Tony_Bentley

The trip to Despair is shorter if you end up climbing Triumph and spending the night somewhere in the north side but getting back is gonna take a long time. Try it in 3 minimum but 4 days is more realistic. You shouldn't have any problem getting past Triumph.

Toketie has been climbed quite a bit. I doubt much worth climbing up there hasn't already been climbed but you could probably squeeze a gem or two out of it. You trip is a classic. You guys did it in great northwest style. The little lake in Nada Creek is very nice as is everything else on that Northern side of Temple. Good job.

I was planning on Big Beaver Saturday morning. Maybe they would still do it for the cost of one little beaver trip?

These are my favorites. Super easy to get on and off.

You're totally right. I meant 8mm. And not it does not equal 5/16".

Let's segue this thread and talk about 1/4" vs 12mm vs button-heads... I like button-heads because they are just bomber but they take a hell of a guy to stand there all sketched out pounding away with rattly little hook barely holding on to that flake. Or maybe a little copper wedge keeping you steady just enough so you can get both hands free for 15 minutes whilst you go a pounding. If you don't get the hole straight in you're gonna feel sorry for the person who clips it and pulls it out. Or if you bend it, you might be setting someone up for breaking it clean off at the button on a whipper. Keep an eye out for them bent or loose button-heads. The 1/4" are easier to pound in but after they rust out, you might as well be climbing with roofing nails. I'd feel even sorrier than the bent button-head bolt. Good for a first but probably not many more. The leading party should really head back up there and replace them after a couple of years of basking in their new glory. Besides, you have to find those custom hangers or cheat with a big washer. 12mm is cool but I seem to remember being way up there and realizing that bolt I thought was 5/16 was actually 12mm (or was it the other way around?). I distinctly remember a friend experiencing the same thing (but maybe not). Worse than all of the above because you know if you're gonna finish the climb, you're gonna have to move past it. If you match the right bit to bolt, 12mm are probably the best thing going for hand drilling. Sorry if any of this sounds suspect of tom foolery.

Am I the only one that read the first post and moved all the way to the end to say that this is the dumbest post ever? Rappel it, bolt it however you want and call it good. You think a roto-hammer is going to make it a pure route? Go climb a 5.10 on Mox or NE face of Terror and bring some pro and maybe some pins.

Nice tick list gentlemen.

Sorry, I meant Direct East Buttress of South Early. Not continuous clean pro but steep and difficult to free climb (by my standards). Hyperspace is not really alpine but it has way more alpine feel than Index and it is just as easy to get to as Liberty Bell. I disagree about it being dirty but awkward and unappealing is a matter of opinion. The fact that it is awkward is what gives it such appeal. Lets exclude anything in the EW spires group since I don't think they are alpine either (based on the convention of what alpine really is).

I'd add Hyperspace to the list. It isn't harder than 5.11 nor does it bag a summit but it is a solid route. I'd also add Direct West Face of South Early. Not sure if this has been mentioned. There are plenty of other potentials in the Skagit Gneiss batholith but the rock takes some getting used to.

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I've been stuck on the other side from hiking out too late in the evening. No way was I gonna cross the river in the dark. We should push for a ped-bridge since it seems like access to the other side is pretty minimal and it would open up some great climbs that normally are limited to fools and their crappy boats (Not directed to Alex K and co.).

My completely unnecessary input here: The mountain that has killed the most people is the deadliest. You can't state the obvious and say that technical mountains are deadlier. They aren't climbed as much and are reserved for people who at least know how to get to the base. I'd guess Mt WA on east and Mt HOOD on west. Whichever mountain has the most access by idiots is which one wins. Screw conditions and difficulty as they don't matter.

If you are going to try to 'ski' in your split bindings, expect to buy a new pair. They are not made for that kind of lateral torsion and the alloy is likely to break. You could probably make a modification that would provide more lateral support but the current system is made from plastic and steel wire: http://www.voile-usa.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1130-50&Category_Code=SB&Product_Count=9 There are alternative systems but they seem to be homemade.

