Jump to content

Rod_Xuereb

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    24

  • Joined

  • Last visited

    Never

 Content Type 

Posts posted by Rod_Xuereb

    Ruth Peak question

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    No rope necessary for Ruth. While you are there you might as well do Icy. I'd bring a rope for that though many may not. This is a nice easy weekend trip with some of the most spectacular views of Baker and the Price Glacier on Shuksan. We camped just before you

    descend the steep, loose gully leading down to the Ruth/Icy col. No need to carry your camp any further.

    [TR] Chimney Rock- E. Face Direct 7/3/2004

    in Alpine Lakes

    Posted

    Climb: Chimney Rock-E. Face Direct

     

    Date of Climb: 7/3/2004

     

    Trip Report:

    This is my first TR so bear with me.

     

    The trail in is excellent but the log crossing is washed out and a new one exists about 50 yards downstream. Follow the new trail to intersect the old one and go left over a shallow gully. You should end up near the far end of an old gray log that spans the gully. Pick up the trail here and follow it to the rock outcropping as described in Beckey(the one with the fire pit). From here follow the trail up and right to avoid a lot of slide alder and much pain. Eventually you will hit the rock buttress and a better trail with flagging that goes right to left under the buttress. This will come into the scree basin below the glacier with many good bivy spots.

    We followed the leftmost 45 degree plus (seems steeper coming down on headlamp) snow ramp out of the basin after we were almost hit by bowling ball sized vitually silent ice balls. Cross the glacier easily to the start of the route. The start is well noted by some old pink runner in a left facing dihedral. Follow the route as described in the Smoot book up to the Key ledge. On the sixth pitch 5.3 we didn't really climb a "pretty" dihedral but went straight up some vertical, hard to protect, lichen covered

    rock. It would be advised to look more carefully to the sides of this wall. Also I noted an old pin my partner didn't clip about 2/3 the way up this pitch. Continue up to the Key ledge and work your way to below the obvious set of chimneys. I chose the one to the right of what I would call a headwall, the leftmost and the narrower of the 2. In retrospect I may have picked the wrong one

    as Fred describes stemming and a large chockstone. Well, there was "stemming" but it was no wider than heel-knee and the chockstone was only14-15 inches wide. As I finally was able to place a piece I was found to be "stemming" with my old MSR helmet as I got it stuck twice while placing the pro. After some animal sounds and cursing I moved out onto the face to the right of this chimney's entrance that allowed scrambling to the top.

    The rap station went to the east but we rapped down to our packs that were rejected by the narrow enclosure.

    13 raps later we were on the glacier.

    We left camp at 0540 and got back at 2317 for a 17 hr 37 minute day. Too long for a couple of 50 year olds, even fit ones.

     

    Suggestions:

    Leave earlier. We belayed all the rock pitches, others may not. If you are on route the chances of falling are small but the consequences severe. Do not underestimate this route. I thought that this was a lot harder than the N.E. Buttress of Goode, except for the approach.

     

    Gear Notes:

    Ax, crampons, medium alpine rack with small cams and small to medium nuts usefull. Lowe slider's worked in a few places where nothing else did. Bring a real headlamp not even the brightest LED. Lots or runners unless you are the manky rapping king.

    We used a 60m 9.4mm rope.

    I was a bit nervous after having our 10.5 mm rope cut by rockfall last year. However, laziness trumped fear and wisdom and I sweated each rope pull after the rap. Two ropes would be prudent.

     

    Approach Notes:

    The snow and access to the route off the glacier are excellent and will be good for a couple more weeks.

    Mt Thompson

    in Alpine Lakes

    Posted

    I almost rode down a moveable hold going through loose crud on the east side of the summit block of Thomson. Not the recommended way.

    While on the subject of naming, my pet peeve is that there is no Denali peak. It is Mt. Mckinley in Denali national park. It was McKinley when I climbed it in '80 and it still is despite the political correctness of native names.

    Ptarmigan Traverse

    in Climbing Partners

    Posted

    I've done the Ptarmigan twice and would agree with most of the responses with the exception being the Middle Cascade Gl. There are some big crevasses there and the route can't always be as direct as you like. I would feel more comfortable with a third person, though I've done it with just the two.

    Buckner - Forbidden Trip

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    We climbed the N. Face of Buckner by camping on Sahale. Over the Sahale/Boston Col to the Boston GL. Up the N. Face down to horseshoe basin and up to Sahale again. A very, very long day. If you find an old Leica camera there I lost it in 1993.

     

    Rod

     

    P.S. Boston is a piece of crap and seldom climbed. I climbed it in the late 80's and there were only a few names between us and John Roskelley in the late 60's.

    Spider, Formidable

    in North Cascades

    Posted

    Did anyone (the guys on Buckner)see the north face of Spider while idling on a summit recently.

    Any cornices noted? I would appreciate any info on this route or the easy (south )routes up Formidable.

×
×
  • Create New...