Sahale TR/Question

[Ursa_Eagle]

Yesterday my buddy and I climbed Sahale Peak, and I'm thinking that we didn't find the easy route up the pinnacle. We left the car at 10:00, and were at Sahale Camp at 12:45. After a 30 minute break, we made it up the glacier (no rope needed, just follow the boot track and probe the steps on the bridges with a trekking pole), exited at the upper right, then slogged on scree up to the east ridge (where we could first see the NF of Buckner.) We then went up the ridge, staying to the left and climbed some loose crap on the summit pinnacle that well into the 5th class range. I didn't particularly enjoy that part, as I knew I would be downclimbing it, and it was rather exposed (a fall would send you down a seemingly bottomless gulley on the north side of the east ridge.) We topped out around 2:30 or so, then headed back down to Sahale Camp at 3:30 where my pack was made lighter by drinking the beers I'd dragged up there (still somewhat cold!) Nothing quite like a good doppelbock at 7400 feet! Leaving Sahale camp a little after 4:00, we booked down the arm, stopping to take pics of a marmot that crawled onto my boot and licked my gaiter. Endless switchbacks below cascade pass led us back to the cars at 6:30. Unfortunately, the smoke didn't clear up in the afternoon as it had the previous two days (at least it seemd that way on Snowking.) Although we could see a few things from up there (Elderado, Forbidden, Boston, Logan, Goode, Buckner, Booker), everthing else was cloaked by the smoke, particularly to the south. Overall, a great day though!

 

My question is, where is the 3rd or 4th class route up the pinnacle that people talk about? We were supposed to traversed around to the north somehow or possibly go up the south ridge? Downclimbing the rock that we had climbed was definately unnerving, and if I were to go up that way again, I'd bring a short, light rope so I could rap.

[Sphinx]

When climbing up the snow, if you look up, the left skyline is the easiest climb to the summit. At least, that's what I did, and it seemed to be 3/4th class.

[Bill_Simpkins]

The main route is to the right and around to the north.

 

I've been up the center part, with a belay. Rapped off the summit slings and then a piton with a 30 m rope.

[climberchris01]

I traversed around the right side to a small gulley with maybe two moves that made you think about falling, although I was in mountaineering boots, then we rapped off the summit in two short raps with a 35m rope. The rap route, though loose, looked like we could have downclimbed it it was so simple, but we carried that rope and harnesses up there and we were going to use them!

[cluck]

Hey, we passed you on our way down yesterday!

 

We camped at the toe of the Sahale glacier and headed up at sunrise. Crampons were a must in the morning as the glacier was frozen solid.

 

We also had a bit of a hard time finding the actual route up the summit pinnacle. We exited the glacier on the upper right end and climbed the talus to the base of the pinnacle. I read that the 4th class route went up the left (western) ridge so we headed there. The moves were upper 4th to low 5th class and on rotten rock. We had a rope and a few cams so we weren't too picky of the route and just basically stuck to the ridge line because the exposure on the north side was cool. Toward the top we moved onto the south face and up a short chimney to the rap anchor.

 

As I reached the anchor I thought "Damn, that didn't feel easy 4th class to me!" From the top, I could see a route down to the Boston/Sahale col - is that the more popular route? Also, when we rapped down the south face, I thought I saw an easier gulley that was just below the west ridge but even that would be a pain to down climb.

 

I'll post a pic with the routes drawn in to clarify....

[Ursa_Eagle]

Thanx for the info! I need to go back when it's not so smokey, and I'd like to try the easier route next time so I know where it is (and therefore wouldn't have to worry about a rope.)

Yeah, Cluck, I'm glad it's not just me who thought it was a little more than 4th class. Were you the ones that we ran into up on the arm?

[cluck]

I'm retarded and can't figure out how to insert the picture into this post, but here's a link to it:

Picture of routes???

 

Anyway, we went up the red line but it looked like the green line would go too. Thoughts?

 

 

[cluck]

Ursa_Eagle said:

Thanx for the info! I need to go back when it's not so smokey, and I'd like to try the easier route next time so I know where it is (and therefore wouldn't have to worry about a rope.)

Yeah, Cluck, I'm glad it's not just me who thought it was a little more than 4th class. Were you the ones that we ran into up on the arm?

 

Yup - a guy and chick with giant packs and giant smiles. We passed you just below the morraine on the arm. The view was spectacular up top but went away as we descended into the soup.

[Ursa_Eagle]

here's cluck's photo with my route drawn in (yellow)

More Sahale Routes

[Ursa_Eagle]

cluck, I just saw your photo looking south from the summit, and I'm jealous! I don't think I even took one looking south, because it was all smoke. Logan was all hazy, as was Elderado, and that was about as far as we could see!

[cluck]

Bummer about the haze. When we summitted at about 9:30 AM all the smoke was still trapped in the valleys and visibility was damn near unlimited. We could see as far as Mount Rainier to the south and Mt. Shuksan to the north. One helluva view!!!!!

 

As the day wore on, the smoke rose out of the valleys and started up the Sahale Arm.

[mtngrrrl]

Earlier in the season, we went up just to the right of your line, UE, then swung back around to join your line. There was a ramp of sorts that we could see from the base that looked like a clean scramble to the top, and so it was. We had two groups share 30m ropes, so we did one rap down the middle of the green and yellow line.

 

Cluck, I guess you were asking about camping permits last week. (Duh.) I thought you were asking about climbing permits, which you shouldn't need for Sahale. Glad you and GF had fun.