Don_Serl

Plastic mountaineering boots have been eclipsed by modern leather footwear over the past decade or so, but they are still unbeatable for extreme cold and/or high altitudes, especially for places like Logan, Denali, and the greater ranges. The Vega is still ‘the workhorse’ of the Himalayas, with remarkable toughness and durability, superb warmth, highly useable flexibility, and perfectly acceptable comfort. The shells show considerable surface abrasion, but are without defects or flaws. The liners are in very good condition. Also included are: 1. A set of Scarpa Thermo liners, size 12; super-light, super-warm, but sweatier and less snug-fitting than the normal liners. I’ve modified them with an instep strap for better security of fit (i.e., less heel lift). The black plastic covering on the softer foam trims is flaking to bits, but a shoe repair shop should be able to reface these areas with light leather. 2. Two sets of Intuition liners, one 10mm thickness (red) and the other 12mm (black), for extreme cold. 3. One pair of DaKine heel cinch straps: a canny little Velcro system that secures the liners much better to your foot, preventing heel lift. Size 12 / euro 45 CDN $ 50 for all. . 20151074 by Don Serl, on Flickr . 20151078 by Don Serl, on Flickr . 20151080 by Don Serl, on Flickr . 20151081 by Don Serl, on Flickr . 20151085 by Don Serl, on Flickr

Old crampons, but maybe they're useful to a newbie or someone on a tight budget. I can send photos to interested parties. . Grivel G-14 Crampons ( SOLD! ) Sturdy, versatile all-round crampons, at home in the mountains or on waterfall ice climbs. Crampomatic binding system requires rigid boots with good welts. Well used, but lots of life remaining. Set up as mono-points (for ice climbing), but double points, necessary bolts, and wrench included. One spare heel lever with strap, and two spare spiral toe bails, included. “Old” rubber anti-snow plates are perished, and need to be replaced. MEC retail CDN $ 219. CDN $ 40. . Charlet Moser Super 12 Crampons (SOLD) A decade or so ago, these were reputedly the best-selling crampon in the world, and they’re still a superb mountaineering tool. The crampons are tough and do not wear down quickly. The points are a well-compromised length and conformation. Equipped with wire toe bail and heel lever, they fit only to stiff boots with good welt depth. The Black Ice anti-snow system is old and perished and probably now unavailable – a homemade solution will need to be found once they fall to bits. CDN $ 20. . Black Diamond Mako Rigid Ice Climbing Crampon ( SOLD! ) A good rigid crampon gives better control on waterfall ice than any and all flexible units. The Mako was Black Diamond’s attempt at a modern interpretation of the Foot Fang, and had some strong points (pun intended), together with numerous shortcomings. On the plus side, the rigid plate-and-rail construction coupled with a no-play binding system was ultra-secure, allowing great precision and total stability. And the points are tough and durable. On the negative side: a. If the underside of the aluminum plate gets damp, it balls up badly. This can be combatted with wax. b. The vertically-aligned rear frame also tends to ball up. There was never an anti-snow system available, but I installed a home-made fix consisting of light plastic zap-strapped into place. c. The trident vertical front points were supposed to combine great penetration with high stability, but in my experience they tended to shatter the impacted ice. The secondary points could not be removed, so I simply reversed them – presto, they actually increase purchase while toeing onto knobs of ice. d. As with the Foot Fangs, the toe and heel bails could fall out of the frame on approaches. Solution? Take care! (Plus there are two spare toe bails included…) e. The metal and bolts rust. Many tough steels do – live with it! ( Oil helps…) These crampons were recently on clearance at CDN $125. How about a trade for a 4-pack of Kilkenny?

Versatile, tough, all-round crampon, suitable for mountaineering and moderate waterfall ice climbing. Clip binding system (with toe strap). Modified with Chouinard heel bails for better fit to my boots; original heel bails included. Never used. Retail USD 179.95. CDN $80. . . 20151020 by Don Serl, on Flickr

Excellent all-round crampons, best for mountaineering, but not out of place on vertical waterfall ice. Broad front points give better purchase on neve and poor quality (Coastal) ice than vertical points or mono-points. MEC retail price CDN$ 199 plus 12% tax. . SOLD: One pair brand new in box; Leverlock heel; regular length connecting bar. CDN $100. . AVAILABLE: One pair used, good condition; Spirlock heel (suitable for use on boots like Scarpa Manta); spare Leverlock heel bails included, so conversion is possible; regular length connecting bar (long bar available if necessary); original rubber anti-snow plates included (poor quality, need to be replaced): CDN $50. . 20151005 (3) by Don Serl, on Flickr . One set of long length connecting bars (for boots larger than sz 45) available CDN$10.

