JesseH

It has seemed to me that there has been alot of aprehension out there about going for freeway. When I first tried it it was at the absolute limit of all of my abilities at the time and seemed scary. A buddy I met in Yosemite and I went for it, fell a few times but made it to the top and learned a ton about harder climbing. Looking back I think it is kinda a break through route so to say and really shouldn't be missed. The route challenges your mind, your ability, and your notions as to what you are capable of. Personally I think it is the best route around pitch for pitch and probably the climb I have learned the most from. To anyone entertaining the idea, go for it, it is so worth it-

Chad, hey sounds like andy had a pretty good trip to peru huh... you talk to him yet about it? We gotta meet up at some point and get some shiz done-

W thanks for the info on the strain and alberta. As for alberta, did some checking through some friends in canmore and evidently rumor has it that it hasn't been tried in the last ten years so your info sounds right. Evidently the yellow band is just too exposed like you were saying. Making all those photos you see taken in the 80s totally misrepresent what is there now. How did you like the A strain. Worth the while?

Climb: Mt. Baker-Colman Headwall / North Ridge Date of Climb: 8/14/2005 Trip Report: Wasn't sure to put up a trip report or not but thinking back it was one of the better days out so why not. Last weekend my buddy Cory and I headed out to Mt. Baker after a late Friday night in Freemont. Waking up Sat. morning around 10 we tossed our packs into the back of the truck and took off for Baker. After messing around getting gu and all of that horrible stuff we made it to the trail head around 4 pm and finished packing for the 10pm start. Pitching the tent to ward off the black fly bombardment we found ourselves looking at each other at 9:30 eager and ready to get moving. Brewing up we forced down 3 ramens each - which is a mission in itself - we hit the trail. Walking up the dark trail through the trees seemed completely backwards as it usually does approaching at that hour. As we pulled out of the tree line we were faced with the shadow of the north face of mt. baker. Even with all the stars out it seemed really dark. We at least expected some moonlight or some help from the stars. Hitting the flanks of the glacier we filled our camelbacks and put on our crampons for the glacier. Rounding the top of the lower coleman around midnight we were both really starting to feel the effects of one too many tequila shots the night before and the lack of sleep thereof. 10 chocolate covered coffee beans later we had new found energy and pushed forward to the ever nearing dark black face before us. The week before Cory and I tried to climb the right side of the headwall through some of the steeper ceracs that seemed to look like good ice. After about 3 hours of serious effort climbing the vertical and overhanging ice with a lack of screws we were completely cut off by an unobvious schrund that ran the expanse of the entire right side. With that we came down and figured a much easier safer way to access the route via a snow bridge a little further from the rock toe. With this knowledge from the week before we knew right were to go to get on to the route. Things had changed with the warmer temps and called for a belay across a 20 gaping crevasse hollow underneath. Unnerving to say the least we both crossed the bridge and headed for the headwall. Underway at 3:00am we started up the bomber 50° ice face. Swing swing, kick kick, it all made sense. Climbing up the darkness was pure enjoyment and what we all live for. Route finding around the schrunds we welcomed the sun around 5:00am at about the ¾ mark feeling great. With the daylight we put the rope away for the rest of the day and soloed to the shoulder up the perfect 50 degree snow and ice topping out around 7:00. A few Gu’s and a few bars later we were heading down the roman wall to get on the north ridge. On the way down we met about 40 climbers heading up for the summit. One of which was a beautiful husky that seemed to be at home on the ice and eager to pull his master to the top. After walking about he hour it took to get around to the north ridge we took a little break with the knowledge that the majority of the objective hazard was behind us. At 10:30 our psych was back up and we started heading up the North Ridge. Perfect hard snow made for some really really fun movement in climbing. Totally comfortable to this point Cory and I weren’t sure if we would feel comfortable soloing the ice pitches of the north ridge so we talked and agreed that if either of us were uncomfortable we would pull it out and pitch it out. When we hit the flanks of the hard ice it was actually comforting and gave us that familiar connection that you get while ice climbing. Side by side we soloed the ice pitches for some of the most fun climbing either of us have experienced. Soloing is one thing but soloing next to your best friend feeling so free with all of the exposure of the north face of baker is something else. Hitting the top of the ice our legs were starting to feel a bit cooked. We pushed on and topped out in just around 3 hours from when we started the route. We dug into the rest of the food we brought which involved some sausage and some Swiss cheese and two advil each. Heading down the mountain wasn’t as bad as either of us thought it would be after so much climbing. Both out of water we filled up on the glacier and raced for the car where our sandals awaited. Making it to the car we weren’t sure what we were more into our sandals or the beer that waited for us in the general store in glacier. 18:30 hours we were down and headed to glacier for some food and alcoholic beverage. About at Bellingham we both were totally out of energy and had to stop to get some rest. 3 hours later the police were taping on the glass wondering what two bums with some much shit in the back seat were doing in the star bucks parking lot. A brief explanation and they both understood letting us get back to dreaming of the stellar day we just had. 6 shots of espresso each and we were back in Seattle, in our beds, not excited to accept the wrath that our bodies were aching to put upon us in the morning. Gear notes… 2 ice screws, 60’ rope, 2 pickets, camelback, headlamp, food, water, a good pair of boots, and not much more!!!!!

