dmcnair Posted August 5, 2003 Posted August 5, 2003 A friend who climbed this route on the weekend of 7/27/03 told me that getting from the glacier to the buttress toe was very dicey because the lip of the schrund had melted way back and was very thin. He thought it would be impossible to get onto the toe in another week. Anyone been up there since then? Any secret passages? Quote
mattp Posted August 5, 2003 Posted August 5, 2003 dm- There is no such thing as "impossible," especially when it comes to crossing a couple hundred yards of a tiny North Cascade glacier and accessing a low-angled rock ridge. The answer to your question will depend on your skill level and how determined you are. I believe that your friend is talking about a "moat" and not a "schrund" if he is talking about the point where you step from ice to rock and I think you should interpret his report to mean no more than that he couldn't imagine crossing - at what appeared to him to be the only easy point to do so - if the wedge of ice enclosing the moat got any thinner. Wait for another opinion, or go on up there and see for yourself. Even if another party comes back and reports it to be impossible, I can assure you: there is ALWAYS a way. Quote
Dru Posted August 5, 2003 Posted August 5, 2003 mattp said: I believe that your friend is talking about a "moat" and not a "schrund" if he is talking about the point where you step from ice to rock Gap between ice and rock is properly known as DER RANDKLUFT!!!! Quote
dberdinka Posted August 5, 2003 Posted August 5, 2003 It ain't recent beta but I climbed it in late-late September of a low snow year. It certainly LOOKED impossible from the bivi all the way until we got on the rock but it went. Good stuff! Have fun. Quote
klenke Posted August 5, 2003 Posted August 5, 2003 It'll go, dude. Way! 'kn-a! (i.e., what Matt said). Quote
dmcnair Posted August 6, 2003 Author Posted August 6, 2003 Mattp, I am simultaeneously chastened, enlightened, and inspired. How long did it take you to compose that sermon? Dru, thanks for that word; it will quickly become one of my favorites. Dberdinka, thanks for your input. On your trip were you able to scramble / jump / whatever from the glacier to the toe, or did you have to rap / climb into the--er, uh--moat-- and climb up? Quote
mattp Posted August 6, 2003 Posted August 6, 2003 I'm sorry you feel "sermoned" DM. Fact is, people are all the time proclaiming the approach to the North Ridge of Baker "done for the year" or Goode Glacier "impossible" and other folks believe them. I'm just trying to help. Quote
erik Posted August 6, 2003 Posted August 6, 2003 mattp said: I'm sorry you feel "sermoned" DM. Fact is, people are all the time proclaiming the approach to the North Ridge of Baker "done for the year" or Goode Glacier "impossible" and other folks believe them. I'm just trying to help. matt are you meaning to say that within alpine climbing there is adventure and one might have to venture out beyong their preconceived ideas and challenge themselves?? weird! Quote
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