantage of the sloppy snow and glissaded a good portion of the chute before reaching a very rocky section near the bottom. All in all, we where in good spirits and we quickly made it back to camp safely. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the area and organizing our gear for the hike out the next morning. After a nice dinner with the group we shared some stories by the “kitchen” and then called it a day. The Descent 7am we where all out of the tents packing our gear and breaking down camp. It was a pleasant hike down, I spent most of the time talking to the guides picking their brains for climbing tips and tricks. We loaded up all the gear back into the cars and drove back into town. We all cracked a few beers open before saying our good byes and heading our separate ways. For Yen, Carlos and I, that meant the final phase of our get away. We ate our last meal in lone pine and in the same clothing from the past 3 days on the mountain, we hopped in the car and started our drive back to Vegas. The whole road trip was spent talking about the great time we had on the mountain, regardless if we didn’t summit and before we knew it we where pulling up to the bright lights of “Sin City”. Not showered in three days and still dressed in mountain ware we pulled up to the Aria, a 5 star resort. To say we got some funny looks would be an understatement. We where hungry and tired from the long day, went to the first restaurant we can find to have a meal and then went straight to the room for a nice hot shower. From spending the last few days on the mountain sleeping in a tent, to staying in a suite on a 5 star resort was a hell of a transition. We planned to take a quick nap, get dressed and check out the night life. Turns out there was no gas left in the tank, as soon as our heads touched the pillows we where out for the night. The next day we explored the city, went to the casinos and took the day to just rest. After Thoughts: Looking back, it was damn good time. I would have liked to summit, and I figured the weather conditions where perfect but certain situations made it difficult. I had trained my ass off as usual and it was the first climb I did where I was already partnered with the HERO Foundation. But the good thing is that the mountain will still be there and I can always go back and give it another shot. Suggestions: Make sure you have the proper gear, especially boots. They can make or break your climb as you can see on this trip. Its not that hard of a mountain to climb but it is beautiful and definitely worth the trip. Gear list: Lower Body- - La Sportiva Trango Cube Boots - Point 6 Light weight socks - Mountain Hardware Chockstone Pants - Black Diamond Crampons Upper body- - Bight Gear Solstice Hoody Men's (base layer) - Men's Alpha Ascender Hoody (soft shell) - Marmot Wind stopper Glove Climbing Gear- - Julbo Tamang Glacier Glasses - Black Diamond Climbing Helmet - Black Diamond Couloir Harness - Black Diamond Raven Pro Ice Axe - Osprey 85 Pack - Mountain Hardware 3 degrees Sleeping bag Logistics: The closest airport to fly into is Las Vegas AirPort. You rent a car and drive through Death Valley for 4 1/2 hours before getting to Lone Pine. In town there are plenty of store where you can purchase last minute gear. The bunk house is a great place to stay before and after the climb. Cost Break Down: - SWS Guide Service- $950.00 (+tip for guides) - Food (we ate subway)- $32.00 - Bunk house- $35.00 - Misc.- $100.00 Total: Approx. $1,117.00 Notes: * Stair Master of Death - this is where me and Carlos would go head to head on a stair master, carrying a 25lb plate to see who can climb the most steps in 15 minutes. By the time your done you are either noxious or your legs feel like jelly. * Mountain food - its not a good idea to eat the something for three days in a row on a mountain like I did. Its hard enough to eat at altitude. Best advice is to take lots of snacks the you personally enjoy and eat the nutrient rich food provided by the guides or in the case of climbing without a guide, research a proper climbing diet to make sure you are consuming the appropriate amounts of fats, carbs and protein. Read more articles in my blog: www.brandonclimbs.com Gear Notes: In article Approach Notes: in article

