Colin

Regional Reports Guidelines - American Alpine Journal In 2003 the AAJ will be changing its regional method of reporting. In the interest of maintaining a more complete historical climbing record it will be giving more attention to a regional overview in addition to personal accounts of first ascents. The battle in recent years has been to capture historically important climbs, events, or trends in each mountain region that might otherwise be missed by the AAJ's standard first-person reports of big new routes. The AAJ will continue it's effort to be the 'show case' of notable International climbing, but will be allowing more opportunity to record regional activity, that has in recent years been limited due to space considerations. Regional climbing will be recorded in two ways: 1) A regional correspondent (or cooperative set of correspondents) will report to the AAJ on important NEW-routes, statistics, or other essential activities and items of note in that area. The regional correspondent(s) also will help to ensure that first-person accounts of big new routes are duly filed with the AAJ. In that regard the correspondents will recognize that essential activities are those things that record important events and trends for historical documentation and/or that will be of immediate value for near-term visitors. The regional summary will be limited to 1,000 words, though more words are possible if the information is considered vital, and will be best described as an overview of the years regional climbing with respect to trends, climbs of note, climbing events etc.. 2) A regional correspondent (or cooperative set of correspondents) will also submit the first ascent bigger routes, defined as Grade IV or longer alpine routes; recognizing that cragging is not the purview of the AAJ. These Grade IV reports will be first-person accounts (limited to 250 to 500 words). Fact checks with first-ascentionists and/or others in the know will be done by the regional correspondents and/or AAJ¹s editors. Photos may be requested. The report is to be filed by February 1 with special consideration for later submissions. Colin Haley and myself have recently been designated as the Washington Cascades correspondents for the AAJ. We will be submitting the regional record for all Cascade climbing which may include the regional activity record of AAC members. For general AAC member activity submit your accounts to Peter Ackroyd the AAC Section Chair. Even though personal accounts will be limited to Grade IV's we would encourage all accounts to be submitted in the same (first person) format. Within a year it is the directional hope of the AAJ to incorporate a web base accounting system that will in effect allow for all first ascents (of all difficulties and grades) without space limitations. In that event, and in consideration for the 2003 AAJ, please submit accounts under the following criteria: 250-500 words dates people involved rating difficulty, grade We encourage creative and whimsical writing, but please, all in good taste and in the interest of the historical record and those who may follow in your foot steps. Accounts, or any questions regarding submissions, should be e-mailed to either gordys@altrec.com or colinhaley@attbi.com. Please pass this information along to those that might not otherwise come across it. Gordy Skoog NW climber, unaffiliated

Gordy Skoog and I (along with several others) have been planning to put together somewhat of a regional report for the Washington section of the AAJ. This would include those Grade III climbs that there otherwise is not space for. Although I haven't really started poking around much yet (perhaps now I am?), I've already contacted Loren and Jens about their new route on Formidable. It is, for example, a cool new alpine route, but not Grade IV, and therefore not possible for inclusion otherwise. So, perhaps this is a good time for all of you to speak up about other new routes (or perhaps first winter ascents, etc.) of 2002.

Yep. Dan was one of the two parties I was thinking of. The gully that he climbed (and is perhaps "Washington Dihedrals") is the main snow gully that NY Gully branches left from.

Jim, The gully that Dan and Tim started up is definitely the correct/normal one for getting to NY Gully (the one you describe as "the major snow gully separating this subsidiary peak and Snoqualmie's steep north wall proper."). I know of two parties (in fact, I think that one was Brian) that have gone in to try NY Gully, decided that it did not look good, and instead continued up that main snow gully, until it tops out on the West Ridge. I think I heard it described as fairly easy alpine ice and mixed. Is this main gully Ruch's "Washington Dihedrals" route? When traversing below the N face of the western sub-peak (as to get to NY Gully), one crosses below a couple cool-looking dihedrals. They look like they would be good mixed climbing, increasing in difficulty from the furthest right to the furthest left. There is also a dihedral that branches off of the Enigma Gully, on the climber's left-hand wall, that looks like it could be pretty fun. I don't think that any of these dihedrals I'm describing have been climbed, and if Ruch described "Washington Dihedrals" as being easier than NY Gully, then my geuss is that it is the main snow gully (that NY Gully branches off of). Did that make any sense?

Mike, The first time that Mark and I did it we bivied at the West Ridge notch, and still didn't get back to the car until about 8 pm the next day. The second time, however, under much better conditions, we took about 14 hours car-to-car. It's not an ice climb, it's a mixed route. Just because there isn't a lot of swinging doesn't mean that there isn't ice. The climbing on it is really fun - lots of hooking your picks in cracks, and whatnot. I definitely wouldn't reccomend it as a summer route, because the rock is too loose.

