denalidevo

Trip: Prusik Peak - West Ridge Date: 7/23/2005 Trip Report: On Saturday, July 23, 2005 Hunter and I climbed Prusik Peak in a day via the West Ridge (5.7). Approach was via Colchuck Lake/Asgaard Pass. This was one of the finest days I've ever had in the mountains - climbing with a good friend on a beautiful summer day on a classic route. Doesn't get better than that. Distance: 20 miles round trip Elevation gain: 5,200 feet Time: 16 hours, 15 minutes car-to-car We camped in the Icicle Friday night, got up at 4 a.m. Saturday and were on the trail to Colchuck Lake by 5:35. We were at the base of the West Ridge by 11:30, climbing by noon, summited at 2:30, and descended back to the base by 4:00. We took our time hiking back to Asgaard Pass, basking in the beauty of a perfect summer day in the Enchantments. We gained the junction of the Stuart and Colchuck trails by 9 p.m., hiked the remaining distance by headlamp and were at the the parking lot before 10:00. At camp we consumed some munchies and beer and crashed for the night. I don't remember sleeping more soundly. Dragontail in the early morning light Hunter humping it up Ass-kick Pass Dragontail panorama Prusik in sight The West Ridge Base of W. Ridge - Hunter's ready Hunter following pitch 1 The traverse pitch - sweet exposure! Summit Descent photos - it was a gorgeous day Exhausted Hunter Gear Notes: Alpine rack, 60m rope, tag line Approach Notes: Trail

As I recollect we started on a nice trail to Bedal Basin, then headed off cross-country for Sloan. Somewhere along the way we headed up the wrong side of a drainage and had to descend into some slide alder and cross a creek to get back on track. Probably user error...

Trip: Sloan Peak - Corkscrew Route Date: 6/27/2006 Trip Report: On June 26-27, 2006, I climbed Sloan Peak with Phil Prins and Rich Guthrie (this was the first time I'd climbed with Phil since McKinley in '03). We took an alternate approach via Bedal Creek. It was described as a 4 hour cross-country jaunt but we managed to push it to 8 hours with some "creative" navigation choices and extended bushwhacking. Summary: left the trailhead at noon, arrived at base camp at 8pm after being whupped and beaten by slide alder, devil's club and unseasonable heat. Went to bed to a wonderful sunset though! June 26: Rich & Phil rearin' to go Deep brush Approaching high camp Settling into camp Sunset on Three Fingers and Whitehorse Glacier Peak June 27: Summit day stats: Left base camp @ 6am, el: 5,700 ft Summited @ 9am, el: 7,835 ft Returned to base @ 11:00am Missed the trail on the way down - another hour of bush-whacking :-( Back at trailhead @ 3pm Summit day pics: Sloan Glacier Good times! Link: Sloan Peak - June 27, 2006 photo set on Flickr Gear Notes: Glacier rig & rope Approach Notes: Bedal Creek approach = lots of bush-whackin'

I'm just speculating, but my Neutrino's (non-hooded) fit through smaller openings (crowded hangers and the like) better than my hooded wiregates (Wild Country's) - the hood widens the nose. This design seems to combine a narrow nose profile with a wiregate and keylock functionality, kinda' cool if it works. Since it's Petzl, it probably does.