Trip: North Cascades - Southern Pickets - Southern Pickets Enchainment (Traverse) – Second Ascent Trip Date: 08/17/2018 Trip Report: Climbers/Scribe/Photos: Jeff and Priti Wright Priti and I completed the Second Ascent of the full Southern Pickets Enchainment (Traverse) between 8/12/2018 and 8/17/2018 via the first ascensionists’ agenda (VI 5.10+, ca. 3 miles). Thirteen peaks in four days staying on technical terrain enchaining every peak in the Southern Picket Range from East to West. The Chopping Block was our 14thpeak on the last day à la Bunker-Haley-Wallace. We were lucky to have splitter weather the whole time except for our approach day which was non-stop drizzling and kept us from jumping on the rock right away. We had previously attempted this climb during the July 4thweek earlier this summer but were stormed off at the base of Mount Terror. View of the entire Southern Pickets from Mount Triumph. Photo Credit: James Blackmon (1) Little Mac Spire, (2) East McMillan Spire, (3) West McMillan Spire, (4) Tower 1 summit of the East Towers aka "Don Tower", (5) Tower 5 summit of East Towers, (6) Inspiration Peak, (7) Pyramid Peak, (8) Mount Degenhardt, (9) Mount Terror, (10) The Rake aka "The Blob", (11) The Blip, (12) East Twin Needle, (13) West Twin Needle, (14) Dusseldorfspitz, (15) Himmelhorn, (16) Ottohorn, (17) Frenzelspitz, and (18) The Chopping Block The Chopping Block is on the left. History: FA: In 2003, this visionary line of 13 summits (Little Mac Spire to Frenzelspitz) was first completed by Mark Bunker, Colin Haley, and Wayne Wallace in an incredibly speedy 4 days car-to-car. http://c498469.r69.cf2.rackcdn.com/2004/34_wallace_pickets_aaj2004.pdf https://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/topic/15094-walking-the-fence/ 2011: Dan Hilden, Jens Holsten, and Sol Wertkin completed 12 of the Southern Pickets summits (Little Mac Spire to Ottohorn), but were halted by an impassable moat under the South Face of the final bookend peak, Frenzelspitz (a lesson we borrowed to not take the snow approach). https://www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/article/chad-kellogg-jens-holsten-tackle-complete-picket-range-enchainment http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web15s/wfeature-never-ending-holsten-kellogg https://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/topic/82900-tr-picket-range-complete-enchainment-attempt-922011/?tab=comments#comment-1029444 2013: Jens Holsten and Chad Kellogg traversed 11 of the Southern Pickets summits (Little Mac Spire to Himmelhorn), and carried on to the Northern Pickets to do a mind-blowing Southern and Northern Pickets traverse. Even though Jens humbly calls their climb an “attempt” since they left out three minor summits, their ascent was easily one of the greatest alpine achievements in the lower 48. https://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/topic/92032-they-made-it/?tab=comments#comment-1101276 http://jensholsten.blogspot.com/2013/07/desperate-country-seven-day-enchainment.html https://www.outdoorresearch.com/blog/article/chad-kellogg-jens-holsten-tackle-complete-picket-range-enchainment Legend In the topos below, note the following color codes -Blue circle: belays that we chose to take (all are optional, obviously) -Yellow arrows: Bail options, or ways to enter/exit shorter segments of the Enchainment -Green tent: bivy sites (note the comments) -Red lines: Ascent -White circles: Rappels -White lines: Descent Day 1 With our packs each weighing in at 28lbs, we hiked in to Terror Creek Basin via Goodell Creek through wet bushes and a light drizzle and bivied at the Terror Creek Basin High Camp. Day 2 As we roped up at the base of the start (Little Mac Spire) on Day 2, Priti glumly pulled two left-footed red Moccasym rock shoes out of her pack, but decided to keep going like the hardcore badass that she is! We climbed from Little Mac Spire (5.8) through East McMillan Spire (5.6), West McMillan Spire (5.8), the East Towers (5.8) summiting Don Tower and Tower 5, and finishing the day with Inspiration Peak (5.9). We had to climb up 1/3 of Pyramid to find a small snow patch for water and dinner. On our last trip in early July there was a lot of snow at the cols, so it was easy to find water. There was a lot less snow in the cols in August, making finding water along the traverse very tricky, to say the least. We filled our dromedary up every time we found snow. The smoke