Climb: Mt. Baker-Colman Headwall / North Ridge Date of Climb: 8/14/2005 Trip Report: Wasn't sure to put up a trip report or not but thinking back it was one of the better days out so why not. Last weekend my buddy Cory and I headed out to Mt. Baker after a late friday night in Freemont. Waking up Sat. morning around 10 we tossed our packs into the back of the truck and took off for Baker. After messing around getting gu and all of that horrible stuff we made it to the trail head around 4 pm and finished packing for the 10pm start.

Alex, Thanks for the info... Sounds like things will definetly be climbable as to what will probably have to figure out when we get there. Have you been on the n.f. of temple or andromada strain? Those are the two we are really interested in. Ive looked heavily into n.f. of alberta as well and it sounds like it has really varied over the years. A friend did it in the 80s and made it sound absolutely incredible but said that the yellow bands were all iced over so they were able to avoid much of the sketchy rock until way up on the route to which point it went super slow. Any thoughts as to where there would be recent beta... all the while knowing that it probably dosen't see ascents more than once maybe every two years or so. Our friend did it in sept. back then and recommended this time period for any effort towards it.

Freeway 10a finish second to last pitch is a breeze - seriously. Literally it seems more like 5.8 after you get through the lower 5-ll pitches. As for run outs I think you have about a 10' section of unprotectable climbing where you would probably deck if you really blew it but there are lots of good feet around and you can ow through it pretty well. Don't bring anything bigger than a 3" cam for the route and only one if you can manage it. The only place for a 3.5 is the daylight crack and that seems about 5.9 where it is wide - unless you have really small hands? I found that the grey .4 camalot is about the only cam that I am really psyched on pulling the roof pitch out of the cave with. It seems to work better than tcus cause it is a bit flaring. As for the 11a to get into the cave... either bring a lot of gear and slings or be prepared for some solid run outs on that pitch at the exit. I would rate it more like 5-10bc at the top rather than 10d probably cause of the length of the pitch and the runout. As for the rack I think 2-3 of each the blue and yellow tcu and doubles to no. 2 camalots with a 3 is a good rack. If you know the route and are solid around the grade one number two is fine and more smaller gear helps.

So I fired this off on the North Cascades forum as well but this is probably a more appropriate home.... Anyone have any advice/info as to how the canadian rockies are early september? I am vastly approaching a mandatory 6 month climbing fast due to scheduled shoulder surgery and would love to make a 10 day trip to the canmore area in search of some mixed rock and ice. Specifically my partner and I are interested in mt. andromada and am having a hard time finding info on the web as to if they would even be in at this time. Ive heard from a solid source that early sept. is the time for alot of the classics and thought id throw it out to the forum for opinions.

Anyone have any advice/info as to how the canadian rockies are early september? I am vastly approaching a mandatory 6 month climbing fast due to scheduled shoulder surgery and would love to make a 10 day trip to the canmore area in search of some mixed rock and ice. Specifically my partner and I are interested in mt. andromada and am having a hard time finding info on the web as to if they would even be in at this time. Ive heard from a solid source that early sept. is the time for alot of the classics and thought id throw it out to the forum for opinions.

Rightside completely cut off with a huge shrund in the middle of the route seperating the lower and upper headwall. Left side is totally bomber though with some interesting routefinding down lower. My buddy cory and I were up there yesterday and fired off the CHW and the NR in 18 hrs from the parking lot. About the best conditions I have seen up there so far-