Rad

If you can't get a permit, do Forbidden E Ridge Direct car to car. No glaciers or nasty gully to navigate, fewer crowds (though an early start is advised). You can simul-climb most of it so it goes pretty quickly and the descent off the backside is not as bad as people make out. The position is unparalleled. E Ridge Direct TR Sahale via Sahale Arm is pretty casual and can also be done in a day. Ditto Eldorado. Yes, it's wonderful to camp in the alpine, but when you get old like me you realize life is better if you don't have to carry a heavy pack up thousands of feet. Free your mind and your ass will follow. Oh, and the chances of getting a last minute Enchantment permit are even lower than N Cascades, so forget driving extra hours for that. The Full N Ridge of Stuart, however, needs to be on your list. It's a bigger day car to car than Forbidden. Or go do Slesse, but fires and smoke and 4x4 vehicle... Ah, youth.

I knew about fact that if you were with another but not roped, you were ok in NPS eyes. My question is why is OK to be unroped in a team but not unroped solo? I suspect that they left this unroped teams as an option for their climbing rangers operations. Any safety requirements would be impossible to enforce. People need to use their own judgment. Should you be unroped on the Inter- Glacier? It has a few crevasses, but few rope up there. What about around Camp Muir? Below Muir? On the crater rim? On the Emmons early season? Depends, depends, depends. The last thing the NPS, or any other agency, wants to do is mandate safety practices and try to enforce them, because this implies if you follow them you'll be safe. And that's just not the case. The best they can do is encourage you to bring standard safety equipment and use it. That's very different from mandating certain practices.

Another vote for that Chopping Block NE Ridge route. It's stunning, but short. Love that area.

Gene, MRNP doesn't have rules about being on a rope. The "solo" thing is about going up the mountain by yourself rather than with partners. If you look at the forms, there is very little by way of rules. Sad about these deaths. Mountains are dangerous for many reasons. Be safe out there and have fun.

Far more memorable than a trip that goes off without a hitch. No major injuries or deaths, so on to the next one!

Boom!

Yes, a single 70 meter rope is ideal. Thx for the update. Sadly, I'm recovering from an injury, so I won't make it out there.

I haven't been up there this year, but the N face of Vesper melts out suprisingly early in the season. You may still find some snow on the ledges approaching RE, however. Bring an ax along and call it alpine climbing.

I know folks who have bivied on the summit. Haven't been there myself.

Great TR. Wonderful adventure. So cool to see a wolverine!

Crazy!

Surely fake news.

Nice report and pics. The views are truly amazing, so you will have to go back. Later in the season the descent back to the lake is the best boot ski I've ever done. Super fun. And now you know all the beta.

Joe Simpson would like it back.

I've seen this recommended as the best approach, and one to do as a preventive measure.

Agreed. Stillcrankin, you can go back and edit your post to show more compassion for the people who will have to live with this for many years to come.

The only rappelling mishap I can think of off the top of my head is when I started down an overhanging face w a figure 8 and a bight of rope flipped up and locked everything up. I had no prussik or other way to unweight the rope. Fortunately, I wasn't too far from the top. I had to hand over hand up the ropes to the top of the cliff, which thankfully was only 10 feet, but if I'd fallen in that length I'm not sure what the 8 would have done to help or harm me, but it probably wouldn't have been pretty. I gave the 8 away the next day and haven't used one since. I haven't had other rappelling mishaps (knock on wood) and like Oly it always makes me at least somewhat nervous. That makes me check and check again. I have had multiple instances where I've inadvertently unclipped myself from everything when I was in a very exposed position and high enough off the deck that a fall would at least be life-altering. In one instance, my partner grabbed my harness and asked what I was doing. In the others I realized quickly what I'd done and clipped back in. So thankfully no accidents. In all but one of the cases there was a messy anchor that likely contributed to my mistake. I don't read ANAM every year, but there are plenty of patterns that keep repeating that I'm very aware of and try to guard against.

I feel so bad for the partners. IMHO, we must not write these off as "I would never do that" because you could. People do every year. It just takes a single error or moment of inattention at the wrong time, or sometimes it's just bad luck. So we learn what we can, try to be careful, and keep climbing.

Actually, it's very easy to do indoors. You can put removable bolts in t-nuts on any climbing wall and set up ropes, anchors, and everything you need to learn, test, practice, and experience different set-ups.

Truly tragic. I grieve for this young man, for his friends, and for his partners who will remember those few seconds for the rest of their lives. Gyms need to give ALL young climbers FREE basic training in rappelling, cleaning anchors, and other basic safety skills. There have been too many of these tragedies in recent years.

I sent a few questions via PM.

Good one TM! Maybe you can go up every Monday to collect all the shiny #1 Camalots that'll soon be accumulating from bailers. Sell on Ebay. The gear cycle of life.

Skis are aid And so are kite boards.

Skis are aid

BTW, great TR!