Trip: Mt. Shuksan ski descent - Sulphide Glacier Date: 7/1/2006 Trip Report: Climbed Shuksan Saturday, July 1, 2006 with Scott, Aaron, Dave and Mia. Scott and I packed in our skis for the descent; Aaron brought his board. The rest would just have to hoof it. Left Everett w/ Scott and Mia a little after 1 am; started off from the trailhead at 3 am. Witnessed a beautiful sunrise on the way: Mt. Baker Skier in profile Weather was gorgeous. We slogged the Sulphide, soaking in the scenery. Slogging pics: Summit pyramid Arrived at the base of the summit pyramid at 11:15 am. Mia, Dan and I continued to the summit via the 4th-class gully, topping out at noon. Forgot how sketchy the rock was on Shuksan. There was still a lot of rotten, melting snow in the gully - made things interesting, especially in plastic ski boots. On the descent, Mia & Dave rappelled while I chose to down climb, trusting my footwork more than the rap anchors. Below the pyramid Mia scrambling to the summit Baker from the summit Dan on the East Ridge Summit shot Scott & I began our ski descent @ 12:30 pm. Aaron had tweeked his bum knee on the way up and was unable to board, so he gimped his way down with Mia and Dan. The skiing was ok - soft "mashed potatoes" - nothing to write home about, but better than slogging on foot. Still, we had to stop and wait for the others several times so we didn't really save any time. A few ski pics, courtesy of Scott: We were all pretty beat when we arrived at the car at 5:30 pm, It was a blazing hot day and we'd spent over 12 hours in the sun. Stopped in Burlington at Tacos Guaymas for dinner - Mmm good! I hit my bed hard at 9pm and slept for 12 hours. Good times. Links: Mount Shuksan - July 1, 2006 Flickr photo set Scott's TR at ClimbWashington.com Gear Notes: 30m rope, pickets, skis, sunscreen Approach Notes: Trail

Climb and guide w/ him.

Yes it is.

Trip: Sahale Peak / Forbidden Peak - Quien Sabe / West Ridge (attempt) Date: 7/3/2006 Trip Report: On July 3 & 4, 2006 I did some climbing around Boston Basin w/ my friend Dave, whom I'd recently met during a WFR course. July 3: I met Dave in Burlington at 6am then drove to Marblemount to get our camping permit. I was a bit surprised we scored one considering it was a holiday weekend, but there weren't many people registered - just our luck! Drove the Cascade River road, arrived at the climber's trail at 9am, hiked into Boston Basin and made high camp around 1pm. Approaching Boston Basin, Torment-Forbidden in the distance Our bivy below Forbidden Dave and I got settled and then proceeded to get bored and ancy - there was lots of daylight left and we were doing the West Ridge of Forbidden the following morning. We twiddled our thumbs and I stared at the Quien Sabe and Sahale Peak. The route up the glacier looked to be in great shape. I started musing about how long it would take to "run up" it. I estimated 3 hours to the summit. That would leave us with plenty of daylight. Dave was intrigued but initially noncommittal. 20 more minutes of inactivity cured that however and we decided to go for it - at least go as far as we could with the time we had. Clear path up the Quien Sabe - too good to pass up We left camp @ 2pm. The route was straight forward and we made the summit in 2hrs, 40min. The view from Sahale's summit was spectacular: Glacier, Sloan, Boston, Forbidden, Eldorado, Baker - all in full glory. On the upper Quien Sabe Bad-ass mountaineering shot Below the summit block The final scramble Dave enjoying the spectacular summit view The descent to camp took just 1 hr - just in time for dinner and an early bed. During our absence a marmot had munched on my bivy sack! It was completely ruined. What a pisser. We fell asleep to bright stars and a half moon. Sunset on J-berg July 4: We awoke at 4am to high clouds - no more stars. Made coffee and a hasty breakfast and began our way towards the West Ridge at 5am. Changing weather - Jacob's Ladders in the distance Shortly after starting out it began to rain. The clouds to the south were an intense black and moving our direction. Then it began to thunder and lightning - our signal to bail. The rain began to fall harder on our way down to camp, then relented for a bit as we packed. However, the heavens opened up soon after we began to make our way out of the basin. I managed to lose my favorite Nalgene bottle on the way down - not a fun trip for my gear. The forest provided some relief from the rain but once we entered the brush on the lower trail we were soaked completely through in no time. At the car I drained several cups of water out of my boots. With dry clothing donned I bid adieu to another thwarted attempt of Forbidden. Soggy Dave Links: Boston Basin - July 3-4, 2006 Flickr photo set Gear Notes: Nuts, Hexes, a few cams, 9mm rope Approach Notes: Trail

Yeah, I've researched the String Ridge online - know where I could see one in real life? I like the weight, the vestibule and the pockets. Def. cheaper than a Hille.