made the views hazy, but we could tell how far away the later peaks were, and how far we had to go. The base of Little Mac Spire The start of the technical climbing (5.7) on the face of Little Mac Spire The upper ridge of East McMillan Spire View looking West in July View looking West in August Upper face of West McMillan Spire Starting up Tower 1 Priti is belaying below Pitch 2 (5.8 with a hand/fist overhang) Inspiration Peak Summit is the impressive overhang on the left Day 3 On Tuesday (day 2 of climbing, day 3 of the trip), we started out on Pyramid (5.8), and traversed over Degenhardt (3rd class). We chose a steep face crack for the first pitch on Terror to start. This may be the 5.8 start Jens and Chad did. Starting further out left might go at 5.6. After finding the piton rappel off Terror, we downclimbed about half of the Rake-Terror col before starting up a loose gulley on The Rake (skier’s right). The climbing didn’t feel too hard, and we must have avoided the 5.9 R climbing described by previous parties. However we didn’t make it to the nice bivy at the summit, instead hunkering down on a slopey grassy ledge for the night. Snafflehounds poked me in the face and jumped on my feet to start the night out. The meteor shower sparkled above us. In the morning, Jeff found his helmet strap had been gnawed through, his crack gloves stolen and the nut butter munched. Nothing a little duct tape won’t fix! Starting up the technical climbing on Pyramid Peak Inside the crux chimney Day 4 On Wednesday (day 3 of climbing, day 4 of the trip), we only climbed for a few hours doing lots of fun ridge climbing on the Rake (5.8) which took us to the best bivy spot of the trip: on top of the West Rake Summit. It was so nice, we decided to relax the rest of the day and camel up for the next day. The choosy 4th class gully which exits the Terror-Rake col (about halfway down) on climber's right The entire Rake ridgeline is pictured here. Priti is on the initial ridgeline, heading to the Rake's deep, major notch (right of center). Stay high on this initial ridge to get to a 5.6 traverse about even with the notch to get over to the notch. Starting the traverse too soon may result in 5.9R climbing. The vertical ridgeline just left of the major notch is the technical crux. The technical crux of The Rake. This is the second pitch after getting to the major notch which takes you to the The Rake's ridge proper. 5.8+ ledges with small gear. Starting out on the Rake's ridge proper. Looking back at the Rake (Eastward) from the summit Guns out! Amazing bivy site! Don't stop at the col (aka "Ice Station Dark Star"), but continue to this bivy after a short pitch. Day 5 Thursday morning we woke up stoked for the Twin Needles and Himmelgeisterhorn. The Blip between the Rake and the Needles was a quick jaunt (5.6). In the descent gulley, Priti kicked a small rock down, which tipped a precarious car-door sized boulder over and core-shot our rope. She literally had two left feet! We just climbed the rest of the way with 40m of rope out. East Twin Needle (5.10a) had some of the best climbing on the trip, following an aesthetic line up the knife edge ridge, that looks like a gothic tower. There was a TCU that the previous party stuck behind a flake, and was reminded of the giant footsteps we were following. The last couple moves were extremely dirty though. The left variation of the crux is much easier than sticking right. West Twin Needle was chill 3rd Class. Then came Himmelgeisterhorn (5.10), the “Horn of the Sky Spirit”. The climbing was fantastic: engaging, with great position, and unique au chevaling! We climbed over Düsseldorfspitz, on the way to the summit of Himmelhorn. We rappelled down the North Face of Himmelhorn with our 60m rope which worked out perfectly. Ottohorn took about an hour to summit and get back down to the Himmel-Otto col. The 3rdclass route that Bunker-Haley-Wallace took is gone due to some fresh rock fall. Instead of taking the 2 pitch 5.7 variation that Hilden-Holsten-Wertkin took, we attacked the fresh rock scar directly which was splitter 5.6 hand cracks for maybe 15 m to the ridge and summit. In the fading light, we then headed over to Frenzelspitz (the final peak of the Enchainment) from the Himmel-Otto col, traversing along rock on the north side of Ottohorn. The ledge/gulley traverse had the most