NorthWest Buttress of Stuart?

[chucK]

Hello there,

 

I am seeking information on the NW buttress of Stuart. Planning on climbing the North Ridge of Stuart from a bivy at Goat Pass and would like to descend down the NW buttress to our camp.

 

Any confirmations out there that this is an excellent idea? Anybody spent an extra three unplanned nights out attempting this? Fill me in. I am a beta sink.

 

 

[JoshK]

chuck, are you dead set against trying the route in a day? Wihtout the extra weight of bivy gear you should be able to reach goat pass in a pretty reasonable amount of time from the car. I have no idea what the NW buttress of stuart is like, but despite it's drawbacks, cascadian coulior is at least a straightfoward and simple descent...as long as you get in the right coulior. It may be worth forcing out the approach and the climb in the same day to allow yourself the simple descent, esp. if it ends up being late in the day. If you do end up decding to go down the NW buttress, I'd be very interested to hear how it goes. If it is, in fact, a reasonably easy descent, it would be great to have the option to get down to that side of the mountain.

[mattp]

Assuming that what you are looking for is a way not to have to do either a carry-over or a one day marathon on the North Ridge, I would say that you should consider the Mountaineer Creek approach and the Sherpa Couloir descent. The approach hike is probably no further (and probably no more difficult) than the approach over Goat Pass, though there is some "off-trail" hiking (if you do it right, as described not long ago in this forum, there is a climber's path most of the way), and the descent down the Sherpa Couloir is pretty straightforward (some have complained about it, but recent route reports have mostly been favorable). Really. Check it out.

[Off_White]

Matt's probably got a good idea. I researched the NW Butt descent awhile back, seems like it got largely negative reviews, including a report from someone who almost died in a bunch of loose rock. Didn't sound straight forward, which is sort of what you want towards the end of the day. I descended Sherpa in late September one year, without crampons we had to rap the gully, but it was still pretty easy. Mtneer Creek approach is nothing to worry about either.

[Cpt.Caveman]

mattp said:

Assuming that what you are looking for is a way not to have to do either a carry-over or a one day marathon on the North Ridge, I would say that you should consider the Mountaineer Creek approach and the Sherpa Couloir descent. The approach hike is probably no further (and probably no more difficult) than the approach over Goat Pass, though there is some "off-trail" hiking (if you do it right, as described not long ago in this forum, there is a climber's path most of the way), and the descent down the Sherpa Couloir is pretty straightforward (some have complained about it, but recent route reports have mostly been favorable). Really. Check it out.

 

I agree with matt.

 

BUT Bug has some beta as I have seen him supply it before. It's worth the info at least. Fucker lives 6 blocks from me but dont give me no beta

[JoshK]

Anybody know what the sherpa glacier coulior is like one it melts out? It was starting to get thin in places when I came down the other night. I'm guessing it's pretty horendous once the snow is gone, but who knows...

[Cpt.Caveman]

JoshK said:

Anybody know what the sherpa glacier coulior is like one it melts out? It was starting to get thin in places when I came down the other night. I'm guessing it's pretty horendous once the snow is gone, but who knows...

 

Depends on when. Looked good last October. Just shitty rubble getting to it...

[Off_White]

Josh, late season we encountered an inch of slush over rock hard snow, and lacking crampons we rapped. We found good anchors all the way down, but there weren't piles of slings, just one set from a prior party (they all had the same initials on them). Some of those anchors were set on terrible stuff, we just moved the same slings a few feet to find excellent natural anchors (sometimes excavated with nut tool), and left no gear. Double 50 meter rope rappels though, bring twin ropes or a 7 mil tag line with the fat cord.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Off_White said:

Josh, late season we encountered an inch of slush over rock hard snow, and lacking crampons we rapped. We found good anchors all the way down, but there weren't piles of slings, just one set from a prior party (they all had the same initials on them). Some of those anchors were set on terrible stuff, we just moved the same slings a few feet to find excellent natural anchors (sometimes excavated with nut tool), and left no gear. Double 50 meter rope rappels though, bring twin ropes or a 7 mil tag line with the fat cord.

 

A note: BRING HELMETS on this descent later in season I am positive.

 

I very rarely use a helmet but I recommend one for this descent later in the season base upon what I saw.

 

If you were in the army for as many years as me you'd likely hate the brain bucket too.

[chucK]

Thank you all for this interesting beta. I am lapping it up . Yum Yum.

 

Yes Matt. I was hoping to climb the N Ridge without a bivy pack. Josh, I fear car to car in a day might be just too brutal for me. Plus, I sometimes do enjoy just rotting in the mountains.

 

One problem with the Mountaineer Creek approach is that I am planning on getting up there ~July 15 +/- a day, at which time I believe the Eight Mile Road will be off limits. I fear this would greatly complicate the Mountie Creek approach.

[Off_White]

Ahh yes, the road closure. Seems I heard a rumor (perhaps nothing more than that) around here that the road repair is being shelved this year for lack of funding? Worth a call to the district I'd think.

 

I'm sure you could get down the NW Buttress, you've been around the block, but here's a couple other ideas:

 

Have you done the West Ridge before? I haven't, and from what I've read, it may be a little problematic if you haven't, but might it do as a descent route, with a bivy at Stuart Pass instead of Goat?

 

Just carry over. Thats what we did last time I was on the route, and adding a light bag & bivy sack didn't add that much weight. Skip the stove and all that jive, just do the old & cheese on a bagel.

 

 

[chucK]

Yeah, I was thinking about the West ridge too. I think I've got that pretty well scoped. That might be the ticket.

 

No, I don't wanna do a carryover. Climbing with a pack sux. .

 

I'll try the marathon from the car in a day before I carry bivy gear over the mountain. Probably bivy anyway but at least I won't be carryin' all that gear .

[erik]

WE ARE PLANNING TO PARRAPENT.

 

 

[Bug]

Good beta so far. I've descended the NW butt with few problems. There is lots of loose rock and some route finding that is a couple notches more difficult than the west couliour (down,left,left,skirtslab, down,left,descend rounded ridge and stay on crest). I would do the wr. Off the summit block, get in the w notch. From there head for the notch in Long John tower. Then head down the gully. You might do a few raps below the tower but wouldn't need to. This only adds about a mile of sidehilling compared to the NW butt. You do not want to get off route on the NW butt. It's big and steep.

[Bug]

Cpt.Caveman said:

 

BUT Bug has some beta as I have seen him supply it before. It's worth the info at least. Fucker lives 6 blocks from me but dont give me no beta

I 'll give beta to anyone. I hit this board pretty intermittantly. You usually have a good epic worked out by the time I see the posts.

Since you know where I live, drop by for a Corona.

 

[Juan]

Jesus, Chuck. Just do the North Ridge in a day. My wife did the West Ridge with Craig McKibben and Doug Walker in a day in '99. She was home for dinner. You can certainly pull the North in day. Descend the Cascadian and stop fooling around with these other ideas.

 

=;-)

 

Juan