mvs

Good stuff all, thanks I needed some perspective ("I'm your host, at 4:30 in the a.m., this is Perspectives"). Thanks for the Idaho suggestion Marylou. If it were 7 hours I'd do it, 12 is sadly too much. Prob'ly see you guys at Smith or Icicle cragging!

So the clouds are moving in again - blast them!! Is anyone going to try and get out anyway? Even Smith Rocks weather looks grim. Time for the Pasayten? How long is the drive to Idaho? Aid climbing in the rain?

Well said Off White, the appeal remains! John I would climb the route again, although I'd like to try a route above the Sill Glacier first. Now I'm remembering a fairly light pack, good weather, and nice hot dinner at the bivy site. The steep brush has kind of faded into something manageable, and the descent wasn't as hard as feared. Has anybody climbed the North Face of Mt. Booker?

TR with some pics: http://www.mountainwerks.org/cma/2004/joburg.htm

I second what glassgowkiss said. That is the advice I was given when I had this a year ago, and it worked in a few weeks.

Yep, I got pics, maps and a fury "topo picture" at http://www.mountainwerks.org/cma/2004/pickets and a link to Theron's story.

Whoa, drool... Can I take it out of my pants again?

good thinkin' David...

looks awesome! I want to climb that route...

Thanks for the response guys! Here are some pics: Looking down on the steep wall: Easy terrain leading to the summit ridge: A typical view of Avalance Canyon on the ridge: Ah, but there is a price : Hope to get back in there soon!

Climb: Mount Constance-West Arete Date of Climb: 9/26/2004 Trip Report: Three of us biked up from the washout on the Dosewallips Road Saturday early afternoon, then made the steep hike up to Lake Constance. Hung out and skipped rocks until dark, then started hiking up to Crystal Pass at 6:30 am. Made the pass at 8:15. I foolishly tried to climb a steep scree cone to reach the pass rather than walking in the basin another 200 yards to an easier way up. It's really wierd to place your foot and cause rocks to move 30 feet above you! One long simul-climbing pitch (200 meters?) led up gullies and short faces right of the crest to the base of an imposing wall. A 20-foot ramp led up and right, then we went straight up then left to a belay ledge with a chimney (50 meters, 5.6). Another 100 meters of simul-climbing led up and slightly left to a low-angle slope and the ridge crest (5.5). Great views all around! Walking and scrambling led to the summit ridge crest, then a short descent (100 feet) met the normal route where it traversed across the east side of cliffs. We dropped gear and hiked to the summit. Seattle was under a cloud sea, but it was warm and windless on the summit. The descent was long but scenic in the upper regions. The "Finger Traverse" was fun, a few moves of exposed 4th class. A few hundred feet of primo scree skiing, then a few thousand feet of scree slogging. We were back at camp before 4 pm, and out to the cars at 6:30. This was a fun climb, pictures don't seem to do it justice. They look all dirty and scree-filled, which is kinda true, but then again the rock is pretty solid (for a typical mountain), sometimes steep and exposed. Constance in general is impressive for it's steep walls and bubbly-looking rock. Warrior looks like a great climb. It was great to see this area, new to the three of us. Thanks to RobertM and Steve Nesland! Gear Notes: Used: 1 50 meter rope, rock shoes, medium rack. Didn't need (and didn't bring): ice ax and crampons. Shoulda had: extra set of knees. Approach Notes: The road seemed more like 5 miles of riding (much fun going down!). Hiking in the stream to the lake (for a brief period), it is icily slick.

that was hilarious and disturbing! Post the stories Bronco!

Ha ha! Yep, I'm often reading a TR about a route that I think would be scary/big/whatever, and it always sounds so casual. Less-than-minimal equipment, an obligatory newbie smoked on the approach, and something like to make the afternoon complete. I think Rollo and party paid for their mistake pretty well, having to spend the night up there. I appreciate that TR, thanks for not caring so much what people will think. I couldn't resist a chuckle once the rappelling started, which drained away any "what kind of IDIOT"-type anger that might have welled up.

yes ridge the whole way is fun, makes it feel reeelly long which is good! But Triumph has that awesome ridge bivy with the southern Pickets - might inspire you for next year!

Three of us climbed McTech Arete in the Bugs, 6 pitches with plenty of sustained 5.8-5.9. I think we were just as fast as a strong party of 2. The Reverso was key, and followers always climbed together, about 15 feet apart. Two climbers simul-rapped on the way down.

My helmet sits at a jaunty angle on my too-large head, hinting at disturbing bulges underneath! I look like a dork! But if I were to remove it, craggers would shudder at the shiny, blue-veined skin, the wispy trails of reddish stringy hair (haar), the fragile wobbly eggshell that a mere pebble might explode! So I by gob wear one. If I'm climbing with someone who doesn't wear one, I don't worry about them at all, or feel uncomfortable that they are putting others in a bad situation because there are so many other risk factors too. For example I could (well-helmeted) fall ripping out my poorly-placed pro and make those around me go through acres of discomfort or danger to help. I could break every bone in my body (except spine?) and recover. But just a hard knock on the head might be the end.

