Kalun_D

Mattski, Sounds like a honest mistake to me. If I see a fixed rope in the alpine with nobody right below it bivying, I'm going to assume it's abandoned. Not that I would take something like that because if I had to leave a rope I might try to come back for it. If it was just across a 4 ft moat then it's probably going to look like a bail. Sounds like an inappropriate place for a fixed rope and they just assumed it was abandoned. I've been climbing a long time, there's no theives past the end of the trail.

Have to go with Dreamer, but it is close. Dreamer longer + technically harder + more varied climbing + longer slab + easier approach + rope eater OW (rapping 4th? pitch) - rap descent - (need to check out walk off) Outer Space Longer hand crack + No fixed gear or belay stations + Easy walk off + too short - tics, tics, tics --- crowded -

Matt, Hit the trail till you get to the plane crash memorial plaque. Then look for a small indistinct climbers trail heading down right behind the plaque. Head for the bottom of the ridge, depending on visibility. Try to stay right below the ridge as you approach it to avoid potential icefall on either side(if the ice is still there). The Becky topo is a bit more detailed than others, especially if your doing the direct start. The 5th, 6th,and 7th(Becky) through the trees should be simuled or soloed all the way to the obvious gendarme at the start of 7th. Also simul the 14th, 15th, 16th. Only route finding problem we had was on the 11th were it goes right, around the arete. Also we never saw the 5.10 on the 12th, apparently we did a 5.8 variation right near it. Lots of the upper 1/2 of the route is like that...variations. The last place the snow melts out is on the gigantic bivy platform (14th, Becky). You may be able to glass the route if you go past the trailhead, up and left on the road. I recommend the Becky description of the descent. Note, compare the Nelson and Becky topos, and number the pitches on the Becky topos(they're not numbered) just like Nelsons. You'll have to do this for my pitch numbering to mean anything. There's bivies about every 4 pitches all along the route, so just go until near dark. Also a great bivy right on the descent trail.

Billy, approach and descent snow was casual,one pair of shoes the whole way, 5.10 guide almighty. no axe or crampons. pointed stick picked up along the way on the approach although didn't really need, found another smaller stick at the summit for the descent again didn't really need. Got lucky and found a small pool below a snowpatch the evening of the bivy, scooped water with the cap of water bottle, got 3 qts, pool was gone in the morning. wouldn't count on it. There will probably be snow pockets along the route especially at the notch bivy for at least a few more weeks.

Billy, the best bivy's were at the notch, about 6 to 8 , some still snow covered. Ours were on west side of ridge so evening sun. There were several good bivy's all along the route including a good cave about 3 pitches above the notch. day 1 depart trailhead 5:30am wed to base of ridge and climb 1500ft to notch bivy by 7pm day 2 depart bivy 6:30am climb 1200ft to summit by 2pm down cascadian couloir to car by 10pm I would NEVER do this in 2 days again. Both times I climbed Stuart before I took 3 days. I should have known better. It makes the difference between enjoyable and sort of like fun but not. My partner wasn't hurting like I was though, so I guess it depends on your conditioning. [This message has been edited by Kalun D (edited 07-14-2001).]

Billy, approach from south, Teanaway Rd. over goat pass and across and under the stuart glacier to base of ridge left trailhead 5:30am wed back to car 10pm thur. Too much vertical footage, not enough time. When your mind makes a promise that your body can't keep.

Lambone, Thanks for the congrats. Laid down for 8hrs but only 2 hrs. sleep cause too old to get comfortable on a thermarest mosquitos whining rats and picas jumping on bivy sack stress/adrenaline bivied on the summit a few years ago. I think there's a hierarchy. First come the rats and after they're satisfied there's no food then come the picas. This time I didn't bother trying to nail them with rocks. I was never cold although my partner was a little, he forgot his polypro bottoms. I damn sure am taking it easy for at least a week. [This message has been edited by Kalun D (edited 07-13-2001).]

Originally posted by Dru: "When those big sloughs come off the bypass glacier, they land right on the approach to the direct start, something to think about." Yes it looked like it was close, we tried to approach right up the center to minimize the hazard. "How was the Magic Carpet pitch, Kalun??" You have to trust small trees and shrubs, as long as they're green. It wasn't dirty or mossy though as Becky guide says. I should admit though I am biased, I never did go for the "shortcut" [This message has been edited by Kalun D (edited 07-13-2001).]

Job I had back in the late 70's. Company owned by this 1/2 cherokee guy. One of his previous companies he was flying a cropduster and hit a power line. The plane crashed and burned. He survived the crash but couldn't get the door open right away and was burned over 80% of his body. He walked/crawled 5 miles to get help. After 6mo in the hospital, all his skin grafted from a little place on his thigh, he got out of the hospital. He went to an Atlanta Falcons game shortly thereafter and someone spilled hot coffee on him and he didn't kill the guy.

See my post "N Ridge Sturt?" Crampons and axe not needed. The snow patch below false summit is large but only had to traverse 2 25' sections, stayed on rock most of the way. Easy stepkicking, you could use your hands to arrest.

