Record times (slow and fast) for W Ridge Forbidden

[goatboy]

So what's the fastest you've ever climbed the W Ridge of Forbidden (please specify if you're talking car to summit, camp to summit, camp to camp, whatever it is).

 

What's the slowest?

 

Did you use any special strategies to get you there this fast or this slow?

 

This thread may bring out some interesting patterns or learning for folks, I believe.

 

Thanks in advance for sharing.

 

My record slow time: 23 hours camp to camp when I was learning how to climb. We epic-ed and got back to the tent at about 2:30 AM, long after headlamps had died.

 

My fastest time: 1.5 hours from top of W Ridge Couloir to summit, soloing about a third of the ridge and simul-climbing the rest in one long block.

[dberdinka]

6.5 hrs car-to-car. My strategy was to do it when I was young and still had good knees. Soloing helped too.

[Colin]

When I was twelve my dad took my brother and I up the West Ridge (still probably the best climb of my life). It took us 3 days, and the helicopter was almost called because we had planned on 2 days.

 

Last summer I managed 5:31 car-to-car while solo. I took a 50m 6mm rope and used it for the rappels down the NE Face. Probably the fastest way would be to solo the W Ridge and just downclimb the NE ledges descent, thereby taking no harness, no helmet, no rope, etc. I've talked to people who have downclimbed the NE ledges and it sounds like it isn't too bad. Another option I've heard of is to downclimb the last 100 ft. of the North Ridge, and then traverse onto the NE ledges.

[Cpt.Caveman]

Here's an interesting story about a few lads trying out the East Ridge Direct.

 

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/climb/forbidden.htm#top

 

Made for those with time. But there is some major humor in there.

[kevin]

I'm pushing 27 years and still haven't made the summit yet:)

[Crackbolter]

Me neither.

[scot'teryx]

ERD: 16 hours car to car and we only got to pitch 5...........

[Cpt.Caveman]

kevin said:

I'm pushing 27 years and still haven't made the summit yet:)

 

Soon enough bruthas

 

In fact if weather holds go THIS weekend

 

 

http://wwwa.accuweather.com/adcbin/public/local_index.asp?zipcode=98267&partner=accuweather

[jja]

Cpt.Caveman said:

Here's an interesting story about a few lads trying out the East Ridge Direct.

 

http://gorp.away.com/gorp/activity/climb/forbidden.htm#top

 

Made for those with time. But there is some major humor in there.

 

that's just too funny

bad rock ??? were they on the right mountain

 

The isolated pods of bad rock and dirt had given way to a narrow, unavoidable echelon of rubble. "Nobody in their right mind would climb over that," I said to Russ, as I continued to stare. The ridge had dropped away and deteriorated into a two-foot wide pinnacle of loose, computer-sized blocks heaped on top of each other, some parts of the rock touching, but much of it hanging in space. By stepping on any of them, we were sure to trigger a chaotic disassembly of that section of the ridge. Everything would go, and for quite a long way. There was no way to climb around it.

[Cpt.Caveman]

that's just too funny

 

bad rock ??? were they on the right mountain

 

I read thier report and I believe that they actually retreated on what I would say is the 4th pitch instead of the 5th - depending on how many bypasses and how you climb it etc.

 

If I recall correctly the appearance after this section is that it crosses a knife edge looking section that is indeed a set of blocks on top of one another. But if you did not want to climb on top of the knife edge you could take the right hand option.. I think it was something like near the top of Mt Stuart but smaller blocks and more of them. For someone not accustomed to this type of terrain or rock might find it a little unnerving. However as I closely inspected this area I found the rocks are solid enough to climb on and around with care. Whether or not somebody might consider it chossy is a matter of opinion. I believe they were from out of state? I glanced over most of it.

 

My humor points were that they avoided the rangers by setting an obscure camp and it bit them in the ass on their way down. Also the story seemed to have a minor undertone now and again about the Aussie thinking the Americans were idiots.