Went to FF today and checked out the Jannu. I think it's the nicest, lightest freestanding 4-season tent I've seen. It's very roomy - more than most other 2-mans tents. I checked out the Nallo 2 (lighter version of the Nammatj) as well, but prefer the freestanding Jannu for it's smaller overall footprint when pitched on a narrow ledge. I hear ya. I'm very good on my gear, so the fabric doesn't worry me so much. The Jannu pole setup is very similar to the MH Trango setup I used the past several years on Rainier and doesn't seem that tricky. I've set up some Bibler tents and remember having a difficult time seating the two poles inside the tent. Sounds like the ID tents are easier. Also, I haven't tested it in the field, but the fact that you could tear down the Jannu's inner tent while remaining sheltered from bad weather under the fly (and vice versa) is very tempting. I can see your point, not sure myself w/o field testing it. It could also complicate setting the tent up in high winds if it tangled up with the rest of the tent. The one thing I noticed was the vestibule was rather long and low, although it had three different ways of exiting - which could help. Definitely would need to be dug out to increase storage/cooking space. If I could afford a quiver of tents I'd probably have a Firstlight, a Jannu, and a Convert 2 single wall, but as my only 4-season tent to be used primarily in the PNW, the Jannu seems like a pretty sweet setup.

Thanks for the info gentlemen!

I'm comparing the following 2 person - four season tents, the Hilleberg Janu and the Sierra Designs Convert 2, for use on Liberty Ridge and similar terrain. Anyone have any experience with either of these? I tend to prefer double wall tents, but the Convert gets high marks for a single wall. Pros & Cons? Thanks!

Damn straight Gene - that made me laugh! Wish I got paid to climb at Index more than Rainier fer sure.

So he should've inquired about the most difficult route on Rainier for his first attempt instead? That said, Rainier is quite the challenge, even on the "easiest" route. Do not underestimate the amount of training and mental fortitude required. Hope that's what the Plaidster meant. By the way, the Emmons is NOT a shorter route than the DC. The White River trailhead is lower than Paradise and high camp is lower than Camp Muir, so summit day is actually longer (esp. if you leave from Ingraham on the DC). It is less technical (and perhaps a touch safer) terrain though. And a beautiful approach too...

Anyone available for a spur-of-the-moment day of cragging at Index today? I had plans, but my partners bailed last minute. PM if so devin

From Mammut: [font:Fixedsys]The alpine version of the award-winning Smart is the first safety device with braking force support, which is suitable for twin and half ropes as well as single ropes. It breaks the climber’s fall dynamically and locks even at low levels of force exerted by the user. Two second climbers can be belayed independently of each other and the Smart safety device is also ideal for abseiling. The autolocking mechanism can easily be released after a fall by the second climber. It allows you to quickly and easily change from securing the second climber via the belay point to securing the lead climber using your body. The Smart Alpine is available in two versions for ropes with a diameter of 7.5 to 9.5 millimetres and 8.9 to 10.5 millimetres.[/font]

The key feature for a harness used for mountaineering is being able to drop the leg loops to heed the call of nature. Not all rock-climbing specific harnesses allow you to do this without taking the entire harness off and removing oneself from the safety of the rope (not an option when on a glacier). A diaper style harness (like the Black Diamond Alpine Bod) allows this quite easily. A more rock climbing style harness with a belay loop can work as well, but only if the leg loops have buckles on them and the keeper straps on the back can be unhooked/unclipped. Example would be the Black Diamond Momentum SA harness. This would be a good choice if you'll be using it for rock climbing as well. Hope this helps.

Info on the new Seattle VW building: Vertical World Seattle Version 4 blog

My fav's from 2010: Katrina on Godzilla - Index, January 22 Kurt leading pitch five of Cat in the Hat - Red Rocks, April 23 High Camp at Ingraham Flats - Mount Rainier, July 31 Sunset on Liberty Cap from Columbia Crest - Mount Rainier, August 6 Summit of Higher Spire - Yosemite, October 9

It was climbable on Monday. http://climb.denalidevo.net/2010/12/rock-climb-lower-town-wall-dec-6-2010.html