Dan, Nice job! Glad to hear you liked it! "We got on the route about 100 yards up Enigma Gully from the base of the face" Actually, that is not Enigma Gully, but a different one. Enigma Gully (or Slot Couloir) is the much deeper gully, further to the East (to the left of NY Gully, looking up). The dead snag is definitely where you turn up into the box gully. After that, it sounds like you were on route, but it's hard to tell. Perhaps if I describe how the route went from there from my memory, you might be able to confirm if you went the same way: From the dead snag, the route goes straight up the box gully for about 65 meters, to a belay on the left wall, where there is a little snow to stand on. This pitch has two fixed pins from Ruch and Cotter, and is the crux of the route. I think that the last 30 ft. of this pitch might incorporate your "v-slot." The next pitch goes straight up the end of the "box gully"(starting out on the right-hand wall), up some mixed snow groove, and then across a little football-shaped slab, to the base of the offwidth corner. The third pitch from the snag makes a move or two up the offwidth, before clipping a Ruch/Cotter knifeblade on the left wall, and then climbing about 30 ft. up to a belay next to a tree. The beggining of this pitch is steep, and is where Mark and I made an aid move or two. From the belay next to the tree, do not continue up, (as shown in the picture in Selected Climbs) as it is merely a sub-summit. Instead, climb about 80 meters of 4th class mixed terrain, up to a saddle to the right of the sub-summit. From here, make a quick rap into the top of the Enigma Gully, and then climb the last 100 ft. of it up to the West Ridge, which quickly leads to the summit. It sounds like you guys definitely made the correct first pitch from the snag (you saw the two fixed pins), and probably the second as well. What I can't tell is if you went up the "offwidth crack" to the fixed pin on the left wall. Perhaps this is your "slightly left and up dry rock?" The knifeblade here was the same funky forged type from the earlier pitch (with a single eye, that has been rotated about 30 degrees). Did Tim take many pictures?

Most of the avalanche debris had come out of the C-J Couloir, although some of it had obviously come off the route. Depending on exactly where you go, the first 2-5 pitches of the route will have avalanche danger (from a snow bowl a little ways up), but after that, it is very minimal.

It has been repeated? By who? I was definitely under the other impression.

I really didn't think that the SW was a good descent route, and I would only reccomend it if your route climbs directly to the West Peak in the first place (West side route, and 1949 North face route, I believe). Yeah, I read about Bill Pilling dropping the pot in his 1985 AAJ report. He also spent the evening vomiting... Then there's the fact that they (he and Steve Mascioli) also made the first winter ascent of NE Buttress Goode - the same month! I think it's called "spectre of the broken," or something like that. - When your shadow is projected onto clouds below, surounded by a circular rainbow. I think I used 5 or 6 GU's - PB&J's are just much more cost effective. I'm no good at estimating pack weight, but while we were climbing we were carrying a lightweight tent, lightweight stove, fuel, food, pad each, sleeping bag each, parka each, extra socks and gloves each, and not much more.

Mark and I climbed the 1957 NE Buttress route this past week. We skied up to the end of the Cascade River Road on the 28th. On the 29th, we stashed skis at the base of the buttress, and climbed to a bivy at the fairly level part of the buttress, at mid height. On the 30th we climbed up to the flat snow area just below the summit pyramid (choosing to rap into the couloir, rather than do the 5.3 variation). On the 31st we tagged the summit, and then started traversing towards the West Peak, and ended up bivying on the summit ridge, about 2/3 of the way there. On the 1st we tagged the West Peak, and then kept traversing the West Ridge, eventually downclimbing a SW gully. We traversed around the SW side of the peak, and then climbed up to a col in the West ridge (in other words, we used the west side descent/ascent route). We descended towards the North from the col in the West ridge, and got about 1,500 ft. down before bivying. On the 2nd we staggered down the rest of the slope to the Cascade River Road, and back to the car. Today we snowshoed back up to the face to retrieve our skis, but found them buried by avalanches! We had very difficult weather and conditions, with lots of wallowing, and new snow every day and every night. I would not reccomend the West side descent route, unless you want to climb the West Peak specifically, because it was very long and tiring. It was a really fun winter route, and I'd reccomend it in general (although I would also reccomend waiting until later in the season, and for firmer/safer conditions). There is not much ice in that area yet, although it is definitely forming. The short three-tiered waterfall on the left, about 1 mile up-valley from Eldorado Creek looks like it will be climbable soon. To drive up to Eldorado Creek you will probably want to carry chains.

I'm hoping to get in touch with either Carla Firey or Piro Kramar. If anyone knows either person's phone or e-mail, I'd appreciate it if you could send me a PM or an e-mail. Thanks. colinhaley@attbi.com

Yes, I know - but we're talking about once crampons WERE in use.

I agree, Winter, but just to clarify: I don't think anyone took their crampons off when the ice got steep - Rather, they had to cut steps when the ice got steep, and the crampons kept their feet from slipping out of the steps.

Smoker, Don't Rambo's have vertical front points? I would assume that no one files their vertical front points from the top.

I can't seem to decide which is a better method for filing horizontal crampon front points: -from the sides, creating a very triangle-shaped front point -from the top, creating a trapezoidal-shaped front point Sabretooth crampons come with the front points already somewhat "top-filed," while most (Grivel, DMM, CM) come with the front points "side-filed." It's been my experience that if you "top-file" them, then as the crampons get older (and points shorter), your front points get wider, and therefore less effective. On the other hand, perhaps "top-filing" them preserves the life of the front points more than "side-filing?" Thoughts?

Good morning, Worm your honor. The crown will plainly show The prisoner who now stands before you Was caught red-handed showing feelings Showing feelings of an almost human nature; This will not do. Call the schoolmaster! I always said he'd come to no good In the end your honor. If they'd let me have my way I could Have flayed him into shape. But my hands were tied, The bleeding hearts and artists Let him get away with murder. Let me hammer him today? Crazy, Toys in the attic I am crazy, Truly gone fishing. They must have taken my marbles away. Crazy, toys in the attic he is crazy. You little shit you're in it now, I hope they throw away the key. You should have talked to me more often Than you did, but no! You had to go Your own way, have you broken any Homes up lately? Just five minutes, Worm your honor, Him and Me, alone. Baaaaaaaaaabe! Come to mother baby, let me hold you In my arms. M'lud I never wanted him to Get in any trouble. Why'd he ever have to leave me? Worm, your honor, let me take him home. Crazy, Over the rainbow, I am crazy, Bars in the window. There must have been a door there in the wall When I came in. Crazy, over the rainbow, he is crazy. The evidence before the court is Incontrivertable, there's no need for The jury to retire. In all my years of judging I have never heard before Of someone more deserving Of the full penaltie of law. The way you made them suffer, Your exquisite wife and mother, Fills me with the urge to defecate! "Hey Judge! Shit on him!" But, my friend, you have revealed your Deepest fear, I sentence you to be exposed before Your peers. Tear down the wall!

When researching a climb in the U.S., I usually just go to topozone.com to see what's up, but it deosn't extend into B.C. Does anyone know of a similar site (free, online topo maps) for Canada?

Anyone go up into the Enchantments this past weekend? How much (if any) snow is there up at Colchuck Lake? I assume the FS is reasonable enough to not have gated Mountaineer Creek Road, since there should be no snow on it?

Yeah, I was sick of carrying bivy gear after hiking up to the East Ridge last weekend, only to discover that I'd forgotten my lighter, and couldn't use my stove. I slept at the trailhead, and headed out at 3 am.

Soloed the NW Couloir today. There were five other climbers approaching the base as I topped out, so there's likely to be other reports as well. I used the approach in Selected Climbs, which works fine, although at least two of the other climbers dropped down directly into the Marble drainage from the Inspiration Glacier, which could be quite faster. The climb itself was in excellent condition, with neve wherever there wasn't ice; I'd estimate it to be WI2+/WI3-. As long as this high pressure sticks around, the climb will probably remain in great shape.

I bet it's not a pose. I bet that the guy is Korean. I've spent a few days cragging in Korea, and while the granite is spectacular, with tons of routes that rival Outer Space, the climbers are super sketchy. While good climbers, they have absolutely no concept of safety.

Jason, I've got a photo of the NW face of Stuart in late winter. It shows the lower 2/3 of the NW face couloir and the Stuart Glacier couloir. It is taken from the Stuart Glacier, and thus not the best view possible, but you might find it worthy.

I heard that Joan Firey wanted to do it for a while, but as far as I know it hasn't been done.

Stefan said: "Pickets traverse staying on the ridge proper. I think this has been done...it doesn't have to be new to be hardman stuff." Really? By who? Silas Wild, the hardman, came closest as far as I know.

North face of Cheam, eh? Thanks, Jordop.