heinous, scary, exposed choss. Luckily the climbing on Frenzel was pretty great 5.7ish. We made four fresh rappel anchors, starting with a runner on the summit block, two double-nut anchors, and another slung horn. 5.8 ridge (vertical blocks) The fantastic climbing on the technical crux of East Twin Needle. Priti leading out onto the technical crux (and I mean technical!) - face climbing on crimps with small gear Looking up and over Dusseldorfspitz. Priti is belaying between Dusseldorfspitz (foreground) and Himmelhorn (background). The crazy outcropping (Dusseldorfspitz) just East of the summit of Himmelhorn Looking back down from the Himmelhorn summit at the belay. Left to right: Dusseldorfspitz (the small spire along the ridgeline, just below the summit), Himmelgeisterhorn ("Horn of the Sky Spirit", also a small suberb of the German city of Dusseldorf), Ottohorn, and Frenzelspitz...three names taken from the label of a mustard bottle brought along by Joan and Joe Firey (kindred spirits and personal heroes of ours) during their first ascent of these peaks in 1961. Ed Cooper, also on the trip, was "aghast" at the names chosen! The magnificent Northern Pickets Frenzelspitz, a perfect pyramid Day 6 The last day we climbed the Chopping Block via the NW Route (4thClass) and hiked out via “Stump Hollow” to Terror Creek. Mega thanks to Wayne, @solwertkin, and @jensholsten for their great beta, inspiration, and support. Priti and I have been dreaming of this climb for years now since reading Alpinist 47 magazine’s expansive article on the Picket Range and being inspired by Jens Holsten and Chad Kellogg’s 2013 Pickets Traverse (of both the Southern and Northern Pickets, 10 miles) after we had just taken the @boealps Basic Climbing Class. The next level of alpinism in the Southern Pickets may be to complete the entire enchainment in a day! This seems like an entirely reasonable feat (especially for a soloist) given enough familiarity and speed. Bivy Beta: Primo bivies (East to West) base of West McMillan Spire descent (snow through the summer, nice bivy walls) base of Mount Terror, cross over ridge to North side - late season snow available on top of the Rake sub-peak (1 pitch past the “Ice Station Dark Star”) – lots of snow just a short scramble distance away along the Rake descent. Himmel-Otto col (if no snow on the col, make one rappel toward Crescent basin to find snow) Terrible bivies (East to West) base of East McMillan Spire descent (sloping ledges, snow early season) slabby ledge about 1/4 the way up the Inspiration West Ridge (exposed) Pyramid-Inspiration col (no snow late season) grassy ledges down and climbers left when you first gain the ridge proper at the start of the Rake “Ice Station Dark Star” (as coined by Hilden-Holsten-Wertkin) which is the col after just rappelling from The Rake summit (snow early season, but rappel north late season to find snow down a heinous choss gully)…if no snow just at the col, then recommend continuing on to the Rake descent to find tons of easily accessible snow in late season Himmelhorn summit (no snow) Gear Notes: small set of nuts and some brassies doubles BD UL Camalots .4-2 single BD UL Camalot 3 (for Inspiration East Face) singles BD C3 000-1 (extra green 0) single BD Camalot X4 Offset 0.1/0.2 single BD Camalot X4 0.3 singles Metolius Mastercam 0-3 4 double-length runners with 2 Camp 22 biners each 3 double-length runners with 1 Camp 22 biner each 9 single-length runners with 1 Camp 22 biner each (can’t have too many runners) 30L Patagonia Ascensionist pack (for him) and 30L Black Diamond Speed pack (for her) Patagonia Micro Puff jacket (each) Patagonia Alpine Houdini jacket (each) Patgaonia Nano-Air Light Hybrid Jacket (for him) 2L MSR DromLite (essential!) Garmin inReach Mini (love this little guy!) Beal Escaper (for emergency bails) Petzl Leopard FL crampons (each) Petzl Sirocco helmets Petzl Sitta harness (for him) and Arc’teryx harness (for her) Metolius Feather Nut Tool (each) Camp Corsa Nanotech 50cm (each) chalk bag, each (didn’t use) tape gloves (for her) and OR Splitter gloves (for him) x2: Mammut Smart belay device (not the Alpine Smart) + Grivel Sigma Wire D carabiner 3 lockers for group: Grivel Tau K12L, Grivel Lambda HMS, Grivel Plume 60m 8.5mm Beal Opera rope 15m 5mm cord (did not use ever) 1 medium fuel canister 1 small fuel canister (did