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pershing north peak


rollo

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decided to do some recon sunday. The NE couloir route looked pretty cool, but after 3-4 hours of nasty schwacking and snowshoe-eating snow resulting in pathetic elevation gain, I ended up turning round. Anyone have any more info on the approach/difficulty of this route (more than oly mtn guide, anyway)? I made it to the first cliff bands when I turned around, but it wasn't obvious to me from the road about how to access the base of the couloir. Great day to be out tho.

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We did the south peak last fall. Route 7 in the book losely describes it, or at least the start and finish anyway. If you stay on the north side of Jefferson Creek right from the start you will follow an on-again, off-again path paralleling the creek for a mile and a half or so. The path then turns abruptly uphill, paralleling a creek for a while then you must find your way through the slide alder before coming out of the brush in the 4000 foot basin. From here it is up the slabby rock a couple hundred feet to the basin below the summit ridge, from which you can choose your route. If you go left (south-west) and up to the ridge crest it makes a very enjoyable ridge walk with a couple of steps to negotiate.

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Haven't climbed the south peak yet. There was quite a bit of snow once I left the trail, and I definetly needed snowshoes. Even those didn't give me enough floatation in some spots. Hopefully with this warm weather its a bit more consolidated. Have fun.

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John, Yeah, route 7 is the one im planning on useing. Did you use rope on the South West ridge? How long did it take you? Book says 8 hrs to summit. But i looked at a map and it looks alot shorter than that, i guess there is alot of bushwacking though.

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John,

Yeah, route 7 is the one im planning on useing. Did you use rope on the South West ridge? How long did it take you? Book says 8 hrs to summit. But i looked at a map and it looks alot shorter than that, i guess there is alot of bushwacking though.

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It took us 6 hours to make the summit, and we weren't moving very fast, but we also were in the right place to get through the worst of the slide alder. As long as you keep your eyes open for the path you shouldn't have any trouble. We took a rope and belayed a couple of newbies up 2 4th class steps to gain the ridge. Then one of them wanted to be tied in along the ridge walk, but the others in our group were comfortable without. The ridge is thin in spots with consequences if you fall, but safe to walk along if you watch your feet. We downclimbed without roping up the newbies much closer to the summit, where it is only class 2/3.

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There really is no good reason. Sometimes I wan't to carry as little as possible. But I think maybe I partly feel that I've already got enough shots of myself and friends "standing on another peak". I know that sounds bad, like climbing has become routine or something. That's not it, believe me. Taking photos just isn't as important as it once was.

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FYI--several approach variations are flagged up Jeff Creek. Route 7 is easily found from the small lake up through the alder. A Goat carcass litters the worst section this year, but soon you're into the basin that leads up to the ridge. Tread lightly on the the creek moss...

 

The glass on the road is from me have to break a window to retrieve the keys I had just locked in my car.

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