denalidevo

Trip: Prusik Peak - South Face, Stanley-Burgner Date: 10/18/2010 Trip Report: Chad & I climbed Prusik in a day on Monday. Beautiful Fall weather with nary a soul around. It was delish! ... Video TR: [video:youtube] Photos: Prusik Peak Oct 18, 2010 slide show on Flickr Gear Notes: Single C3's red & yellow Single C4's .3 - #4, doubles from .5 - #3 Nuts 12 draws 70m rope Approach Notes: In & out Snow Lakes trail: 16 hrs., 10 min. car-to-car

Thanks Matt - couldn't be there but glad for all the work you folks put in. Next funding target: $ for a retractable roof over LTW?

Trip: Snow Creek Wall - Remorse / Outer Space Date: 9/13/2010 Trip Report: From original TR on my blog: http://climb.denalidevo.net/2010/09/rock-climb-remorse-outer-space-sep-13.html Salvaged aborted plans to climb Dragontail Peak (partner bailed) by climbing Outer Space on Snow Creek Wall with Chad Monday. Met in Monroe at 6 am, left Icicle Canyon at 7:52 am and were at the base of SCW in 1 hr, 10 min. It was looking busy for a weekday - there were already three parties on route above. At 9:25 am we began ascending via an alternate start, Remorse (3 pitches, 5.8) - the same combo I'd climbed with my buddy Dave in October of '06, so I switched it up by leading all the pitches I'd followed the first time around. CHAD AT THE BASE OF SNOW CREEK WALL Chad led pitch one: a short, grassy 5.6. I led the sketchy 5.8 friction traverse, all the while wishing I hadn't left several small cams at the car. Didn't help discovering that the trigger wire on my single .3 Camalot was also broken! CHAD FOLLOWING PITCH TWO OF REMORSE Chad led pitch three via some slabby face and a blocky chimney up to Two Tree Ledge where we joined the queue waiting to climb Outer Space. It was around 11:30 am. CHAD, PITCH THREE OF REMORSE After a 45 minute wait I began the crux lead: an airy 5.9 finger crack hand-traverse above rotten hollow flakes for feet that I swore were gonna' detach without notice and send me flying into space. The protection was good though and I pushed through the grip and gained the belay without mishap. CHAD FINISHING THE CRUX PITCH OF OUTER SPACE Chad led next: an adventurous 5.7 pitch through a sea of gigantic knobs to the top of a pedestal. Above us on the 300-foot headwall were two pitches of some of the sweetest crack climbing on the planet. Unfortunately we had to wait again. It was approximately 2 pm. IS IT THE WEEKEND? WAITING AT THE BASE OF PITCH FIVE Somewhere's around 3 O'clock we were moving again. A few delicate 5.8 face moves protected by a thin crack led to a splitter hand crack amidst a plethora of chicken heads - heaven itself may not contain such a delectable combination of granitic perfection! With well over a hundred feet of 2-3" crack to go before Library Ledge I was conservative with my gear, often placing a cam above me, climbing past it, then "bumping" it higher while standing on bomber knobs. Overall I placed one red #1, two gold #2's and two blue #3 Camalots in the hand crack. CHAD CLIMBING THROUGH A SEA OF KNOBS ON PITCH FIVE OF OUTER SPACE At Library Ledge we met the two gentlemen who'd been gumming up the works for everyone all day. They'd just let the party ahead of us pass and were getting ready to climb the final pitch. It was obvious they were a bit over their heads on this climb but you had to give them credit for going for it. All-in-all we waited another hour while they climbed the final pitch - ugh. At least we had some fun conversation with a pair river guides from Utah while we hung out. Finally, Chad took the sharp end and did a splendid job negotiating the short-yet-tenuous 5.9 finger crack directly above the belay; the rest was more sublime hand crack and knobby dreaminess. 35 minutes after he began his lead I joined him and quickly dispatched the short unprotected "oh-my-god-how-big-could-these-chicken-heads-get" 5.0 pitch to the summit of Snow Creek Wall. It was now about 5:40 pm. After slurping some water, downing a quick snack and saying "hi" to the furry horned locals, we began our descent. OBLIGATORY MOUNTAIN GOAT SHOT 1 hr, 10 min later (just after 7 pm) we were at the car enjoying some Kona Pipeline Porter and reminiscing over a rather fine climb, well except for all the waiting of course. More pictures: Remorse / Outer Space photo set on Flickr » Short video: [video:youtube] Gear Notes: Nuts: 4-11 (used many times) Cams: Camalot C3 - red & yellow (wished I'd brought the purple and green) Camalot C4 - single #.3 (broken trigger) and .4, doubles .5 through #3 (adequate - one more #1 and #2 might be worth the weight) 10 draws - 4 quicks, 6 alpine (adequate - a few more might have been useful, but I like draws) 1 double runner 1 cordelette, 1 rabbit runner 1 nut tool Approach Notes: Car to base: 1 hr, 10 min Estimated time climbing: 5.5 hrs Approximate time waiting: 3.75 hrs Summit to car: 1 hr, 10 min (incl. short break for food, packing) Carrying our (small) packs with us and NOT having to return to the base was definitely the way to go. Wearing helmets and harnesses on the descent recommended: lots of loose choss and one rappel on the descent that I'd forgotten about.