Cleaning out the basement: . Charlet Moser Quark Ice hammer set. (SOLD) Brilliant waterfall ice tools, with class-leading ergonomics, an easy swing-weight, and a pick that penetrates and hooks like magic. Both tools are well-used, but entirely without defects or flaws. Both are equipped with Black Diamond Android leashes, which (if you`re going to use leashes at all) combine great security, reasonable access and egress, and the highly desirable trait of being able to unclip to place gear, etc, then easily re-clip. The installed picks have both had the first teeth modified for better hooking. Included are: one adze; one spare ‘Cascade’ pick (well used); one spare ‘Cascade’ pick (unused, in original packaging); two spare ‘Quad’ picks (unused; thicker, for ‘brutal’ use); spare bolts; and one 5mm hex wrench. Total retail value is about CDN $ 900. Selling price CDN $ 250. . 20150990 by Don Serl, on Flickr . Charlet Moser Quasar hammer and axe set (SOLD) Revolutionary and state of the art twenty years ago, and still admirably competent tools, especially for hard alpine climbing. The set consists of two shafts, one set up with a compact hammer head, the other with an adze. Both have slider-type leashes attached. These have large openings, suitable for mountaineering handwear, and have a simple, effective, and secure opening and closing system. Both tools have seen a lot of use, but are without defects or flaws. And both have been ‘alpine-ized’ to increase their suitability for hard mountaineering use. The modifications include: 1. ‘Chandelier’ spikes filed off underside of pick 2. ‘Hammer knob’ filed off top rear of pick (both 1 and 2 so as to increase comfort to the hand and reduce wear on gloves), and 3. Bottom knob on shaft ground back (to allow plunging shaft into firm snow) Many extras are included: two full-sized hammer heads; two spare waterfall picks (lightly used); two ‘Upgrade’ picks (unused); one compact hammer head (if you want to go double-hammers rather than hammer and adze); one weight set; a set of spare bolts; and a pair of 5mm hex wrenches. CDN $150 for the whole works. . 20151002 by Don Serl, on Flickr

awful news, Lowell. my sincere condolences.

Rad, I think you're better off with two ropes, but you could use one plus a tag line for the raps. No idea on current approach... Btw, my recollection of the first 4 pitches up the ramp is not as bad as this TR makes them sound. Chossy cracks, for sure, but not very hard, so non-life-threatening! Good luck

nice to see that the bush, bugs, and excellent granite of the Chehalis have not been entirely abandoned. your report takes me back about 35 years, to the early days of exploration in the area, when there were no trails at all, except up to Statlu Lake. now, THAT was bushy!

holy moses - ten years later...

winter, then!

strong ethic: didn't want to take away from the first ascent, so just free-climbed thru the runouts... right on, Marc!

nice posting Vernman. useful information... altho "back in the day" when I was climbing routes of this sort I fully subscribed to the "pickets are worthless" school. Edgewood, good on you for telling the tale in the first person, which couldn't have been easy. you and your partner are lucky dudes. recover well!

Marc nearly leaves me speechless. All I can say is "good heavens"! Here's another report, with a good route-line photo, from Canada's climbing magazine, "Gripped". http://gripped.com/news/marc-andre-leclerc-and-his-epic-patagonia-solo/

An outstanding climb from two great climbers. It's wonderful to see Marc Andre linking up with a guy like Colin, from whom he can learn a lot. I'm always wondering, 'what next?', when it comes to Marc...

^^^ good heavens KL, did you never use that pack? it looks pristine! and certainly a classic...

The secret to success for winter climbing 'round here is to hit the mountains after a warm spell (best is a full-on Pineapple Express which puts the freezing level way up at 3000 m), followed by a cold snap. That turns the lower-level snow into iron, and settles the upper snow too for easy progress. Bush is a problem in early season, but by March much of it is well buried... and the days are longer and warmer too. Outside of these sorts of rare conditions, southwestern BC is not very favourable for winter climbing - there's just too much snow, with too big approaches! But it's fun to try! The West Lion is really good in the right winter conditions. I've enjoyed the 'normal' route several times. Ditto the Ramp on Harvey. Sky Pilot will see renewed traffic now that the tram is in. The West Face of Habrich has been done in winter. But most winter climbs 'round here are snow/ice lines, not 'rime climbs' of the sort you get in Scotland, or drytooling lines like the Rockies. If you DO find a pitch of rimed rock herabouts, my experience was that given the need to clean the rime before you can climb, a pitch of middle 5th class will take 2 hours. You don't get much done in a day in 'technical' winter mountaineering, except by following snow/ice lines. You sound keen, so just get out and do it. Winter mountaineering can be brutally harsh and cold and demanding, plus sometimes frightening, but the rewards of even the 'easiest' ascents are very rich indeed.

