[TR] Broken Top South (9094) and Main - Left Ramp Direct + High Noon 12/10/2017

[bedellympian]

Trip: Broken Top South (9094) and Main - Left Ramp Direct + High Noon

Trip Date: 12/10/2017

Trip Report:

I wanted to share a little about a recent excursion to Broken Top's Crook Cirque. This is a good venue for winter climbing close to Bend in terms of the routes available. However, it is a long approach (7 miles on rolling terrain) and the Cirque is S facing making it a solar oven in just about any sunny weather. The bad news is that conditions are fickle and hard to nail (this was my 6th time going out there to try climb and only second trip climbing something). The good news is it's a great backcountry ski zone when climbing is out. Hopefully others can learn from my beta and have success/fun.

Approach: If overnighting or snow machining park at Dutchman's, Bachelor has started towing unattended vehicles at night. Fastest skin track is the snow machine access road and you might be able to hitch a ride but its not pleasant. The other two options are following xc ski trails or going down to Todd Lake and then through that way. Expect at least 2.5 hours for a fit person on the move nailing route finding.

Conditions: This has been the crux for me over the years. The south facing cirque gets way too hot in the sun and the ideal climbing aspects get windloaded and corniced by storms. Luckily routes are generally short and quick so you have three options. 1. Ski out and climb it in the evening, then camp or headlamp it back to the car. 2. Camp out and climb it early. 3. Climb in spindrift on the front end of a storm cycle. This past weekend many small ice flows were in but temps were dangerously high as soon as the sun hit.

Route Recs and what I did:

-East face of 9094 has plenty of options that are somewhere between Devil's Kitchen Headwall and Eliot Headwall in length and difficulty. Most stuff has been done unless you are into futuristic x-rated choss climbing. Can be badly corniced.

-South Face of BT gets the full sun effect, the two routes worth doing IMHO are 11 o'clock couloir to the summit and High Noon Couloir. Both are in Oregon High. High Noon, which I finally did this weekend, has surprisingly good rock. There are possibly other options doable up the main buttress, difficulty hard to determine.

 

Here are some grainy iphone pictures from this weekend to entice those looking for a slog-worthy objective...

Crook Cirque , BT S face center, E face 9094 on L

E face 9094 (~800ft) Saturday evening

Three short but fun ice steps lead into the L of two ramps on E face 9094.

L ramp couloir goes through arch to steep snow top out.

Views from summit of 9094 Sat evening: top pic L-R N Sis, Jefferson, BT main w/ Hihg Noon Couloir obvious, bottom sunset, walk off on scree to the SW and E down snow gullies.

Approaching BT main south face and High Noon Sunday morning.

Sketchy ice flow L of High Noon Couli, exposed scree traverse and wet moss top out, solid sticks though and AI3-, traversed into main couli above this.

Traversing steep snow into High Noon from top of ice flows.

Solid rock at top of High Noon.

T-shirt weather at 8am mid December on the south facing aspect. Bare hand rock climbing with pons ensued... a good time.

Looking down the crux step (low 5th). Many options on these upper steps.

Nice summit views south to 9094 and Bachelor; and north to the Sisters.

Gear Notes:
Light and climbable AT boots, tools/pons, sun shade hoody and tshirt for the ridiculously hot weather.

Approach Notes:
Dutchman's through snow machine road, xc trails are slower but less stanky.

[diepj]

Very cool!

I have looked at those routes in OR high a few times and wondered about the possibilities...

Thanks for the report.