Was up there last week. Still camped on snow at Sandy Camp, 5,900 ft, though it was melting out fast. Route is in fine shape, more snow than years past at this time. A few major crevasses between 7,500 and Sherman Crater, but easily circumvented. Route is pretty direct and obvious. Roman Wall has a few cracks on it that probably have grown a bit, but shouldn't hold you back. Not sure how the recent precipitation event may have affected things... http://www.denalidevo.net/2010/08/recap-mt-baker-6-day-mountaineering.html

Yeah, I made a number of guffaws due to my breathless, stream-of-consciousness narrative state, but left them as-is since there wasn't going to be any second takes!

Actually, it was all done with 4-year old digital camera and a bit of editing in iMovie...

Trip: Mount Stuart - West Ridge Date: 7/24/2010 Trip Report: Climbed the West Ridge on Saturday with David B. Started climbing at 7am. We soaked it all in, took several breaks, were meticulous with our route finding and summited without mishap at 2pm. A superb route in stellar conditions - good times! [video:youtube] Lots more pics here: West Ridge photo set on Flickr Related link: TR on my climbing blog Gear Notes: 8 nuts, 5 Tri-cams, Camalots #2 & #3 6 alpine draws 2 four-foot runners 1 cordelette 60m half rope, doubled Ice axe (each) - very useful Aluminum 'pons (1 pr.) - not used Approach Notes: In: via Ingalls Lake, bivied at base of route, 7,100 ft. ~ 3.5 hrs Out: via Cascadian Couloir / Ingalls Creek / Long's Pass ~ 6hr 20min

Think I'll bring my aluminium 'pons but go sans axe - I'll have a approach pole w/ me. Thanks.

Thanks - some trip reports I've read mention steep snow just past the east summit, others don't.

Do you mean the Cascadian Couloir? Thought that was a snowfield.

Planning a trip up the West Ridge of Mount Stuart this Fri - anyone know if an axe and 'pons are necessary with the unusually late snow pack this year? Thanks!

It's not that us guys don't make it easy. It's that you make it hard upon yourself. Stop claiming FFAs/FAs on highly trafficked rock and being such a doucehbag when someone loses gear or when your beer gets kiped and you'll find that we're a pretty generous lot. Hell yeah, what he said!

I've used the SuperTopo book - really like it. Fav climbs: The Grack, Center Bishop's Terrace Church Bowl Lieback Crest Jewel Royal Arches Nurdle Sloth Wall Sherrie's Crack Boneheads Munginella Nutcracker Harry Daley Chouinard Crack Commitment Selaginella East Buttress Middle Cathedral

Is the new guidebook printed or in digital form?

Dane, I agree completely - the Rainier Climbing blog is completely useless as of late... HUGE bummer. No disagreeemnt about anything you said. But take a look at the blog which had quickly become the focus point for all climbing on Rainier: http://mountrainierclimbing.blogspot.com/ and how it is updated now, how useful the info is to climbers and how it was updated say in 2008, only one season ago. Then think of how much more info could easily be there for anyone climbing on Rainier if the NPS and all the guide services contributed on a daily basis.

I wasn't assuming anything. All I was noting was the fact that if he'd registered, we'd know who he is - that's a fact, not an opinion. I made no comment on whether I thought it was good or bad, smart or stupid (that is your reading into my reply), just that he took specific risks because of his choice. I personally don't care if he registered or not. If he chose not to register because of philosophical differences with NPS policy, that's fine w/ me (I can even appreciate why if it was for the reasons Dane has listed) - but he still incurred risk because of it, even if he told someone else, which I hope he did. And of course that means you are assuming that he did not tell one of his loved ones and therefore making an ass out of yourself? As a fellow bandit climber, I know that registering for a climb on Rainier is only a NPS liability issue and by not registering I absolve them of liability. I'm not dumb enough not to tell someone where I'm going, what my plans are, and what time to call the sheriff for body retrieval if I'm not back by then. It's pretty pompous of you to assume he is less intelligent. The reason is because his family probably has not been fully notified.

