IceScrewed

We are planning on heading in Sunday to do this climb but with the late spring are wondering how serious the traverse after the rappel might be --when I did the route in the past (in early July) it was very straight forward. I've not seen any TRs for this year. Anybody with current info on the route's condition--or just observations from being in the area of the N side recently?

Sorry for not seeing this sooner. We did the Tooth 6/28 and the trail to Source Lake was essentially free of snow (other than a few patches). Continuous snow from Source Lake to the Tooth. The traverse around the back of the Pineapple was also snow free as was the route.

We have a permit that will put us on the Burgner-Stanley this coming Thursday. From recent reports, it sounds like we need boots to get there and back from our Snow Lake campsite. It made me wonder if there was a way to leave the boots at the base of the climb (i.e. a good rap route down the S Face)? As always, your sage advice is welcome.

Thanks...I think I'l leave it for some new route choss lover.

I am interested in doing the NW Buttress on Colchuck Balanced Rock and came across a posting from 2004 that mentioned a significant rockfall having occurred on the upper half of the route. I assume it is no longer the way it reads in Beckey's CAG. Could someone fill me in on the upper part of this route's current state?

OK...now I'm psyched!

Well, sounds like Gerber Sink it is (the wet chimney being an irresistible draw)! Don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. And now I no longer need to figure out whether the BB vs. Serpentine is the less enjoyable route.

O.W. Hmmm, the Gerber Sink is an interesting idea. I did the Triple on Memorial Day 30 years ago and just remember feeling like a sitting duck as the rocks came down the Hidden and I had to guess which way they were going to bounce. How's the route finding on the Gerber Sink below the Fin. Rockfall issues from other routes or in general?

Malcolm's a funny guy, a hell of a climber, and great storyteller. If you go ask him about the time he peeled off while soloing in Eldo.

My apologies. My friend is from the Jackson area and we've spoken of doing the Serendipity Arete on Mt Owen--which my feeble mind got confused with Serpentine Arete!

I have a friend visiting from out of state and we have an Enchantment permit for the 2nd week in July. In addition to the S Face Prusik and N Ridge Stuart I was thinking we'd do either the Backbone or Serendipity on Dragontail. So what's your opinion on which is the more fun route?

Spoke to Jim Nelson about the descent of NE Face to the Boston glacier...he's never gone below the traverse ledge that takes you back to the E Ridge (although he did say he now prefers to eliminate the raps and downclimbs the upper N Ridge and picks up the traverse ledge there). Also spoke to a climbing ranger up there and he speculates that the rock lower down is chossy and that there could be non-trivial 'schrund problems upon reaching the glacier. As for us, we're leaving in a few minutes and I expect we're going to bivy at the top of the couloir on the W Ridge of Forbidden and do the two raps to the Forbidden Glacier doing the NW Face tomorrow and returning to our bivy. THe next day we'll cross Boston-Sahale Col and do the N Face. Not quite the circle I had hoped to do but some great climbing to look forward to.

While I hate to be contrary, in a year like this the couloir is really 'in' in October...

Hmmm...sounds like the big cam stays on the rack. Thanks for setting me straight (something many have tried to do for a long time).

I understand that there is a fixed piece in the off width crux so you need not bring a large cam for the Gardarme...is that true?