robertm

I will be headed down to Jtree at the end of this month. I have never been there before so what are some of your favorites at any grade (5.0 - 5.11). I could pick up a guidebook and look at the "stars" but some of the best climbs that I have done in a area only get a star or two (like Tatoosh at Index or Inner Bliss at Tieton) etc. Thanks

Another one... on Jberg. I would change the descent description slightly. One should stay as close to the Ridge crest as possible for most of the descent. From the current description we dropped down to far initially but in reality you don't drop at all from the summit notch you just stay on the E. ridge crest which is very cool (ridge running 3rd class)

As previously mentioned I would suggest a more direct approach from the Maude-7FJ Col.... dropping only about 100-200 feet and cutting straight across to access the N. Face. I would also strongly suggest changing the descent description to the ascent standard trail as the all descent gullys from top of Maude are loose and dangerous and don't save that much time.

Compound Fracture III 5.10-, E. Face Bacchus Tower. Bypassed snow couloir on rh side via short 5th class rock sections intermixed with several hundred ft of 3rd class continuing up loose scree on rock until level with lower section of broken face. Inspected a direct line on rh side of face from ledge through crack system and small roof but abandoned that for short scramble up cleaver in rh gully transitioning back to face about 100' up. From top of cleaver, traverse left and up to face. Climb and stem chimney to reach ledge, traverse left until beneath hand crack. Climb crack to a roof and upper face (5.10-). Climbing toward and then on ridge, find summit (2p mid 5th ). Not highly recommended but has a couple of quality pitches - a good option for the approach day for Clean Break.

I double Jims recommendation. Gothic and the castles along with Del Campo is a good outing. Montecristo peak with a mountain bike is doable. Sheep Gap looks good but I have not done it. Sperry and Lewis are good.

I have climbed the direct up Vesper before (from the ledges directly to the summit) There is a nice solid dihedral down low which merges into the face after 3/4 of a rope or so. The climbing after that is 5.8 dirt with little protection opportunities. In fact my partner and I had to simul climb for a bit before he could excavate a crack for a #2. We then more or less tucked our tails between our legs and made for the ridge crest rather than continue up the face as it looked like more of the same. All in all the Wiegelt route is the better one to the summit... It could be that we were a bit too far left on the direct N. Face and perhaps climbed a different route??

The Forbidden Torment sounds cooler though

After you left Dave we met the guys going up and putting the raps at 25m on Kraus-McCarthy. This was what they were doing on some of the other spires (Crescent) as well. I am glad they weren't 30m... extra weight to carry 60m ropes.

The BC Parks have been replacing all raps with brand new petzls and chains. The raps down Sir Donald are new petzls with steel rings. All raps in the bugs are now new petzls with chains and steel rings. All raps are being set 25m apart.

The route we did was probably more or less the S. Face route that is described in Green Beckey. It is probably 5.7 II+. I would definately reccomend it. The rock was super solid but the gully to get to the face is a bit grungy. The sub peak to the south looked stellar.

My partner and I were back there in 2000 and it didn't look like the route as described existed anymore. There was shattered rock and loose blocks everywhere we went. The brilliant white rock and complete lack of lichen lead us to believe that the route that was climbed by Skoog/Brill no longer exists. We started climbing up the E. Face and encountered very loose, broken and razor sharp rock. We bailed into the coulior to the south of the face (climbers left) and ascended a line on the S. Face until we were able to bisect the E. Face route above where the rockfall may have occured (if you look at the picture in the select climbs it is the roof you see above the climber is where we came onto the ridge). The climbing on the S. Face and on the ridge is very solid. The route was maybe 8-10 pitches or so in length from Blue glacier to summit.

Serpentine

do a search... there are plenty of posts on this rt. I think I posted a TR on this one time.

Ruth to Icy

What about the chicken wire for the parking lot? Is this really necessary? Is there a pile of it or do I need to make a run to the local Farm coop before the trip?