We don't know the missing climber's name because he bypassed the permitting process and didn't register. I understand (and can share) your frustration with the NPS cuts and paperwork mess, but willfully choosing to bypass the process is your own decision and assumption of the risks involved. Not to mention climbing in blatant disregard to the conditions...

Somebody's arse is on fire! And it's the guide companies fault that the privates passed them up and continued on how? Now yer being silly.

FYI: Special June 7 NWAC avalanche advisory for Cascade volcanoes

Which AAI was that - Alpine Ascents Intl. (in Seattle) or American Alpine Institute (in Bellingham)?

These two incidents were on different days: the one Paul_Reststep mentions occurred Wed, June 2 as AAI guides and clients were descending from high camp at the Flats after spending the night in a storm. They were not ascending on a summit attempt in known avalanche conditions, instead they were attempting to return to safety in stormy conditions - high winds that turned a 40 min hike into a 3 hr epic. Tell me you've never done something similar to reach safety. The experience of the lead guide was such that I wouldn't be too quick to round up a linch party. I'm guessing the reason why it didn't appear in the news is the same for any other climbing incident not reported, whether independent or guided: no one was hurt or killed. No conspiracy there. I'm amazed that the guide services are able to bury attention to their accidents. If this had been a recreational club climb, the critics would be having a field day. tomtom- This, from denalidevo's first post on this thread:

I think something is being lost in this conversation: the mountain experience. This seems particularly easy to overlook in the case of guided climbing. People naturally think of the summit as the goal and thus no summit = failure (therefore all this talk of refunds). As a guide, even in the best of conditions I have never guaranteed any client the summit - there are just too many variables to do that, and we tell them that upfront before we leave Seattle. The guides that I have had the pleasure to work with at Alpine Ascents (and the company as a whole) stress educating our clients as to the unique and rewarding aspects of climbing in rare alpine environments. Our priorities are, in this order, 1) safety 2) a fun and educational mountain experience and 3) the summit. Many clients who have not made the summit, though disappointed, have enjoyed their trip because they have experienced something they'd never dreamed of before. Basic things like traveling in bitter conditions; staying warm; feeling the energy of a storm; breathing thin air at altitude; learning to use crampons, ice axe, and travel on a rope, sleeping in tents on snow; and, yes, learning that making the summit is more than hiring a guide and training hard! My clients from this last trip (which never left Muir) had such an experience. As independent climbers, it is easy to take this for granted and focus on the summit as the litmus test for success, but for clients, this is all new to them. Think about your own first forays into climbing and remember what it was like to be in that wild and wonderful place.

Do you know this as a fact or is this just speculation on your own part? If it is speculation (which it is), then why spread misinformation? At that point you are not helping the person asking the question, just the opposite. Just so you know, here is RMI's official refund policy (I looked it up myself). There is no stipulation based on getting above 10k: FYI: I do not work for RMI, I do guide for a competitor, Alpine Ascents, who doesn't offer refunds for the reasons you speculate.

I was on the mountain the morning of the avalanche (guiding for Alpine Ascents). The climbers caught in the avalanche most certainly were NOT part of a guided group. In fact it was RMI guides who unburied the four climbers caught in it and led the rescue operation in cooperation with the climbing rangers. I spoke to several RMI guides afterwards about what happened. The guides at the scene had already made the choice to turn their summit bid around due to the sketchy snow conditions. They had left their clients at a safe zone on the Ingraham while they went uphill to dig some snow pits when the avalanche let loose. Although I can't speak for everyone, I don't know of any guides that would "push" clients to climb in such conditions. Our Alpine Ascents group never left Muir for Ingraham Flats Sat because we guides were very aware of the sketchy conditions. We spent a lot of time explaining to our clients how bad things looked, and the avalanche only confirmed our judgement. I'm not sure why the private parties caught in the avalanche thought it was a climbing day, but to us guides who have seen the weather over the past week have been very wary of what appeared to be evolving on the mountain. Being new to this board and climbing, I apologize if this question is inappropriate, but....Was the group caught in Saturday's slide part of a guided trip? I only ask because I am scheduled for two guided trips this summer. I read climbing forecast on Friday that would have definitely kept me off the mountain for the past few days. Would guides normally push clients to climb with the forecast that have been posted for the past few days?

Trip: Bathtub Dome/Clem's Holler/Special Spot - The Drain and more... Date: 5/29/2010 Trip Report: Full TR at http://climb.denalidevo.net/2010/06/rock-climb-cragging-memorial-weekend-10.html Routes climbed Dave's Arete New Fixtures Chumstick 2-step The Drain Playin' Possum The Javelin Semi-Final Gear Notes: Nuts: 1 set Cams: single set C3's and C4 .3; doubles C4 .4 to 3 Approach Notes: Bathtub Dome: 55 min, slow and steady Clem's Holler: 30, same