I would like to make one more point: Lowell has a first descents website that pretty much covers all first ski/snowboard descents in the Cascades of Washington pretty much from the beginning. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to check out all of those firsts happening on a splitboard. I never checked but I'd bet there is less than I can count on one hand. The equipment is still in infant stages. I mean, when I first took up snowboarding I was using Sorels just like someone else mentioned in this thread but I don't think anyone had taken a snowboard into the backcountry although maybe. When I first took up skiing, Dale Farnham had already skied the Kautz and Gib Chutes. Logan, Dome, Redoubt and Fury had already been skied. If you're trying to prove a point, that's cool but if you TRULY think snowboarding has any place in conditions that facilitates efficiency and staying on your edges you might need to give it a go first. Maybe just go and ski one of the routes mentioned above. I'll even go with and videotape the whole experience.

A while back my buddy and I went to the Park Headwall via the Boulder Park Cleaver on Baker. This is a classic ski route as it avoids most cravasses and has some nice terrain (steeps, drops and long blasts). He was on a split with mountaineering boots with the voile bindings and scarpa boots. Everything was fine on the uphill and on the down up until it leveled out and we began traversing the side of the ridge. It went up a little, then down, then up and then we booted and then got down to the road. About half way down that section he decided that his board would be better off in ski mode to handle the constant up and down traversing. Then his binding broke because of the lateral torque. A month later he bought skis. If you're going split, you're going to suffer the disadvantages on inferior equipment, lack of stability on one edge (which could be really bad on icy slopes) and the inefficiencies of having uphill skis that does not track very well. Keep em near the resorts where things are not so life and death. I know peeps like Koch are taking it pretty far but skiers always take it further.

NE face Goode with ski N face Fury with ski in fat POW N cooly East Mac spire

Funny, I did the approach and hike down toketie this summer. I thought the exact same thing. The trail is much worse than a few years ago. Nice job badass.

I figure it has been long enough since Ron and I climbed these routes. Has anyone been up there? We climbed two routes back in 2003, both moderate and in good style. We later went back up and straightened it out and cleaned off all the moss. Not sure if Viktor is putting it in his new book. Keep following the gully above Crystal Cave and there is a wall above. Here are the routes:

Trip: Mt Stuart - Complete N. Ridge & Gendarme Date: 6/1/2009 Trip Report: Geoff Cecil and I climbed the complete north ridge. We approached via Teanaway and bivy'd at Ingalls Creek on Sunday and did a quick hike to Goat Pass to check out the views. We began hiking to the base of the ridge at about 5am and began climbing at about 9am. At about noon we were at the notch between lower and upper ridge. After getting to the ridge proper we ran into a bit of snow and decided to pitch out parts that would require some funky mix of rock, snow digging and tedious stepping. At one point I think we both were wondering if the route would go without crampons since neither of us brought them. Once at the base of the gendarme we were about 1.5 hours behind schedule. The upper ridge above the gendarme had the most snow but was manageable and went pretty quick. We were on the summit at about 8pm and quickly descended part of the Cascadian Couloir and traversed right to avoid a lengthy hike back to camp. Exhausted, we retreated into our sleeping bags and slept through the night. The next morning we hiked out in about 1.5 hours and hit the burger place in Cle Elum before heading home. Gear Notes: Alpine rack to 3", ice axe, boots and a light jacket. Should have brought sun block.

N Ridge is good to go. A little snow on the ridge but we managed to get past it without crampons. Give some extra time to pitch out the snowy sections.

Hey, I have no idea where he is right now. We used to be co-workers at the Bellevue and Redmond REI like 10 years ago. Sarah and I have been reminiscing about him as a crazy MF'er. Kind of reminded me of Tim The-Tool-Man Allen in climber form. I caught him on a 45 foot whipper at Vantage once. Scared the sh*t out of me. Anyone else climbed with him? Lets here some stories!

Sometimes the lock washer is forgotten when installing the nut How about some locktite and a lock washer?

From what I understand, it used to be more straightforward and was used more often but many of the climbers interested in traversing the southern group simply come in at Crescent Creek and out of Terror Creek. http://www.tonybentley.com/routesandrocks/Routes_&_Rocks_in_the_Mount_Challenger_Quadrangle_map.pdf http://www.tonybentley.com/journals/adventure/?p=17

No belay bolts? They are there but super rusty. You probably just passed them and stretched your pitches out more than ours.