lunger

good info., thanks G

It is good climbing rock. I'd say the pro is there when you need it. Any perceived runouts in the pics are more a function of long pitches and voluntarily-spaced pro on the more moderate terrain. Mike, we didn't use Rolf's bell-bottom-mural-van-era rack, but it would have suited the old school nature of the area...just around the corner to the east is the c. 1970 Firey route.

thanks for the report, both climbs on the list now. and nice pics!

cool TR and nice pics. gotta get back there sometime!

Haha mr marker, I think they prefer a tent. And wayne, the finger flying has flagged--it must be his rough edges are getting polished (credit: spouse), because i know i'm only get more annoying with time. Thanks folks. People should check this out if they've got a day to burn up there--this is the McTech (McTerror) Arete of Crescent Creek Basin. Woodcutter, the approach to Crescent Cr Basin is pretty well beaten in--seems to get a bit more so with passing time. But it is significantly harder to follow than the trail cutting right up to Terror Basin. Aside from hanging onto the trail/track, the only other piece of key beta is the elev. 2000' log(s) crossing of Terror Creek. And for emphasis, after crossing, just make sure you pick up the track after each occasional blowdown obliteration. Once up on the Barrier, in general the track stays quite close to the crest; the airy cliffs/dropoffs on the climber's right side are a useful handrail.

well done, gentlemen. that's a lot of rugged terrain to cover period, much less unsupported/no cache.

Trip: Mt Terror, Southern Pickets - Central Buttress of South Face III 5.9 Date: 7/13/2013 Trip Report: Rolf and I climbed this (likely) new route last weekend, provisional name = Fear and Loathing. Grade III (approx 6 pitches; we did 5 1/2 with a 70m), 5.9 adventure climbing on mostly solid (and well featured) Skagit gneiss. Another objective the next day turned us back, but we'll always have Terror. And loathing. After the most enjoyable and casual 6.5 hour approach (it's an acquired taste) to our camp near the Chopping Block, we could look across lovely Crescent Creek basin at Mt Terror. Hard tellin' not knowin', a route up the face sure looked improbable. We took a casual approach, waiting for the sun to get on the rock (frosty night), and weighed a number of potential routes. The most viable options appeared to be the butresses on the left, center, and right. We agreed the most aesthetic was the buttress snaking up most directly to the summit. Our route - poorly marked in red - goes up the barely lit central buttress to the summit: I didn't take v many pics, my camera was thawing out. And sorry ladies, no butt pics of Rolf on lead--he seemed to quickly disappear from view, as befits a rat. For first lead, I won rock paper scissors, and got probably the best pitch of the route. Up a steep juggy corner (careful hold selection), then a rising, more solid and exposed ramp, that at times gave that familiar feeling of pushing you off toward the void. Some 5.9 on this pitch, an engaging exercise putting together the pieces. Looking down pitch 1. Rolf's pitch 2 took the chimney/gully, 5.8 or 5.8+?, to a nice belay and decision point: the central buttress, or east buttress of the south face? We stuck with our original plan. For p 3, I hung a left and sent an easy boulder prob to gain the ridge crest and a spate of more sustained climbing before it relented to more wandery rambling. 5.8+ again? I stuck to the buttress crest, but there are certainly variations on this ledgy gneiss. Looking down p3 from a belay on the crest, just below a prominent tower; you can see the east buttress off on the left. Rolf's pitch 4 skirted the tower on the left; more moderate climbing, but also greater loose rock management. From his belay, I climbed some steeper rock (nice corners) and then ledge systems, carefully constraining the course of the rope to avoid dislodging some slayers. Super fun pitch, with fine air and views. Top of p 5; mt despair central background. For the last pitch, Rolf ran up a steepish blocky and juggy section, which then backed off to the remaining summit scramble. Nice views both ways along the Southern Pickets. L to R: McMillan spires, Inspiration, Degenhardt Glacier. We then boogied down the West Ridge route and then the couloir back to our packs. For fun and moderate climbing on mostly good rock, in a remote setting, I recommend this climb. More pics. Gear Notes: Tri-cams useful. Brought pins but did not use. Approach Notes: Lovely walk to Crescent Creek basin. There's now a non-high-wire-walking log that takes you across Terror Creek.

right on Tom, solid exposition of a stellar trip. gotta get back to that adventure zone...

beautiful day for a ramble in a fantastic area. you got some nice shots!

