Le Piston

Glad all went well for your climb. It looks like there was even less snow than when I climbed it. I saw bear tracks but didn't see Mr. Griz. Nice TR...much more comprehensive than my maiden effort. Did you get hooked on Canadian alpine climbing?

Nice work! I hope to see a trip report and pictures. Glad the weather cooperated. Now if it will only stay nice for my trip to Canada next week.

You are doing more than many with your medical history and age. Keep up the mountain adventures! The slower you go, the more you usually get to see and enjoy. I salute and admire the young speedsters, but I also salute you and others who take time to savor the alpine world. Cheers! and thanks for the great TR.

I will no doubt lose more hardman points to Genepires, but I also like the 2 pad system. I'm with Denalidave...I climb better and safer when I've had some Z's. I think in addition to durability the closed cell foam pad insulates better. I use my 3/4 Z-Rest under my Thermarest Prolite 3 and this works well for me. I haven't had any leaks and sleep warm even on snow. I'll get my hardman points with burly approaches and other manly alpine deeds.

Way to hold it together and come back alive. You obviously have cool heads and definitely earned some hardman points. Great TR and pictures...a riveting adventure.

Tom Tom has covered the safety standards well. Your noggin should be worth protecting and worth the nominal expense of a good mountaineering helmet. I don't know much about snowboard/ski helmets, but I wouldn't imagine they have holders for headlamps.

You might check out Yamnuska guide service or I have climbed twice with a guide Larry Dolecki and he was great. Look him up online at icefall.ca. Good Luck!

Most of the climbing in Ecuador is volcanos...so glacier and snow slogs. The main ones are Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. You might check them out if that sort of climbing interests you. If ice climbing is your thing, what about the Columbia Icefields in Canada?

Mt. Louis looks really cool...it was raining when I was there and didn't climb it. Another climb to consider in the Rogers Pass area is Mt. Sir Donald...long mid-5th class multipitch climb on quartzite (much nicer than a lot of Canadian Rockies choss). There is another nice peak next door called Uto Peak. Beautiful area.

Can't speak for all of it, but I soloed a cliff there a few years back and remember a loaf of bread sized rock coming off in my hands. It's a beautiful area to hike, but I wasn't impressed with the rock quality for climbing. Enjoy your trip!

When I went to do that route a couple of years ago, the rangers were actually kind enough to give us a lift in...saved us a couple miles of hiking. Sorry you didn't summit, but I too have bailed due to adverse conditions...wise man!

I agree...nice pictures. It brings back great memories. I think this and Forbidden are a couple of the best moderate alpine rock climbs in Washington. Don't hesitate to do a full report though. It's nice to hear about your impressions, experiences, and conditions of the approach/route. Good work!

I did the Northeast ridge about 4 years ago. I'd be up for a repeat. I only have weekends (except when I'm on call at work) off and a Canada trip Aug. 15-23. PM me if you're interested.

Sorry, the listing twice is just sleep deprivation. I list it not as a favorite, just an option to consider. I'd take Sahale or Black Peak over Mix Up any day.

You can't beat Forbidden as a great climb with killer views. You might also look into Black Peak, Sahale, Mix Up, Eldorado, Mix Up, and Dorado Needle. Check some of the TR's and pics and see if they meet your criteria. Cheers!

Sepp and Barb run the lodge. Sepp usually talks to the climbers about conditions and is a good resource. You can call him (if he's not running around) at (403) 678-2883 or e-mail him at info@assiniboinelodge.com If you are planning on staying at the Hind hut or staying at Lake Magog (camping or huts) he can set you up with reservations and information. Enjoy the trip!

I climbed Magic a few weeks ago (check TR Spider/Magic) It was a fun 4th class scramble. You could easily add Hurry Up or Mix Up depending on how much time you have...beautiful area. Enjoy!

I tried to respond earlier, but I couldn't access CC.com site until today. Sorry for the delay. Here are a couple of pictures that I hope will help. You might also try contacting Haley Sierra, who was attempting Formidable when we were there.

First off, this is a beautiful mountain and well worth the effort. I climbed it 2 years ago. There was almost no snow on the North Ridge, so ice axe and crampons stayed at the hut. The route is mostly 4th class with loose rock and plenty of exposure with maybe 2 pitches that we protected (lower to mid 5th class), which braver souls may have just climbed through. We downclimbed most of the route with a couple rappels with a single rope. The Gmoser highway does suck big time and was hairier than the climb...but I've had worse choss here in Washington. The lodge does in fact have lots of good stuff. You can get beer/wine, food, showers. I would suggest arranging reservations with Sepp for any hut or lodge accomidations. PM me if you have more specific questions and check out my TR from 2007. Cheers!

I don't know about DVD's, but do you know anyone that could take you to a climbing gym to work on belaying? There is nothing like hands on to learn belaying.

You could also check out peaks in the Ptarmigan Traverse area from Cascade Pass/Cache Col. I believe that is outside of the permit zone and has some great peaks...ie Formidable, Dome, Mix Up, etc. Check out some of the recent TR's. Good Luck and Great Climbing!

Another Osprey pack you might check out is the Aether. I've got the Aether 60, which works well for me for multiday climbing trips. It's pretty light, very comfortable with a 40 pound plus load, and climbs reasonably well. Lots of features I like. If you need something bigger, it comes in a 70 and even bigger volumes. It may not be as "technical" as the CCW, BD, Wild Things, etc packs, but a good all around multiday pack. Good luck with your quest.

You guys sure deserve some hardman points with that trip! Beautiful pictures and nice TR...one of the best I've seen yet. Sweet climbing and scenery for all the work getting there yes?

Spectacular pictures. Makes me wish I had a full week off 2 weeks ago...I would have loved to climb Formidable, Dome and others instead of just Spider and Magic. Looks like you had an awesome trip...keep up the good work.

When I was up doing Dorado Needle a few weeks ago Klawatti wasn't looking like that schrund would go much longer...a lot less snow than last year. If you haven't done Klawatti before, it is a fun climb with great views also. Sorry you didn't have time for it this time, but it's more fun when the snow is in shape.