lunger

thanks! deserves awareness. and, one less unanswered question in my cluttered little mind...

nice work--'tis beautiful country back there. i like the term "Snoq Pickets" when we went in, same start, but then to the N of where you went, up Lemah Creek, then to this amazing valley/gorge. recommended day trip, but hanging out in that valley would be sweet too.

with a little running, and even a bivy (with wife, not trying to set any records), this was done in < 24h a few Septembers ago. i bet one of you enduros (e.g. OTHook) could do it in, hmmm, 12-13 hours. betting pool?

i hear-tell that a certain superdave has those wheaties for breakfast, then walks off... the comparison is tough, what you give up on Grand (continuity of line) is made up for by the length, and ***** climbing on many pitches. as said, both are awesome; but for us Puget Sounders, access to DHLA scores it points too.

bumblies have climbed Dome peak in < 24 hours.

thanks for the report. wonder what "issue 119" means... i've wanted to climb that NE chimney for years.

yeah klenke good info. btw, re: pythagoras, i think it works out to 8.3 cm, or 83 mm.

great write-up. liked the bit about new climbs sticking with you. good work.

sweeeeeeet.

fantastic route. nice work. this made me chuckle--somewhat uncomfortably--as we went the same way, and I had the same moderately bowel-shaking experience on that horror-show pitch. hahaha. sweeet blood-red rock.

Nice expose`, John, and good collection of pics. RE: this bit: "Depending on which line you follow (red or black) will determine what route you take to the false summit." We actually had the option to take either finish to false summit from the top of the pillar, and chose the left. I'm still not convinced that red line = FA route; recent discussion w/ the FA leads me to believe that they finished further right near the top. But, 20+ years is a long time to recall these kind of details. In the end, it's a big fat whatever--as you said, by whichever route, it's a stellar place for rockclimbing...

those pics are outstanding. looks like kick-arse climbing.

nice report portersteak, cool adventure. re: TBB, that's ok, never 'deserved' it anyway, you can call me "rolf".

Thanks for the clarification, happily don't have much experience w/ gigantic rockfall, seems feasible. Would v. much like to see your pic. PM or post, please.

thanks for the comments fellas. with a couple minor zags, we went straight up the center of the N facet of the Pillar. there're double cracks and a splitter that make a logical, nearly plum line up the center, w/ a little step left (w/in 40' of the top) to finish. we topped out on the knife edge of the pillar. then, we down-climbed left side of pillar c. 15 ft, and went up. (sounds like it would've been easier to go right and up? we wondered.) not sure how rockfall could've 'created' this line, unless there was rock that obscured, then revealed it. certainly wasn't any apparent scarring. there were scruffy seams off to our left at mid-height, but didn't seem a logical way to go...anyway, i plan to talk to the FA, just to slake curiosity. whatever the route, it was a great time and an engaging challenge. worthy of further investigation.

ok, your shots and report have put Gato back on the list. having climbed a line to the left of that earlier this year, i was skeptical. but G.N. looks a lot better. thanks!

Cool, thanks for the NW Butt descent beta--sounds like it might've been only marginally better right now. Yes, we did free the crux (K led it), and on TR it felt like Index 11-. My impression would likely be different if I'd drawn that pitch. Pitches 1 and 3 are 5.10 and tons o' fun.

Trip: Mt. Stuart - Girth Pillar via lower N Ridge Date: 7/27/2007 Trip Report: A couple days ago, Kevin N. and I found this route in great shape. Seems a bit has been written here before; I'll echo the general sentiment that the Pillar features some of the finest rock climbing in the Cascades. 3 pitches of steep, sustained, and thought-provoking climbing in stupendous position--words and pictures fail. Go climb it. Left Mountaineers Cr to climb the lower N Ridge (fun rock by itself), then gained the Ice Cliff Gl above the calving seracs. Surmounted minor firn/neve difficulties to make good time to the pillar (hit the base of the business mid-morning, and Stuart greeted us w/ an impressive clamor of snow shedding from the NE Face slabs). I drew the first pitch, which had negligible wetness, fun moves and a good wake-up call for the steepness above. Kevin sent the p.2 crux on-sight, and I followed cleanly--we were stoked. The third and last pillar-pitch rocks--high mountain woody time. The Sherpa Glacier descent is probably past its prime, but we had the glacier gear along, and 'twas nice to get our dried husks out of the sun. Currently the descent--fairly technical with hard snow and loose rock--was probably more taxing for me than the ascent (fatigue?). Rapped once to clear a 'shrund, burning some of our booty. (We netted 8 stoppers and 2 'biners, one a bitchin'...neutrino! On the Girth Pillar! Imagine that.) I'd be curious if anybody can corroborate AlpineDave's posting in another thread: " I'm surprised no one has mentioned rapping one of the buttresses further East from the Sherpa glacier. I've read a report of people climbing close to the base of the West Ridge of Sherpa, and then rapping down to the basin below. Sounded pretty strait forward, with maybe 8-10 single rope rapps at existing stations. " I've not done the NW Buttress descent, but am casting about for the best option this time of year. The Teanaway/Ingall's approach would've been WAY hot late last week, and didn't fit well w/ our plans. We didn't see any humans on the N side. For several hours during the climb, a hummingbird accompanied us with its sound effects--cool. Hiked down in the cool of the early evening. Encountered a porcupine, and a beautiful, resident buck both on way up and down. On the wildlife topic, the friendly bugs also embraced us with open mandibles and proboscises, always spurring action. Arrived in der hamlet w/ a flat tire to fix, just past kitchen closings. Contented w/ the Champagne of Beers and chips for the tired drive home. Kevin passed out in the passenger seat; I only passed out once (Chevy Chase style), luckily while stopped at a Monroe traffic light. Some pics, a few more in the gallery: leaving rock for the glacier: step of vertical snow: Pillar shots were challenging, with sunlit glaciers and shadowed climbers. You photog's out there please chime in w/ advice on how to get a good shot in these conditions, sans flash. One attempt yielded an impressionistic result--the blur appropriately connoting K's speed (and steeze): K following p1: This pic's for the special edifier (caption = "not exit 38"): sendbot: a more chill portion of the descent: go that way: Gear Notes: medium large rack was good to have.

tried pm but no go. interested in ltweight therma, and z rest. will try pm later w/ details

more importantly...forget it.

Right on, Jon, way to put together some long days! No BMW required. Looking over at the Star/Oval area, I wouldn't have guessed at the lacustrine beauty. I hope to get out with you on this and the 'next 50' project...strategy: save a relatively easy one for your 100th birthday.

Hansel; so hot right now. which route(s) has(ve) the cool-looking chimneys and squeezes? nice day on the upper walls yesterday, despite some mugginess.

right on fellas! envious.

funny report. i agree--Sessions are 11 ounces each. we're onto you weird hat folk. never trust a gypsy, rotary, or whatever.

yes you are--you love ow/squeeze chims with spice...and the topper 20' of hand/fistcrack makes that pitch oh so worthwhile. Ross is so generous, he let me lead the 2p of off-size fun in exchange for taking the .11 block of 2 pitches up top: a STEEP pitch of stellar and varied fingers and hands; then the wild 'jump on the fumble' move, a strenuous undercling fling to embrace the football chockstone. this was a fun route! a couple pics here, and a couple more in the gallery: "intimidating-looking" L-facing chimney etc: Ross follows p2: Here's the novel football (too busy belaying this strenuous lead to get an action pic): cool cannonhole in big kanga: