joe_catellani

"Pushing the Limits, the story of Canadian Mountaineering" is something like "Climbing in North America" by Chris Jones, on steroids. Its coffee table size book on Canadian mountaineering with hundreds of pics. Covers early days to modern hard core routes. if you're into climbing in canada this book is very inspiring. The Mountaineers Bookstore and Chessler Books are selling it for about $40, Amazon tries to rip you for $65. Chessler has a no question return policy, including return postage back. check it out!

see Dallas Kloke's book "One Day winter Climbs" 168 pgs of ideas book report on B board.

I've climbed the left variation start to Chair's NE butt, a couple times over the years. the ice was much fatter in March (w/ Brian sullivan) and thinner in dec (w/ silas wild) (different years) not much pro. I've heard of others climbing this (even soloing) when ice is thick....it happens, but not looking like it this year. both times we connected to the snowfield, pins for pro)

whoops! too much Jack last night. Bivouac is spelled BIVOUAC !

Bivoac.com's Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia has hundreds of BC (and elsewhere in canada) trip reports. check it out!

Skip Edmonds and I climbed this excellent route in late august '00. It's an extension and variation of the old Rubber Soul route and very well described in Jim Nelon's Selected Climbs Vol 2. I'm generally not a big fan of friction climbs but I liked it better than Dreamer because it's longer, better protected, and more varied. No rope eating cracks either. The rubber soul pitch (#4) has neat fingerlocks. We used TCU's 00 to #4 and .75 to #2 camalots, and 2 1/2 and 3 Friends. (5 pieces 2 to 2 1/2 on pitch 4) we had wired nuts along but never used them. a nut tool may be handy for a little extra crack cleaning. In Nelson's guide pg 240 the letters(route names) A and B are switched. Great trail to base of climb, my thanks to whoever brushed it out. The upper 4 pitches are in "almost first ascent condition" ie a fair amount of dirt and moss. this should improve with traffic. no brush though. 10 hours car to car.

Dallas Kloke has self published a 168pg book of 1 day winter climbs in western cascades. Lots of good ideas and and the vast majority won't be anywhere near the zoo scene you see at Chair Pk! Many are none technical, you can do those when the avy danger is up a bit (usually!) Good access info, route info is often a bit thin, what a good opportunity to develop your route finding skill and judgement! Hey for only 10 bucks, including mailing! Trust me! I have the 2nd edition and the 3rd may be out. send a $10 check to him at 4012 M ave Anacortes Wa 98221

I climbed upper Yocum Ridge in mid march 1983 with Mark Bebie. Fred Beckey made the first ascent in april(see Challenge of the North Cascades). We got on the ridge crest above the 3rd gendarme because it had too much rock showing. the 3rd gendarme is on the cover of J wickwire's book "addicted to danger" you don't necessarily need real cold conditions, just well frozen, and the more snow/ice the better as the rock is really rank. Since it's at fairly high elevation and west facing it stayed well frozen for us in march the entire climb. We were there in a clear period after a warm stormy period which plastered the climb beautifully, and the glop froze up good. This is the kind of conditions you want as pro is very hard to come by. The better pro was usually the rope running over natural features and your buddie's body weight. We did get a few good screws in in places but usually had to do a lot of chopping away the rime to get to good ice, and even then it often bottomed out. The beauty of the rime feathers is outstanding, but this climb demands boldness. Climbing up the south side of the ridge to reach the crest had a little bit of mixed at the start but we running belayed to the crest, including thru a snow/ice tube, like I've heard about climbing rime formations in Patagonia. The ridge crest climbing was spectacular, 2 tool self belay/buddies bod and rope was only realistic pro. We went quite close to the crest at the big step,(on the south side) much higher that the route line shown in Thomas's book. This was the crux, stemming a crap rock with good but thin ice dihedral, no intermediate pro altho we had a good 2 screw belay.One of the scariest 25 feet I've dealt with in 25yrs in the mountains. I top belayed Mark with a body belay from over the north side of the crest. rope trenching here would have held a following fall. From there it was cake to the top. A very esthetic,beautiful, but scary climb. I've gone back to Hood in winter because the rime experience is sooo cool.(more moderate stuff) "poor man's Patagonia". Hood can be done in a weekend from Seattle. tools with longish picks get thru the rime better to the harder ice below. also 60cm straight tools are prefered because you may do a lot of climbing on shafts.