Baker: North Ridge and Coleman Headwall

[Dima]

Need a partner for NOrth Ridge and Coleman Headwall on Baker in June. Needs to have all gear and follow or lead WI4-5 on ice.

 

Serious replies to dlitva1@uic.edu

[Dru]

i don't think you are going to find any WI4/5 on either route. more like AI2/3.

[mike_m]

In June both routes will be primarily steep snow with only a few hundred feet of ice, AI-3 max

[Distel32]

lead WI4-5 on ice? What about WI4-5 on rock..??

[HerbertWest]

Sounds serious.

 

If you start from Mirkwood, you can get 85-100 2-25m pitches of GI5-12.

 

But the route will suck in June this year. I'd make other plans.

[J_Fisher]

Depending on line choice you could make it a lot harder, if that's your thing.

 

[Dima]

O.k. dumb me. But you could have Wi4-5 on rock when it gets thin

 

Yes, June is a bit yearly this year. But I need to get some in before heading to Peru in July. We will wait and see.

 

Overall, it will be good for me as I do not have a ton of expreience on AI. As long as I won't need the skis on the trail and a showel on the route.

[Dima]

Is this the North Ridge? Looks short.

When did ya climb it

 

Thanks

[Sabertooth]

But the route will suck in June this year. I'd make other plans.

 

Some large icefall climbs like the Coleman Headwall are only doable early season. How many August or September ascents of routes like the Coleman Headwall or Klicitat Icefall do you hear about? I've seen photos of the headwall in late season and it looked SCARY.

[bobbyperu]

that sounds like as cool link-up tho you'd prolly have more fun 3rd classing..? i've thought that'd be a fun day... posta tr and pics-bp

[To_The_Top]

Hope its cold there in June if you do the headwall. I've seen that whole slope get swept clean from ice fall/avalanches at that time of year

[Dru]

But the route will suck in June this year. I'd make other plans.

 

Some large icefall climbs like the Coleman Headwall are only doable early season. How many August or September ascents of routes like the Coleman Headwall or Klicitat Icefall do you hear about? I've seen photos of the headwall in late season and it looked SCARY.

 

actually there can be really good hard* ice on the coleman headwall in late sept or oct. and its much easier to get to than the n ridge at that time of year.

 

*Hard in character - as in water ice not neve - not hard in grade like WI5+R

Edited February 18, 2004 by Dru

[J_Fisher]

Dima, the picture is from the NR in June 2001. The line we took was a few hundred feet climbers right of the usual line. It was about 80 feet of AI4-ish. As dru said, the normal line is a lot less steep. We thought it looked like fun to go straight up.

 

Snow conditions sucked for us b/c it snowed above 6000' a couple days before and we had a hot day. Lots of post-holing, and the Coleman headwall avied in the afternoon.

[Dima]

Lots of post-holing, and the Coleman headwall avied

in the afternoon.

 

avied? What's that?

Did you punch through on the route as well. That would suck.

[Dru]

avie or avvy

[Alex]

But the route will suck in June this year. I'd make other plans.

 

Some large icefall climbs like the Coleman Headwall are only doable early season. How many August or September ascents of routes like the Coleman Headwall or Klicitat Icefall do you hear about? I've seen photos of the headwall in late season and it looked SCARY.

 

I believe the relatively low number of ascents later in the summer is more due to the Coleman opening up and making life difficult than the climbing on the headwall proper.

[chris]

I was there last end of September / beginning of October, and watched two teams of friends climb the Coleman Headwall. They reported dinner-plating ice but solid all the way. It looked way cool, and I'm planning on it for this fall.

My team tried the North Ridge, and after three attempts we couldn't find a way around the bergschrunds one the ridge proper, and had to retreat...