Leaderboard

hey just saw this. The glacier was definitely crevassed; I was happy to be roped up, but as it's late season and there was only the merest skiff of fresh snow, the crevasses was all easily seen and avoided.

Atta Kid!!! Fitz Roy Winter Solo

Trip: Whitehorse Mountain - Northwest Shoulder Trip Date: 06/25/2022 Trip Report: Four of us climbed this standard route on a sunny day in late June. After many years of passing by the mountain on the way to Darrington slabs, wondering when I'd get on it, it was a relief to stand on the summit. Mark and I started the hike at 6:30am, Kellie and Russ a little later, and returned to the cars at midnight. The snow was firm enough for good footing, and the moat was unexpectedly easy to cross. Our 30m rope was just enough to cover the summit rock climb. My thanks go to Mark, Kellie, and Russ for their competence and conviviality. Traversing to the High Pass The short rappel into the moat The spacious confines of the moat Looking back down the glacier to High Pass Out on the planet Gear Notes: Two 30m ropes, a medium nut and a green Camalot Approach Notes: Straight forward, nothing much to add.

David Whitelaw and I finished this new route on August 4. Jim Nelson was in attendance to take some photos, but did not climb it with us. The route is called Indentured Servant, and is located 100+ yards left of Tooth Fairy. It's a sport route of five pitches, all bolted, like this: P1 some sustained 5.10a, 12 bolts P2 5.7, 9 bolts P3 5.8, crossing a giant chockstone, 6 bolts, P4 5.10b, reachy stemming up a V-slot, 12 bolts P5 5.9, sustained .9 face climbing for over 30', 6 bolts We built it to climb and rappel with one 60m rope. For P1 we extend two of the clips with alpine draws to avoid drag (see photo). Rappel the route until P2, then drop straight down into the deep gully where there is a final anchor. The route finishes on the North ridge, so you can traverse right and up to the summit. One could also walk off the North Ridge route. All bolts are 3/8" SS wedge bolts. Belay/rappel anchors are either SS chain w/ ring or two bolts with rings. The first person to climb it besides David and me was Ken Ford, on Aug. 12. Then David's friend Kelsey Gray from AK joined us for a couple of days of exploration, and they climbed it together on Sept. 2, while I took a rest day in camp. Then I brought up Robin Taft for an outing of Tooth Fairy the first day, and this route the next, on Sept. 12-13. Here is Ken Ford finishing P1, showing how the rope takes a nice curve if bolts 6 and 7 are extended David W. has drawn one of his beautiful topos for this, but we won't publish until next year. One doesn't need a topo to climb it, however, just find the clean toe of white rock to the left of a major gully, and follow the hangers. Bill Enger

Trip: Darrington - Squire Creek Wall -> Buckeye -> Whitehorse Trip Date: 06/19/2021 Trip Report: @jenny.abegg and I did a linkup of Skeena26 on Squire Creek Wall, Buckeye Peak, and Whitehorse. It was a full value 16 hour day, even with nearly everything going "right". Super fun, if you don't mind some jungling and adventure climbing. The MP approach beta for Skeena26 is spot on. We did not find the bolts until the top of P3, and from there on it was still hard to follow the route as the bolts hide in the shade. The upper section of the buttress above the route is pretty blue collar, as is the top of Squire Creek Wall. We were happy to be on snow climbing up to Buckeye Peak. The ridge heading north from Buckeye was very aesthetic, featuring mid fifth class climbing over steep gendarmes with wild exposure. We did a few pitches and a few rappels and then ended up at the SE Ridge of Whitehorse. The SE Ridge definitely felt a bit fifth class to us for a few hundred feet, but we were definitely pretty tired. It is "Beckey 4th class" after all. The rock is ok. Rappel over the bergschrund, then long hike out. https://climberkyle.com/2021/06/19/the-darrington-rodeo/ D-Town is cool! Skeena26 is definitely worth checking out! Gear Notes: Single 60 m rope was enough. A few moderate sized cams, lots of long runners. Approach Notes: About 6-8 minutes after the official Squire Creek Trail sign, there is a white rock cairn. This marks the trail, which leads down to Squire Creek. Found a log crossing just downstream. Then hike up the trail on the other side.

Trip: Whitehorse Peak - Parade Route Date: 4/26/2008 Trip Report: Took a couple of office friends along on an early-season slog to the top of Whitehorse during Saturday's rare break in the Northwest gloom. This shot from the Shell station, taken after we'd descended and were having coffee, shows the entire route. After a brief 'shwack through the shortish approach, we basically hugged the cliffs along the right side of the main slopes in the center of the frame. Half an hour after snapping this shot, we were contentedly scarfing Mex' and chaining Dos Equis in Marysville--nice day in the hills. The main 'schrund, which can be a formidable barrier in late season, is currently so filled-in it's a jog! This mountain is holding a major snowpack right now, and even with the snowshoes, we were punching pretty deep. Snow stayed soft all the way up. Alex [black shell], charging up the mountain's upper slopes. Out for only his second climb ever, the 20-something made short work of the 6600-ft. gain. ...watch this space...potential mountain monster! Kudos also go to office mate Tommy who, despite having forgotten to bring snowshoes, still somehow managed to swim to the summit without shaving a second off the group's sub-5-hour ascent! Pretty but interminable trudge... Preparing to finish it off. The final climb to the summit ridge ramped up a bit, but the snow was so friendly that the 'pons never came off the packs. Topping out in deepish but nnicely firm powder.... Tommy, nearing the summit, with a parade of two-plankers strung out below. My summit shots were crap, but the views were v-e-r-y nice! EJohnson, enjoying a leisurely, picturesque drop... Gear Notes: snowshoes, boots, 'pons [never used], sticks, axe, snax, WATER! Approach Notes: After doing this one a few times in years past, we've figured out a pretty quick path through the nastiness down below. Snow is currently deep, soft, and a tad annoying, but this makes for a screaming fast drop--win some, lose some....s'all good.

Thanks Jon for the beta. Respect for soloing that glacier; that would have made me nervous. We went in loaded up for the SW Buttress but it was so dang cold on Saturday night that we opted for Maximum Enjoyment and did the NW Ridge instead. Never have I had such a lackadaisical alpine day; we left camp at 10 AM! This turned out to be perfect as we were in the sun all day except for a few minutes in the notch. Even so I was wearing two jackets on the whole climb. Summer's over. Note: while we were out, some tweaker broke into all the vehicles at the Eldorado trailhead and apparently was siphoning gas from them—all had gas caps off. The climbing rangers came up while we were at Eldo camp and let us know that Ken's was the only vehicle without a window broken; possibly because his gas cap didn't lock. Evidently this has been happening quite a bit at Eldorado, Boston Basin, and Thornton Lakes trailheads. Be warned.