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OlegV

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    [TR] Mt. Rainier- Nisqually Ice Cleaver 6/7/2006

    in Mount Rainier NP

    Posted

    Great job, guys!

    We climbed Nisqually Cleaver few weeks ago. I am surprised this aesthetic route doesn't receive much traffic - it's the only semi-technical route on the south side (Muir approach) of Rainier. I can’t believe majority of people take the DC route - it maybe good for the West Butt training but not for enjoyment of climbing. In terms of danger, the DC has plenty of ice and rock fall potential. Back in the 50s, Nisqually was heavily traveled. The cleaver potentially has multiple lines of ascent, some are very steep.

    [TR] Rainier- Nisqually Cleaver 5/15/2006

    in Mount Rainier NP

    Posted

    Nice job guys. Nisqually Cleaver is a seldom climbed route. You may have a second ascent. I'm not certain, but perhaps Gator would chime in.

    Thanks! The line we climbed, I think, is an undescribed variation of the Nisqually cleaver, because we never set our feet on the ice cliff traverse and continued to climb up along the right slope of Nisqually Cleaver. Besides, we avoided the top of the Gibs Rock and traversed across to meet the DC at 13500 feet.

    6323Nisqually_route.jpg

    [TR] Rainier- Nisqually Cleaver 5/15/2006

    in Mount Rainier NP

    Posted

    if you climbed it solo in the winter and you were a girl...

     

    Pandora again... cry.gif

    we were continuously looking for her footprints - they all gone, of cause. Actually, the way this route is shaped right now, would make any solo a bad idea. It is not technically difficult, but heavily crevassed - something special about the upper Nisqually. Did she solo it all the way? We found the upper Nisqually requires more concentration than the cleaver. Anyway, it's a beautiful and fairly relaxing line, apart from high objective danger and route navigation. This girls has balls. confused.gif

    [TR] Rainier- Nisqually Cleaver 5/15/2006

    in Mount Rainier NP

    Posted

    Climb: Rainier-Nisqually Cleaver

     

    Date of Climb: 5/15/2006

     

    Trip Report:

    A friend of mine Rob and myself decided to climb the legendary Nisqually Ice Cliff. The route looked somewhat clear-cut from the picture, but as we later discover in action, many substantial irregularities were not noticeable from the base camp.

    6323Nisqually_route-med.jpg

    We left the Paradise at 10 am on Sunday wishing for much colder weather. We cut across the sun-baked Muir snowfield and dug out a nice flat platform at the base of the Cowitz cleaver at 9800 ft.

    6323Nisqually_camp-med.jpg

    We spent the rest of the day staring at the steep slopes of the Nisqually Ice Fall, and debating whether we’ll be hit by falling ice or rock in the temperatures above freezing. The Nisqually was peaceful for the time being. We left the camp at 3 am in hardly freezing conditions under full moon and low wind. The broad field below the Nisqually Cliffs, as expected, is a war zone evident by a broad trail of fallen ice and rock. Nothing fell when we passed the debris. Leading the first pitch at the lower bergshrund, I heard the sound of falling water and thought “Holly molly, our route is melting away!” Soon our progress was interrupted by a spicy vertical step formed by the bergshrund.

     

    The entrance to the lower couloir represents a low-angle enjoyable climbing with lots of opportunities for the leg rest.

    6323Nisqually_low-med.jpg

    Although rock fall did happen at the sunrise, and Rob once narrowly escaped a sizable brick, there is plenty of room under the overhanging cliffs of Nisqually Cleaver for the daydreaming.

     

    After passing the first band of the ice cliffs without problem, we looked right in the direction of the book-described ice shelf and discovered a jumble of crevasses and bulging cliffs. What looked like a smooth shelf from the ground was an amazing optical illusion.

    6323Nisqually_shrund-med.jpg

    6323Nisqually_icecliff-med.jpg

    We vote for the upward climbing on the left of the second band of the ice cliffs. Rob leads the second, steep couloir separating the cleaver and the icecliffs. At the same time, I fully enjoy unsafe belay just below the hanging icecliff.

    6323Nisqually_uppercliff-med.jpg

    6323Nisqually_icecliff1-med.jpg

    We passed the ice cliffs thinking: “That’s the end of the crux. From here, if we cut right, we’ll eventually end up on the broad smooth slope leading to the summit”. Ha! Not at all, crevasses are everywhere, thanks to the mighty river of the Nisqually Icefall. Many times we had to navigate between and across the soft snow bridges of the vomitingly deep and wide crevasses.

    6323Nisqually_12_5K-med.jpg6323Nisqually_view-med.jpg

    The never-ending change in horizons and new obstacles was quite enjoyable. Rob once had to lead a frozen hill of ice with a single ice screw! I love alpine climbing for its marginal safety and overoptimistic attitude of people who does it.

     

    If you are tired reading my translation, at 13.5K we finally spotted two figures coming down the DC. We quickly found the path and spent the next hour or so in the normal for this stage of climbing, zombie-like state, and started our slog up the DC to the summit. The DC descent was less than enjoyable and frankly boring. Sunburned and pretty tired, we got to our tent in the early afternoon. We looked at the line we just climbed, with the new eyes and agreed that it was amazingly entertaining adventure.

     

     

     

    Gear Notes:

    2 tools

    2 pickets

    30 m rope

    4 ice screws (used once)

    10 lb sun screen

     

    Approach Notes:

    Muir

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