Trip: Smith Rock - Zion, Monkey Face and various sport routes Date: 11/12/2010 Trip Report: Climbed at Smith over the weekend. Pic's and video at http://climb.denalidevo.net/2010/11/fall-road-trip-smith-rock-nov-12-15.html Ascents: Adventurous 9904 - 5.8 Chalk Wave - 5.8 Sunset Slab - 5.9 Peanut Brittle - 5.8 Hop on Pop - 5.8 Tammy Baker's Face - 5.10c Gumby - 5.10b Zebra Direct - 5.11a (TR) The Outsiders - 5.9 Gumby/Zion - 5.10b/10a Cry Baby - 5.9 Nine Gallon Buckets - 5.10c Overboard - 5.11c (TR) Monkey Face via West Side Variation Direct/Monkey Off My Back - 5.8+ C0

In the interest of leave no trace, I don't believe there is need in this day and age for the further development of any new routes outdoors - the advent of indoor climbing has made climbing on real rock obsolete and so barbaric . /sarcasm off

Bump - added video to this TR

Mañana is at Sentinel Creek - not in Supertopo, but in Reid (Falcon) guide. By far the best finger crack I've climbed - awesome ring locks! The Surprise .10a finger crack is sustained but gear is plentiful and bomber. FYI, the bolt on Werner's Ant Tree (the 5.10c alternate start) has been chopped and must be protected by small gear (it's fine).

Trip: The Valley / Tuolumne / Bishop - Recap: Two weeks in Yosemite Date: 9/27/2010 Trip Report: Went south to The Valley for my (sixth!) annual Fall trip Sep 26 - Oct 10. Weather summary: heat wave, then stormy & wet, and finally, perfect. Sep 27 - Oct 1: Yosemite - too hot, climbed in the shade, escaped to Tuolumne for a day. Super Slide - II, 5.9 (soloed p1, led 3-5) The Grack - I+, 5.6 (led p1, 3) Trial by Fire - I, 5.8 OW/Chimney (led, onsite) Cathedral Peak, SE Buttress - III, 5.7 as climbed (led p1, 3, 4, 5) Harry Daley - I+, 5.8 (led p1-2) Chouinard Crack - I, 5.7 (followed) Little John Left - I, 5.8 OW (led, onsite) Then it rained in The Valley for 5 days. We escaped to Bishop and tried to salvage things. Oct 4 - 6: Owens River Gorge - sport climbing with the ever-present threat of thundershowers. Abitarot - 5.10a (TR, clean) Hardley Wallbanger - 5.10c (TR, clean) Hungover - 5.11b (TR) Child of Light - 5.9 (onsite) Heart of the Sun - 5.9 (onsite) Yellow Peril - 5.10c (TR, clean) PG13 - 5.9 (onsite) Warning Signs - 5.10d (TR, clean) Valley 5.8 - 5.10a (onsite) If I Told You I'd Have to Kill You - 5.11a (TR) Oct 8-10: Weather normalized - back to The Valley for the final three days. Reed's Direct / Reed's Regular - II, 5.9 (led p1 - 5.9 hands, p3 - 5.8 squeeze traverse) Lunatic Fringe - I, 5.10c (followed, clean). Moby Dick - I, 5.10a (led first 120+ ft, lowered off after running out of gear, thrashing up and then sliding down 15 ft. of OW to my last piece multiple times) :: Higher Spire, Regular Route - II, 5.9 (led p1, 3, 5). Awesome! Werner's Ant Tree / The Surprise - II, 5.10c / 5.10a (led p2, 4) Mañana - I, 5.10c (TR). Wicked overhanging off-finger crack! Photos: Kurt following pitch five 5.9 wide fingers crack on Super Slide Kurt following pitch four on Cathedral Peak Me atop Cathedral Peak Cathedral Peak from descent trail Olmstead Point panorama Uber-tight tarp setup to thwart the deluge Descending into the Middle Owens River Gorge Seth leading Abitarot The Great Wall of China Me leading Child of Light Mike leading If I Told You I'd Have to Kill You Seth leading pitch 2, Reed's Direct Seth following the 5.8 squeeze chimney traverse, Reed's Regular Summit shot on Higher Spire Valley panorama from Higher Spire Seth at the .10c crux on Werner's Ant Tree Splitter fingers on Mañana More photos: Yosemite Fall 2010 photo collection on Flickr Video: Seth following the 5.8 squeeze chimney on Reed's Pinnacle [video:youtube] Summit of Higher Cathedral Spire [video:youtube] Climbing trip music montage [video:youtube] Gear Notes: Big cams and more big cams!