not use) Jetboil Sol stove Safety ‘biner (each) – Edelrid 19g caribeener, Petzl Micro Traxion, short Sterling Hollowblock, Trango Piranha knife Bivy setup (each) – Short Thermarest NeoAir XLite sleeping pad, Exped Air Pillow UL, Feathered Friends Vireo UL sleeping bag 8.5ft^2 tarp by Hyperlite Mountain Gear TC Pros (for him) and Moccassyms (for her) La Sportiva TX2 (for her) and TX4 (for him) approach shoes Petzl Reactik headlamps (each) + 3 extra AAA batteries + Petzl e+LITE headlamp Other things: 1 long spoon to share, chapstick to share, small Joshua Tree sun stick to share, Kenu iPhone tether, lighter, whistle, duct tape, Thermarest repair patches, Voke tabs, Nuun, pain killers, 1L Platypus soft water bottle (for her) and 750mL HydraPak Stash (for him), warm headband, glove liners, 1 pair thick long socks (each), sunglasses, ear plugs, WRFA emergency form, small pencil Dinner: 2 AlpineAire meals, 3 Near East Couscous boxes repackaged with small olive oil packets in ziplock bags, salt Day food was mostly bulky, yummy snacks: vegan jerky, dried mango, nuts, Cheese-Its, sesame sticks, Gu, nut butter, etc Approach Notes: Excellent Approach trail Goodell Creek to Terror Basin. The descent from Crescent Basin is tricky The luxurious tree marker where one descends from the ridge below "Stump Hollow" towards Terror Creek Log crossing Terror Creek on descent

There's a basic inequality (experienced guide, litigious and inexperienced client) at the heart of short-roping. It's not being done to make the team safer. It doesn't make the guide any safer. It only makes the client safer. The guide is doing it to protect the client and thus to protect themselves from accusations of negligence. If two guides are climbing together on the same terrain they aren't going to short rope through it.

We climbed the line in your photos. I led the step using my axe and my partner's then passed them back down to him. We didn't have any pickets or ice screws so he followed without a belay. We found a fairly easy line through the glacier from the top of the step. From above it looked like it might be possible to jump the crevasse on the right side of your second photo and wrap around to the top of the step, although there might be an impassable crevasse that I didn't see! I wouldn't recommend the route at this point in the season. This hot and dry summer has not been kind to the Goode Glacier. Even if you can get onto the glacier, the bridge over the moat will be gone any day now.

Trip: Mt. Washington - North Ridge Trip Date: 09/01/2018 Trip Report: Climbed Mt. Washington. Real fun. Straightforward approach up the north ridge to the notch before the summit block. 7 people ahead of us. They were kind and offered to belay my climbing partner and I from the top. The one move about 20 or so feet up the first pitch was kinda tricky. An undercling some reaching around and trust in the belayer above brought me over the hump. Real fun but exposed scrambling to the summit. I wouldn't blame anybody for staying roped up for the remaining pitches. Best options for protection would be slinging rock horns for the most part. OR small nuts or hexs smaller than an inch. Lots of um... not solid rock up there so not sure how much any gear would actually hold a fall in the cracks. Maybe knife blade pitons too. The 3 rappels down were fun and lots of nice people sharing ropes to get everybody up and down in good time. Back to the notch we chose to descend the scree field. It was ok. I was wearing shin height boots. Short boots or aproach shoes would have been filled with rock in a second though. The hike to the car was fast but we were tired and conversation wasnt as excited as it had been in the morning. Real fun climb. Way better than all the books say. Thanks Paul for answering my partner request here. Gear Notes: Long slings. Real long. Approach Notes: Follow the trail turn left at the cairn and follow that trail.

Holy Himmelgeisterhorn! We must now engrave thy names in the Choss Chalice alongside the alpinists of yore!

Buy local, support the good guys: Feathered Friends, Pro Mountain Sports, real guidebook authors instead of Rakkup, etc.

Thanks so much for this trip report, it inspired my climbing partner and I to go out and repeat it yesterday! This is an incredible traverse. I posted a TR if anyone's curious about current conditions.