bedellympian
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Posts posted by bedellympian
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Trip: Squamish - multiple
Date: 6/12/2013
Trip Report:
Caitlin and I met our friend Chris in Squamish for some rock climbing. It was our first time at Squamish.
June 12th at Shannon Falls we climbed Skywalker (5p, 5.8) with rain on the first two pitches which turned into perfect weather as we got higher. We then climbed Klahanie Crack (5.7) and a 10a next to it.
June 13th we climbed Diedre (6p, 5.8) on the Apron, car-car in 4 hours with a party of 3.
June 14th we climbed Exasperator (2p, 5.10c) before packing up to leave.
Blog post with pictures: Mountain Mischief
Gear Notes:
2 70m ropes, double rack (nuts, small cams and camalots to #3)
Approach Notes:
Really short walks!
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Trip: Mt. Washington - North Ridge rock via NW bowl
Date: 6/1/2013
Trip Report:
I climbed Mt. Washington on Saturday via the North Ridge. I camped at the PCT TH on Friday night and set out at 6am, sleeping in like a total slob. The climbers trail is still hidden by snow. I ended up on the flanks of the West Ridge and traversed into the NW bowl before beelining up to the base of the summit pinnacle on the North Ridge (40+ deg neve). The rock still has snow on it but it was soft enough to kick step so I climbed to the summit in guide tennies. I made two short raps w/ a 30m rope and down climbed the rest. Followed the North Ridge proper back. Still couldn't find the climbers trail in the trees. Got back to the car before 1pm. Car to car in under 7 hours, no record but seemed good under the circumstances.
Blog post w/ photos: Mountain Mischief
Gear Notes:
Custom guide tennies thanks to the Gear Fix in Bend, strap-on pons, 2 tools (not necessary but its fun to pretend your Ueli Steck in that one video when you're climbing on steep snow), 30m 8mm half rope for raps, slings and leaver biners.
Approach Notes:
PCT south. I would start heading up/SE, off the trail, once you leave the burn. If you just keep going uphill you'll end up on the N ridge.
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Looks like a fun route up there in WA.
On Hood N Face what was your descent route? Cooper Spur?
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Trip: Mt. Washington - West to North Ridge attempt
Date: 5/22/2013
Trip Report:
Edward Corder and I decided to try the North Ridge (standard route, 5.1-3 depending on who you ask) on Mt. Washington. We decided to go Wednesday because it fit our schedules best. The forecast called for 100% chance of snow, 1-2" of accumulation and 35mph winds. We went anyway and it turned out to be more like 12" of accumulation and 50mph winds. In some of the drifts around 7k' we were mid thigh and this must all have been within the past 24hrs. Pretty nuts. I'm sure it will be totally doable by this weekend but we missed the climbers trail, ended up on the W ridge and were looking at a 70deg traverse to get to the N ridge? Not sure, I couldn't see sh!t and the wind was side swiping us. We bailed, got lost in the woods and got back to the car eventually (compasses are useful!). I was going to write a celebratory essay on my blog called "how to make 5.1 fun" but instead I wrote more about how getting lost is lame: Mountain Mischief (there are also blurry pictures of half seen things through falling snow).
Gear Notes:
We brought some old school alpine rock pro. Two tools would have been nice and a couple pickets but only if you go up the wrong ridge and have to do that traverse thingy.
Approach Notes:
The climbers trail is invisible, I would just beeline it, if you can see. We just wore boots, no slow-shoes or skis. Fresh snow is consolidating fast and 6" or less on PCT so your not breaking trail until up on the mountain.
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Yeah! We slayed that sh*T! How is Shasta going?
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Glad to see you stayed busy after the Trinities. Reminds me I still have plenty to do on THE MOUNTAIN HOOD.
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Trip: Mt. Shasta - Casaval Ridge w/ Avy Gulch skit descent
Date: 4/23/2013
Trip Report:
The same day I soloed Cosmic Wall at Castle Crags (see my last TR) I drove to Mt Shasta and camped at the Bunny Flats TH. I left the car at ~6:30am the next morning (yay for sleeping in!). I skinned to Casaval Ridge and climbed that. West Face looked like it had lots of exposed rock. Misery Hill is totally bare. I tagged the summit around 1pm and skied from the bottom of Misery. Reached the car before 3pm.
Blog post with embellished storyline and pictures...
Gear Notes:
AT skis, pons, ice axe, big quadricep muscles
Approach Notes:
Skin to ridge from Bunny Flats TH.
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Trip: Castle Crags - Cosmic Wall
Date: 4/22/2013
Trip Report:
I stopped at Castle Crags, just of I-5 in NorCal, and climbed Cosmic Wall (5.6, 800ft) which everyone raves about. It was fun, really easy. The hardest part is getting over to one of the belay ledges but since I wasn't belaying that wasn't a problem. Great position, I highly recommend the arete variation on the last pitch. The crux was definitely route finding in the manzanita bushes below.