I don't wanna beat up on you too badly, but the FWA is reported on page 265 of Fairley's guide. Not still in print, I realize, but readily available for research. March 5, 1978: D. Serl with Greg Yavorsky and John Wittmayer. We came at the mountain from Nesakwatch Creek. At that time, the creek was bridged pretty much directly east of the summit. We crossed the bridge and immediately headed uphill, gaining about 3000 ft (with little bush except in the lowest sections) and breaking right (north) into the basins east of the summit. The snow was deep but reasonably settled (it was March) - we did not use snowshoes. We worked our way up the southeastern flanks of the peak, and somewhere along the way put on the rope. There were hazy but mighty impressive views south to Slesse from the top. Our problems occurred on the descent. We intended to traverse the ridge north towards McFarlane, then drop off east eventually. The ridge is narrow and was heavily snow-crested, with occasional small towers and cornices. We passed one or two, then reached a section which didn't look very feasible on the crest. It appeared, however, that we could drop about 100 feet down a gully on the west side and traverse northward beneath the crest. Once we got down this section, however, the traverse didn't look so do-able, and the snow was too steep and deep to get back up without super-human effort, so we were kinda screwed - we had no choice but to try to follow complex branching ridges down west to escape. Somehow, we made all the right choices and didn't get cut off - we didn't even have to rappel. We spent a cold night shivering in our clothes by a tiny fire next to Slesse Creek. In the morning we walked out to the Chilliwack River Road. We must have hitched a ride to the Nesakwatch road, but then, because it was my vehicle, I was elected to walk in and retrieve it - there was virtually no snow at main valley level, so we'd been able to drive the 3km or so along the south side of the Chilliwack, which was where the road ran back then, and maybe another 2km up into Nesakwatch. I can recall barely having the energy to put one foot in front of the other, and of laying down in the sun on a log beside the road at one point and falling fast asleep for maybe an hour. Eventually, of course, I got to the truck and the story came to an end... But this remains one of my favorite winter mountaineering outings. It doesn't have to be hard to be hard! Btw, judging by the difficulties we encountered on just a short section of the north ridge, that would be a HUGE winter undertaking! Go give it a try - the descent could be made SE, via our ascent route...

Matt, there have been several ice climbs done up the Sumallo valley: see pages 106-107 in West Coast Ice. Bob Koen was "the man" for those. I don't doubt there is plenty more to do, and it'll be interesting to hear where your routes lie relative to the earlier ones...

Oh man, Marc, the number of times I took the gear for a walk in the Chehalis 'back in the day' is staggering (maybe a poor double entendre there?). My favourite "I'm an ass" episode involved packing off for the (then unclimbed) north face of Clarke with John Wittmayer in iffy weather, and getting in about 4 hours (nearly to Nursery Pass) before it started to rain. On the way back out we came across a slabby little gully which was slimey and sorta dangerous in the wet, and I suggested to John that he get the rope out... and he replied, "The rope? You've got the rope!" ...or not, as the case may be! Damn, mountaineering is a great activity!

Nicely done. It's good to see that there are still people around who are willing to bash in the bush a bit in order to get to great alpine routes. And who are smart enough to NOT climb loose blocks above a belay...

Wow! Very cool - well done - looks like some entertaining sections, especially with skis on your backs! And excellent to see the adventure on video. It's great to see a few folk got out in that stellar settled weather to do stuff. Btw, Drew, re: your comment about this line vs the 1960 line, it's been about 30 years since I climbed the NE ridge so my memory isn't exactly fresh, but I'm sure we didn't traverse anywhere near as far right, nor reach the ridge as high, as this party.

Well done, lads! That's a mighty big 'tick'!

great job on a great route, guys. every winter route is special, but this one looks way beyond the norm!

I've Tyroleaned the lower cable twice, and while I know people who've walked the upper cable, I never got up the confidence to try - seems a bit close to gymnastics to me. I used a couple of SMC alu ovals (?) ( or maybe Clog D's?) the first time, gates opposite, and they were trashed after. I used my belay carabiner, a DMM pear twist-lock, the 2nd time, and while it got grooved a bit. I filed off the burrs and continued to use it for maybe a decade afterwards. Here's a few tips: 1. Use your prussik loop doubled back to maybe one third length for your main hanging strand. You want the cable in front of your face, where you can apply arm power to it, not at a stretch above, where you have no leverage / power. 2. Dangle your pack off your second prussik, clipped directly to the bottom of YOUR hang loop, which is attached or tied to your harness tie-in point. that way, the weight of the pack applies straight thru to the cable and doesn't 'upset' you. wearing it will turn the crossing into a death battle! 3. the down-slope leg is easy, but it does take a bit of work and time getting up to the far end. patience - you'll get there, and the resting is easy when you get a bit puffed... cool view, being out there over the middle of the river... 4. with a group, there is not reason at all that several people can't be on the wire at one time - it ain't gonna break! send the fastest / strongest first, to shorten the total time elapsed. a boat is better, but if you can't organize that, the wire works fine!

well-done job on the route, and a nice report! the rap is STEEP, eh?!?!? can you imagine the climbs to be done on the face outa the notch, if it happened to be roadside... but of course, it's not!