Just did the N ridge of Stuart, the Ice Cliff Glacier is very broken up and the snow is soft. Lots of boulders perched in the snow and ice. While we were on the N ridge we frequently heard stuff falling in the Ice Cliff cirque including some big stuff. "Full" conditions for sure. I soloed this in April of 94 and the glacier was unbroken, except for the cliff(rotten glacier ice) and the shrund below the couloir. 12" of powder on a hard base on the glacier and hardpack in the couloir. The crux was the 30' 45deg overhanging cornice at the top, bypassed by rock on the right, way sketch. Descended the unbroken Sherpa, looks broken now. Think the low snow winter has adversly affected this route. Plus it gets sun from 10am or so this time of year, heinous. [This message has been edited by Kalun D (edited 07-13-2001).]

Success on complete N ridge of Stuart. Not willing to repeat. Extreme mental testpiece (for me anyway). Right from the start it was bad sign city, the altimeter read 6660 at the base (I'm not making this up). Teetering blocks and chopper flakes, all sizes, on more than 1/2 the pitches, although the rock on everything above mid 5th was generally sound and good pro . 7th pitch on direct start got to the belay and didn't like it because it included a 500lb loose block so belayed off route to the right. Jim led up and the rope kicked a head sized rock loose and it smashed right on the loose block, which luckily for possible parties below remained in place. Choice bivy where regular route meets ridge, perfect sunset. Mountain rats hopping on bivy sack all night (2hrs sleep). 1/2 hour after we started from bivy, rain started 2 ridges over east and north, and it was dumping in the icicle. I wanted retreat, Jim wanted to continue, I decided what the hey, besides we'd just passed a nice cave. Rain stayed close for 3 hours and brushed us on the 4th pitch off the bivy but then finally receded northwards (sigh of relief). The gendarme was best, guide almighty's were just good enough. The belay above the 2nd pitch had a gigantic detached flake right above it. I didn't notice it till Jim pointed it out on lead, luckily he was able to climb around it. We summited about 2pm and signed the register. We had planned on a west ridge descent but didn't want to put our necks back in the noose so took the cascadian couloir. Bataan death march time. Got to the bottom of the couloir (5000ft descent) and was at the end of my endurance (2 hrs sleep at bivy, only 1 power bar all day, and over the hill). Still had a 2000ft climb over longs pass and back down to the trailhead. I wanted to bivy again, but Jim wanted to go back that night, apparently afraid he was going to turn into a pumpkin. When we made it to the car I felt like one of those ironman triathletes that collapses at the line. Apparently the rangers do give out 50.00 tickets for not having a trail pass...oh well. The route is in great shape, didn't have to cross any snow on the climb although there is small pockets of snow here and there including the bivy where the regular route joins. The upper section bypass around the gendarm has some snow and wet rock but did look doable. The approach and descent snow was just right for kicking steps, crampons would have just balled up, hardly even needed the stick I took to the base. The direct start makes the climb quite a lot harder. It's 12 pitches with 1550ft vert gain compared to the upper 15 pitches with 1200ft vert(from where the shortcut joins) . Nelson shows 18 pitches, regular route to summit but we did it in 15 with a 60m rope. We hauled the 2nd pitch from the base (squeeze slot) and the 2 gendarme pitches. It was easy hauling as they were steep, clean, and less than 30m. Several good bivies all along the route. I would say it would be good to be confident in your simul climbing abilities. We were not and it slowed us down somewhat. The biggest pro we had was a 3 camalot and it worked on the off width above the gendarme (1 good fixed piece also). We both were able to fist jam this ow. We never saw the 4" cracks (Becky) on the lower section, we may have done a "variation" for a couple of pitches.

Did the complete buttress in Aug of last year. Would like to recommend the direct start for a couple of reasons. The first pitch is one on the best of the climb and the bypass has objective hazard. When we were about 1/2 way up a huge sluff came off right onto the bypass(there has been a death here). If you do the direct make sure and simul or unrope the 3 pitches through the trees. The direct route does start out kind of eerily as you pass through the plane crash debris field. I kept weight down by using the hiker/rock shoe 5.10 and by sleeping in a loft jacket and half bag . We started out with only one qt. water each, and took a stove, guessing correctly that there was snow at the 8th pitch bivy (not always the case in aug.). We did the climb in 2-1/2 days bivying on the route and the descent. I know it's commonly done in a day but I'm over the hill and sleeping tied in on a ledge can have an aesthetic appeal. My partner did the murderous bike ride, he forgot the car keys and only realized it by the time he got to the paved road! He got lucky with a ride back up the other side though. If I repeated the climb might look at the descent that goes back to the car. Have to say this climb is in the top ten for the NW.

lambone ""I was wondering if anyone had recomendations for footwear on the North Ridge?"" Going to use the same thing that I did on NE buttress of Slesse. "guide almighty" rock shoe/hiker in one. 2 little pieces of blue insolite pad stuffed in the heels (tighter fit) for the technical stuff(up to 5.9). Pull out the foam for the trail. No axe no crampons. Short stick carved to a point will get to the base (and left there).

Has anyone done the complete N Ridge of Stuart recently? Was wondering if it's snow free yet. thanks, regards, Kalun D