The summit log is totally full and also wet (plastic container needs replacing or something) so I was denied my single sentence of written summit glory. I also scrambled up Castle Dome on the way down (its N or E face looks like it has awesome potential). Also, the state park rangers have a single copy of a beat-up old climbing guide published in '91 at visitor center/gate house (only open on weekends right now).
Some photos on my blog... Mountain Mischief
Gear Notes:
70m rope for the rap (you only need a 60 and both stations are well bolted), if you were using pro: lots of small nuts and slings
Approach Notes:
Castle Dome/crags trail from Vista Parking Lot (2.7 miles, 2200 ft), manzanita bushwhack on "climbers trail" to base, practically no snow or water, already really dry up there.
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Yeah, there are some good looking faces/towers/slabs. None look that long, 4-5 pitches at most. MOST of the granite I got close to was solid. It looks cool but it would be a long hike in with all your gear to do a few smaller objectives.
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Trip: Trinity Alps - easy scramble
Date: 4/18/2013
Trip Report:
Topped out Thompson Peak, highest in the Trinity Alps during a ski trip. I was able to skin to within a hundred vertical feet of the summit. Exposed scrambling got me almost there but I had to take off my ski boots and make the last move barefoot. Also topped out Mt. Hilton (2nd highest) with some friends via the N ridge. Fun traversing on the rock ridge led to the summit which we were able to ski off on a steep E facing headwall. Cool area reminiscent of the North Cascades in a way. Access is hard.
skiable face
looking south
shasta from summit of thompson
topout stoke
ski boots below
Gear Notes:
AT skis, aluminum pons, ice axe
Approach Notes:
Thompson: Canyon Creek all the way, cross over south ridge and scramble to summit on SW face.
Hilton: Canyon Creek Lakes, ascend to west, follow bowls to the south, ascend N ridge from col.
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Seems like everyone descends this route on the South Side and then shuttles back around. Are there other decent descent options? Cooper Spur?
Also, how long is the approach right now?
Thanks and nice work!
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Cerro Fitz Roy emerges from the clouds during an early morning hike to Paso de los Vientos, Argentine Patagonia.
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Sent this monster route in Patagonia dudes! Check out the epic Cumbre!
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Mike ascends the upper Wintun Glacier to the summit of Mt. Shasta as day breaks, California Cascades.
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Moss Mustache while camping near Mt. Thielsen in Oregon Cascades.
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Hey thanks guys! It was great to meet so many CCers up there this weekend. Telemarker, thanks for letting me know about that thread, it's hilarious . I might have to flesh out my story a little more and post it!
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Nice work guys. It was great to meet you on the way out. Sounds like an awesome climb!
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Trip: Colchuck Peak - Colchuck Glacier w/ ski descent
Date: 3/9/2013
Trip Report:
I went up to Leavenworth over the weekend to try Triple Couloirs on DT. Stuff din't really work out and we never got on the route. I did climb Colchuck Peak via the Colchuck Glacier and ski down from the col between DT and CC. Conditions were amazing for skiing. Spent two nights out there.
Check out pretty pictures and read more of the specifics here... Mountain Mischief
Gear Notes:
Well what we actually used... tools, pons, skis.
Approach Notes:
Skis... not recommended unless you are actually skiing as supposed to climbing. The approach is rough and difficult, snow shoes are better.
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It was nice to meet all of you guys Saturday. I was the skier from Bend you talked to. The skiing was fantastic from the Colchuck/Dragontail col, almost made up for skinning in on all that rough terrain. Nice blog post too!
Also, we ran into two parties on the way out... One had climbed the NE Buttress(?) of Colchuck (5.8 in summer) and thought it was a first winter ascent (can anyone confirm or deny?). Another group was headed out to climb Sherpa Pk. So that explains some of those cars.
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Yeah Marsupial Traverse is lots of 4th on lousy rock. You can bypass Living Blindly on the Traverse and cut off a couple pitches by going direct up the Tail. That pitch plus the first two to gain the Mudpile are the only ones where traditional belays are really necessary (ie harder than 5.5 one move slab pitches). It is a fun way to link a lot of realestate and practice your alpine rock skills. If you are used to North Cascades alpine climbing don't bother but if you live in the area and want a cool adventure climb its worth it.
If you do Birds in a Rut there is a lot of scree so linking it after Thin Air (5.10 3P) or Round River Direct (5.8 3P) makes for an awesome day. Also, Ivan, I didn't mean to literally jump off the Wombat! I was just referring to the shortness of the downclimb, bad use of terminology! You could also stick a cam in the crack by the down climb. #3 camalot maybe? You could "rap" off that and still reach up and take it out to prevent the sprained ankle. Although I guess you might as well just use the rap station at that point! Ideally we'd just get some real chains up there.