Shoot you guys would have been out anyways should have just tagged the summit It is only a little over a rope length from the col in the East Ridge to the summit where you pop out. The memories are fading and I might subject myself to another go at the mountain... CJ in winter maybe. I thought the rock variation was cool -- 2 outstanding pitches right on the ridge crest. I can't speak for the gully obviously. If you decide to do the rock variaion take a couple .25 - .50 cams as they come in handy to protect the hard part which is only like 25-30 feet. But since you traverse out left your ass is hanging 2000 feet above the abyss...

If you are comfortable soloing 5.9 just climb the route up to the ledge and have at it.

The heather is overhyped on this climb. It doesn't last that long and it was mellow. It was in bloom though -- real perty.

Fred is looking for partner for Mt. Monmouth area (no further specifics) of B.C. he will be leaving Vancouver tomorrow afternoon - eve. The trip will be 4 - 5 days. If you think you can make it give Kent a call at 604-644-8889 (this is where Fred will be staying).

Jesse and I did the NE Butt this past weekend. Met 2 Japanese climbers on the route that had made a destination out of it. A real bushwack to reach the ridge crest with much cursing and pack sticking. Several times I was using devils club and moss equalized for holds. Once we broke out of the oppressive brush the going was good on the heather slopes up to the rock ridge. The Japanese guys were setting up a bivy just above the heather. We kept going and tackled the rock section. We got to the rappel (a single Ti KB left by PMS no doubt) and the gully looked like shit. So we pulled out the rope and did the rock variation climbing to the left. The rock is fairly good here and not as rotten as mentioned. I would say it is harder than 5.3 (maybe 5.7?). The crux is getting over a small rib and up into a larger gully system above which is easy climbing once you are in it. From there you top out on the ridge crest and do 2 pitches of awesome rock on a knife edge ridge with outstanding position. 4 50m pitches from the Rappel on the rock ridge there is a outstanding bivy for 2 with running water -- maybe the best I have had in the cascades. We drank much whiskey and had a great meal. (elapsed time 9 hours from start of climbing to bivy). Next day we did the awesome snow arete up to the glacier and hit the summit (took 2 hours from bivy). Lounged on the summit for a hour or more. Found a plastic tiger perched on a ledge.. recognized many familiar names in the summit register. We descended staying right on the ridge crest (we started off to the right of the crest but this proved loose and unsavory). From there we took the path of least resistance. We made three double rope rappels replacing all the webbing and putting in new rap rings. I had a scare when I bounce tested one of the rap anchors and the webbing snapped. I decided to leave my new cordellete and a biner. Once at the Col (4 hours from Summit) we descended to the south to do the Gunsight notch traverse. Beta for this is as follows: Drop just below the rib on Cascade peak at 6200 ft. You will need to stay between 6100 - 5900 feet to make it through the ribs on Mixup peak. This is pretty much a straight traverse across the alp slopes until you get to the horizon. This is where the routefinding comes into play. If you keep an eye out you will see animal paths between 6000 - 6200 feet picking their way across the gullys (around 6 of them). taking the path of least resistance. The last one is the hardest and involved a 40 foot rappel off of new slings that were pre-existing. This puts you under a largish wall of Mixup and into a SW slanting gully that takes you down about 200 feet before you can cross 2 smallish streams and scramble up a steep dirt gully at 5900 feet to reach the wide slope that leads up to gunsight notch (which is left -- you can't see it till you scramble up about 500 - 600 feet). I wouldn't want to do this descent with high water because you crossing drainages -- there was hardly any water when we crossed them. From Gunsight notch we descended the moat to the left of the snow finger (3 hours to car from here). It was easy going and mellow getting onto the cache glacier. Head north around some rock buttresses and you will see the trail ascending Mixup Arm. We headed back to Cascade Pass and descended the many seemingly horizontal switchbacks back to the car. I thought the lower part of the climb wasn't too good but the upper 2/3 rds of the route was great. No at the bivy. I have some pictures that I will post to the gallery.

Way to go. That is a great climb indeed.

its in stay high. use 7fJ. Descent standard scramble route back to Leroy Bsn

Glad we could offer some good advice. I wish I would have taken the descent that you took.

Nooksack is a pretty tough package -- not hard but intimidating. What about Agnes. It is a long ways in and I think the easiest route up it is 5.6. Could it be done in a day?