mhux

Scratch that, its pretty windy out and by this weekend things will be bleak...or just hazy.

I live 5 miles up the blewitt from town and the smoke is visible, but seems to be more east-west than north-south...considering the enchantments are just west of where I'm at, you'll probably be alright, especially up high. Can't say you'll see much to the north...cheers

Right, I'd just use it for swapping leads. Good reminder though

Great stuff, thanks for the tips! All makes sense now...

Why would you want to in such a circumstance...? To reap the benefits of an autolocking belay device...because its easy and allows you to multitask, in other words. Is that what you mean?

Recently I've been reading about clove hitching pieces in line to create anchors- plug a few pieces, and clove hitch the rope taut between them. In such a scenario, how would you belay a second up, not off your harness? I can't think of how you would use a belay device in autolocking mode with this setup, anyone have two cents they'd like to contribute? Maybe the answer is obvious but I'm just missing it. Thanks in advance.

I've climbed Torment this way the last two years, last year in August there were no cracks in the (Taboo? I forget) glacier and we could down climb about 10 feet of steepish ice into the berg, where there were good stances for switching to rock shoes. I wouldn't recommend this route, since the entire thing is threatened by a big ice block (which apparently killed Craig Luebben?), and the climb out of the berg, while on solid rock, has some pretty sketchy 'mid 5th' sections which aren't fun to solo. Once on the face, its easy scrambling to the top though- very cruiser. Just that getting there sucks/is sketchy. Haven't done the S ridge but I'm over the SE face...

Hey there, just moved up to Leavenworth about a week ago, and I don't know anyone besides my girlfriend, our roommates, and some coworkers. I'm newish to granite and to trad, but have a good amount of general climbing experience so I wouldn't consider myself a sketchy gumby (also, I try to be safe and smart). I really want to get better at trad and open up the possibilities for the alpine stuff in the area, though I don't really care what type of climbing I do- even bouldering is rad although I suck by most standards. I get far too psyched to not climb all the time, and I'd love to meet some locals, so send me a pm. If anything, I can give you a good belay and a friendly partner for the day. I have Sundays and Mondays totally off, otherwise I think mornings and afternoons work best. Cheers!! Max

you obviously need more redbull- it gives you wingz, after all.

Sweet pictures and report, I've always wanted to do some touring there in the winter but looks like its a worthy summer destination as well! thanks for the read

Super rad Sol, thanks for the stoke!

Nice sunrise pic, I was driving up the 5 and saw Hood light up, hoping someone would post something! Amazing the ice isn't in up there yet, but it sure looks fat on the elliot...nice work skiing in the white room too, sounds miserable.

Thanks both of you, guess I'll just have to go and see for myself!

Headed up to Leavenworth this weekend for a future move, and would like to get some cragging in if conditions allow. Lower elevation south facing stuff seems like it would be decent by now, can anyone confirm? Maybe would like to check out the mtn home boulders as well, too snowy? Thanks in advance! Max

I've had a similar experience on the Reid, clear and cold but a little wind was knocking stuff off left and right (luckily it drains through gulley systems on the face!). Our crux was bailing- waiting for the chunks to stop so we could practically run across a huge debris chute (climbers right exit after the first or so gulley?) and we made it out alright with a fun improvised exit. Don't know that I'm missing out on much besides a few bruises from rockfall at best...but that's just me. I think Hood climbers in general have a higher propensity for shrugging off debris coming down; that's just part of the climbing.

Oops, I'll just save you guys the trouble since my girlfriend's named Maxine! (seriously though...) Do you just head north (WA pass) during the summer weekends? Seems like the weekdays are the time to get out, true of most places I guess. Any housing tips? Craigslist seems pretty sparse..maybe best to just visit and ask around?

I've been stuck here in Salem (OR) for too long, dreaming up plans to move somewhere cooler with my better half when our lease is up. Wondering what the reality of living in Leavy is like, a friend of mine lived there last summer so I've spent a few days there checking it out, in addition to the rare climbing trips. I'm psyched on the climbing and skiing and even just the alpine scenery; my girlfriend doesn't climb too much (though loves the idea of it) but is more worried about meeting friends in town since its small, or as she put it "I don't want to hang out with just you all the time" Finding jobs and housing aside, I'm convinced it'd all work out great, anyone have anything to share? PM me if you prefer...thanks in advance! Max

Ice near Salem? Who would have thought

Just came back from Bishop, a little far but you can't really beat the weather!

An addict indeed...thanks for the stoke!

Just read this TR linked from the more recent one...considering two friends and myself tried this last october (the 6th), I thought I'd chime in. We were hoping for good late season conditions, but found the south ridge access melted out, so we opted for the SE face...after endrunning the berg to climbers right, we continued up the snow cone to some loose rock to get into rock shoes...testing our luck under the big ice block the whole time. Some sketchy '5.easy ++' took us up onto the face (which was shitty and loose- you rapped it so you must know), and to the summit. We rapped the SE face, and like you, ended up at the same last rap station...except the glacier was a little more melted out, so we ended up in the sloping ramp with a marginal anchor, peering down to the abyss below us (yikes...). Getting out involved traversing the slab to a screw in the berg wall, managing to put crampons on without dropping them, and climbing ~15 feet out to the top. The rest was easy...like you guys we felt a big load off our shoulders once we were off the Taboo! Good to hear of another attempt that got interesting....anyway I'm planning to do this in a week, I think the S ridge up and hopefully Forbidden down might work better

Nice video, looks like a fun time despite only being an attempt. Did you get a look over Torment way/is it a little early still for TFT? Send it next time!

Your pictures are always top-notch, thanks Jason! Looks like a fun (and gorgeous) traverse!

Went up Weds via south side/old chute. Definitely not 'hard ice'...mix of neve and rime as you'd expect. (But- it wasn't west crater rim and some guy did manage to fall and break his leg coming off).

why haven't I ever thought of this...hilarious