Super fun trip with plenty of inspiring views, engaging climbing, and hilarity--much thanks, Tom, for the invite. Have wanted to check out this side of Shuksan for a while, it's as remote and beautiful as imagined--all enjoyed from the comfort of our pimped Concorde. On the loose traverse, Price Gl background: Tom on the ridge crest, near the top: More pics here

skied the Kautz in mid-May 2008 and it furnished ample snow and excellent conditions for turns. hard tellin' not knowin', but you could likely catch it in good ski shape over the next week. as you note, can always downclimb a firm section.

nice trip hombre. that place is beautiful. perhaps add to your list, right out the front door of your affiliate-mobile home: Hue and Cry on the Watchman. Pete and i enjoyed this climb some time back.

nice one (or two)! and as always, great photos. is it just my limited perspective, or is that SE aspect of Larrabee more lean than is typical for this time of year?

enjoyed reading your tr! "interesting" approach, classic, done that. have wanted to return to the steeper aspects in that area since an early (10+ years ago) descent of Big C's western (?) aspect, back when i skied w/ broken bindings (tele)--one of these years soon for sure, thanks for the reminder.

Great TR, Dan. I posted my inferior version over on teh Sickness. That was one stellar adventure that keeps on fueling the belly-fire. Think I'm still recovering from our trip, and then immediately and subsequently getting wrung out by traipsing around the Sangre de Cristos with Sky.

way to slay, fellas! ew

lotsa gorgeous-looking skiing in that part of the range--thanks for the photos!

death to death! but w/ balls not bolts. well ok, maybe one or two placed on lead, but only if absolutely necessary. uh oh, boltstorm brewing sorry dan, back to your badass skiing already in progress.

i do believe the wall of death in this case is the east face that drops from the true summit of 3 fingies, not the aspect a bit further north that dave and john climbed. not to take anything away from your fine effort, but the AFAIK unclimbed wall o'death is a deeper problem to be solved. a bottle the soul to take that thing directly. as always, way to slay himmelstrafer.

Took some mojo to finish the more heinous part of the deproach w/ a busted arm. Heal well and quickly, hard core. holy frijoles that was a great trip. hard to beat skiing powder in a steep couloir in a spectacular area. Found a moment to upload some pics here. A sample: one from the approach, looking west from near the 7000+' col on Colonial W shoulder, w/ Mt Baker, Bunyan's stump, Pinnacle, Pyramid, Luna all laid out. and from high in the couloir (across the valley you can see the col on Colonial's west flank that we came over, right above that long mellow "approach couloir" that drops down to Neve creek--recommended for future interested parties):

neat video. spectacular place. if i recall correctly, the ramp has been skied! nutjob.

your photos do that area justice, thanks. so much skiing back there! but as noted, catching viz is critical.

2012 rocked—difficult to recall all the fun (“fun”?). this is a good way to cement the failing memory. In no particular order; well ok in reverse chronological order: + Family visit to hometown Hamilton MT wherein also got to climb in Blodgett canyon w/ my works-too-much brother + From Sky’s list above: Squamish sampling the Calling and Tantalus Wall (that, or our NM ramblings, hard to choose) + Canadian Rockies trip with Pete and Ryan, chasing weather windows + Northwest Face of Black Peak climb and ski w/ Dan H. -- one of the steepest commitmentest sickliest + “Area closed” with Rolf -- first experience with steep mixed -- think I’d be irreversibly hooked if not for the excellent skiing we have around here. Or maybe our route on W. Black Peak later in the year… Also lotsa good runs w/ my lady, a solo ski descent in the Olympics, and climbs/skis/times with Casey, Pete, Ryan, other Erics and sundry others--thanks all for enduring my company--looking forward to the next year w/ youse.

i'd take the nps report w/ a grain of salt, can be pretty dated info. this time of year, and downfall and/or snow could impede well before MP 21. don't mean to dissuade, just fyi. please report back if you go for it.

Cool. So is it Wed (14 Nov) or Tues (13 Nov)? The poster has a misprint. thanks for clarifying.