Sorry to hear these tales! You know that Beaver Pass shelter? We headed into the woods right there, going west and a little south. That pass is wide, so we went gently down to the low point, then climbed up through fairly open forest (big dead trees, patches of d. club easily walked around). Eventually a "trail" emerged, and we had very little bushwhacking. What we did have was shortly before popping out on rocks and heather. On Wiley Ridge we got suckered with the idea of a low crossing onto Challenger Glacier, believing we didn't need to climb up above Wiley Lake (or even reach Wiley Lake). But that does seem the easiest way.

Saw "Hero" Saturday, good movie. Today, slept till noon then took friends Bob and Mardi to Index for some G.N.S. and Aries. Went to Shamiana for great Indian food. Great weekend

haha! Still, I just ask myself: WWCD?

I would give her a hip belay for downclimbing 2-3 sections that look steep/exposed from above.

All Colin has to do is exist and I'm a better climber thanks to the example. A brew, of sorts!

Great comments guys, thanks! We are all power-napping, good on Der Wanderer to get the energy to scan. Kupla komments: * Terror really was a classic climb. For one thing, the gneiss on the lower 3rd of the route was sooo clean, grippy and covered in holds that it reminded Aidan and I of climbing Dolomite limestone. Even views looking down on the buttress had that Dolomiti look. Then the route gets more serious, leading us gradually right to the crest of the buttress where we found steep licheny rock - eventually too steep, causing me to cower back left on a hard traverse into a gully (5.8 without a pack moves). Several pitches of consistent 5.6 or so followed, fantastically exposed, only undermined a little bit by looseness and lichen. And the climbing above the notch became clean again, awesome hand traversing and a great stemming/chimney pitch. I've seen the route as Grade III or even II+. I'd say it was a III or III+ for us. * Darin hit on a primary motivation for the trip - laziness! You see we wanted to climb these classics very much. But multiple trips to do them, with all the ensuing exhaustion? Indeed, the easiest way to approach Terror is from Picket Pass - and heck! Picket Pass isn't that hard from Fury (actually we were wrong about that - lowering/downclimbing 4 pitches of blue ice took half a day). Heck! You are practically back in civilization on the south side of Terror. * The Terror creek trail was no problem at all - I somehow expected crouching on pine needles high on the Barrier, contemplating tumbling falls into Terror Creek. But walking down the ridge of the Barrier, we espied very good flagging that led us off down and left onto a good trail in the pine needles. We nearly lost it once, but were glad we stopped and searched around instead of giving up. This trail is a good, fast threading through the forest cliffs all the way to the creek. We had some 'whacking on the east side of Terror Creek, but eventually picked up trail again. Although a day trip to the Chopping Block still doesn't appeal to me , it seems more reasonable now. * Travellin' specs: 1 betamid (the new one, really small and lite), small sleepin' bags, 1 fuel canister & pocket rocket, 2 pickets, 2 ice screws, 1 3rd tool, 1 50 m 8.5 mm rope, 1 Tequila Blanco, medium rock rack, rock shoes (so glad), crampons, axe. * Coming down Challenger Arm to the base of Fury was pretty easy, just walking. We worried about finding flat ground to camp on at the base of Fury, but there is an awesome flat sandy football field at just the right spot. Crashing icefalls woke us now and then. * We did the western approach to the buttress, which was a bit dangerous in retrospect. After climbing a lower cliff, we let our guard down and stopped to drink water at The Snowfinger (which would lead us past The Dove to New Zealand). "BOOM!" Up in the air, a whirling chunk of Minas Tirith! Us in disarray, scrabbling and crouching, "ohshit ohshit ohshit." Either it has our name on it or not. After that, an adrenaline fueled march up the Snowfinger to true safety at the New Zealand snow, out of reach of that dripping spider's womb that created The Mudslide and The Sandbox. We came up with all these names on Challenger to keep from getting lost in that muck - it was a good idea! * Biggest part of making the dream trip happen is the unexpected strengths of your partners, your friends. Party of three creates a little bubble in the sometimes-oppresive 'Fences. There are chances to turn back or escape dropping into the next hole between. We had reasons aplenty (you should see Aidan's blisters - damn!!), but magically kept heading south. I have great respect for the hardy spirits of Der Wanderer and Highclimb. * It wasn't that hard...it was fun! * That "spider's womb" comment is cool. I'm going to work that into my daily conversation.

They should go in a little deeper to vision quest. The Southern Pickets are damn popular these days!

Skykilo, you went in on Saturday right? Coming out on Friday night, Aidan, Theron and I met some strange folks near the Goodell Creek Campground. One being was on a raised dias near the river, surrounded by prayer flags and lying on red cushions. He/she didn't acknowledge me as I passed. Very strange after seeing no other human for many days.

Way to go! Nice to see more confirmation of Doug's Direct.