t_rutl

hellz yeah

you'd be happy with it and it'd get ya up the routes you hope to conquer a-ok

solid work! looks like a helluva an outing

Trip: Forbidden Peak - East Ridge to West Ridge Traverse Date: 8/2/2009 Trip Report: Out to Boston Basin for a shot at Forbidden over the weekend. Wanting to improve the alpine leadership skills I hooked up again with Matt from Peak (www.peakmountainguides.com). Original plan was to head up the West Ridge. Hearing the approach couloir being shot we decided to do a traverse of the peak ascending the East Ridge and descending the West. First off I gotta say the biting flies were out in epic Biblical plague proportions and hope to NEVER experience that thick of a cloud of those horrid bastards again anytime soon. That being said we hoofed it to camp in a shade over two hours. The smoke from Chelan's wildfires filled the air and our lungs. The next morning the alarm went off at way too early and shortly we were under way by the light of headlamp. After a couple hours on trail we were ascending the snow heading for notch at the base of the East Ridge Then time to gear up for the rock...is Nike approved mountain wear?? The route was a hoot! A mix of super airy traverses and fun 5.7 stints up and over and around gendarmes all with PLENTY of air under your shoes. One section dubbed the "Wheat Thin" (I've seen crackers with more substance) had you doing some funky lieback hand traverse with wicked exposure between the heels...super fun!! The crux came a pitch short of the summit...a pillar guarding access to the home free feeling...standing maybe 30-40 feet tall it was all of 5.8 and then some with one helluva view! After that it was low 5th onto the summit for some photos and a quick convo with some Russian comrades. It's always enjoyable heading down a different way than you came up...the West Ridge was straight forward...the East I'd say was quite a bit spicier and an absolute blast!! After some rapping and down-climbing we were at the base of West Ridge. 5 single rope rappels got us to the snow and off to camp we went. Roasting in the sun all day had me dehydrated like a mother so it was heaven to suck down about two liters of glacial melt off...although the glaciers are looking quite dilapidated and sad in this heat I did find it funny seeing a small patch of 8 or so flowers sitting in a nook at 8500' and bees traveling for their nectar...now that's dedication!! Gear Notes: ice axe, med rack & sunscreen...rock shoes were a huge plus for the East Ridge wish i had a portable bug zapper or some Raid... Approach Notes: Washout past Eldo fixed. BB trail straight forward...stay low at the last water crossing (large creek ~5000')...run the grassy moraine out from the low camp

hell...i see bag check notices at gas stations i'll give FF :tup:

just came outa BB...you can drive to the TH just fine...washout just past Eldo has been repaired...trail is straight forward...just cross the largest "creek" around 5000ft low so you dont skirt the low camp...take the grassy moraine to high camp...3-3.5 hrs to high camp

fyi...Forbidden's West Rigde couloir is shot...attain the ridge by climbing the loose gully to the climber's left (off camera)...we did a traverse climbing the East Ridge decending the West Ridge...did not climb the gulley but that was the approach of choice by all on route...however it was not pleasantly spoken of...on the descent rap down the rib between the first two gulleys to the descender's right of the couloir (which we did)...5 perfectly spaced single rope stations gets you to the snow in no time

wtf? haha...oh god it's like a train wreck...i cant help but watch...

i've never been on the north side this late but have seen TR's from late Aug on the North Ridge so I'm sure it'd doable like Sky said. and YES! bike are a necessity if taking the Heliotrope approach...i cant comment on the other approaches that have been suggested but i know Sky is a top notch climber so his way is prob better but you would have to ask him for beta on that...but bikes are the ONLY way to go for Glacier Creek Road from what i gathered the ice just shifts and shapes from season to season...we had a short vert step to gain the 60-70 degree crest...there was a longer step of 80ish degree to the climbers right but we chose the shorter steaper section

Tom hit it. longer primary axe since the majority of travel on those routes will be a glacier travel...a longer technical moutaineering axe (grivel air tech evo, BD venom, ect.)...pair it wich a second tech tool (grivel matrix light, another BD venom, cobra, petzl aztarex or anything you want)

yes...new zealand...mt. cook, tasman, aspiring...rock climbing galore...surfing and scuba too

amen

dang gina...

if you end up in the Boston Basin area...adding on Sharkfin Tower would be a hoot.

you're a freak of nature Leor...well done man question...what shoes were you sporting this go'round?

seriously? a local gear shop had a deal posted promoting the new SS saying "up to 8oz lighter per pair"...liars!!

right place at the right time...dont get much better

and yes...they are on sale because they are the chromoly...i think i read you can shave up to 8oz per pair with the new stainless models

sabretooths would get you up baker's north ridge or similar routes fine...just came of the north ridge in G12's which dont have a whole bundle of difference and they performed top notch...prob with the cyborgs for such routes: heavier, dont "hike" as well and the vert points can shear in the softer stuff...excellent water ice and mixed 'pons however...think Ouray you could use them for alpine/glacier routes...they would climb that pitch or two of steep ice like nobodys biz but be less effecient for the other 98% of the route what current crampons do you have?

kick ass man

brutal... sweet pics man!

heading out Sat morn so let's hope so...heard the moat/schrund can be a biatch

if you're obsessed with WA's Top 100 then it's gotta be...but yeah, worth mounting up on at least once

hellz yeah

you could try contacting WadeTheBuilder http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/893156/Guides_are_booked_other_option#Post893156 sorry to hear about your buddy