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Trip: Smith Rock - Multiple
Date: 2/27/2013
Trip Report:
Wednesday I went to Smith spur of the moment to solo some stuff. My original goal was to solo South Buttress of Brogan Spire in the Marsupials (5.5X 3P). I somehow confused this with West Face of Brogan in the guide book (also 5.5X 3P) so climbed that instead. I ended up down climbing top 2P of South Butt, rapping to dirt, and climbing Living Blindly to top of Opossum (5.7 3P).
Rapped off the recommended anchors on Opossum but they are awfully placed and rope would not pull. Climbed 5.5ish ramp system back up, tossed off rope, downclimbed.
I then climbed Round River Direct up the Koala (5.8 3P) and Birds in a Rut up the Wombat (5.7 Watts calls 6P but really a 4P). Someone decided to replace the rap webbing on Wombat but left cut pieces of the old webbing on the summit. They also replaced the webbing with a tiny sewn runner girth hitched to the bolt hanger. If you are going to replace a rap anchor like this please do a good job and don't leave a bigger mess for the next folks! Also, worth noting that the down climb is VERY EASY (read walk off with a jump down to a flat dirt patch with no exposure) If you can climb Birds it won't be an issue, don't waste your time threading the rope.
Scree surfing back down the side of Wombat and Koala is the mandatory descent from there. Not wanting to rehike the trail I boulder hopped the river (its low right now) and climbed some basalt crack up to the rim of the gorge. This puts you in the parking lot and halves the approach hike.
Check out photos and more typity typity typing on my blog...
Gear Notes:
Nuts and a big enough rucksack to hold them.
Approach Notes:
Cross the bridge and turn right, follow signs to Burma Road.
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Trip: Crook Glacier, Broken Top, Sisters Wilderness - Crook Glacier attempt
Date: 2/28/2013
Trip Report:
I headed up to Broken Top last Sunday. The forecast called for 28F. I wanted to try summit Broken Top from the south via the Crook Glacier and ski down as much as was feasible.
Weather was way warmer than expected (60+!?). I watched a large avalanche on the south face and saw lots of other signs of unstable snow. After skiing around the glacier I got a short run on a NE aspect and went home.
It's been a warm couple months but hopefully March will cool off and provide good skiing and climbing conditions in the area.
You can check out photos and my melodramatic dribble about the trip on my blog... Mountain Mischief
Gear Notes:
AT skis that are well waxed for sticky warm snow. I had vert dual point pons and tools but didnt use them. Given the right conditions you could do any type of climbing and skiing you want... if you are willing to pack in the gear.
Approach Notes:
Park at Bachelor, XC ski trail to Flagline, snow mobile road to wilderness boundary at Ball Butte, b-line for the glacial bowl from there. Hitching rides with snow mobilers helps.
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Yeah it was warm and there were a lot of ice chunks coming down where March Madness is even though the sun had just hit it. We were definitely disappointed not to be able to try it as it looked awesome.
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Trip: Mt.Hood- Illumination Rock - Rime Dog variation
Date: 1/17/2013
Trip Report:
My partner Edward Corder and I went up to Hood to check out Illumination Rock routes for the first time. We had the bad luck of catching the warmest day of the past 2 months. Still managed to get some sketchy climbing in before everything completely dissolved around us.
Left car at 5ish. Poked around Illumination and eventually ended up climbing a lot of the same stuff as Rime Dog that Wayne Wallace TRed on. Reached the West Gable and rapped off the back side (one rap ~40m, on double ropes). Back at car by 3:45. We figured it was about AI4 with a short mixed section of about 5.8 rock half covered in rime (whatever that is in M rating).
More details on the awful ice conditions and photos on my blog... Mountain Mischief Blog http://mountainmischief.blogspot.com/
Gear Notes:
Double ropes, some old nuts and slings for rapping. Screws and pickets useless. Lack of common sense and large cahones were also handy.
Approach Notes:
Skis... which I don't recommend as it was super icy up and down. Just take 'pons and walk.
Moderate and accessible routes in AK?
in Alaska
Posted
So I'm in Alaska for about a month visiting friends and family (mainly Fairbanks but I'll be in Anchorage for a week or more). I don't have a partner yet (anyone interested?) but I am interested in climbing something while I'm here.
Given my time and money I want something that I can do relatively quickly, without flying in. I am also relatively new to technical alpine climbing so it should probably be 5.9/AI3 or lower. I was thinking of something in the Chugach but maybe there are better objectives else where.
Any ideas? My window is July 6-20 but I can only take 3-5 days total.
Thanks!