Challenger Arm in August or maybe September

[marylou]

I plan to do a trip in August or September (probably the latter) that will involve crossing Challenger Arm. The objective is Luna Cirque, and we will be heading from the west via Hannegan Pass via the route descibed in Beckey and elsewhere. Beckey would suggest that you need real true blue mountaineering skills to do the Challenger Arm part of the trip, and this makes me a bit nervous. I'm fine on the ice axe and crampons part of it, and have ok navigation skills, but mountaineering skills, well....hm, not really.

 

I know how to rock climb, tie the knots, do a belay, all of that kind of stuff, plus routefinding etc etc, but have no glacier experience. The Challenger Arm part of the trip probably represents half a day to a day of a week-long trip.

 

If you were in my shoes, what would you do (besides some training to get strong) to get ready skillswise for such an endeavor? This is an ambitious trip for me for sure, but other than the glacier business, within my current skills.

 

Also, that time of year, what are we looking at, crevasse-wise, on Challenger Arm?

 

No spray, pleeze. Thanks for any help.

[JoshK]

How many others are going with you? I haven't read what Beckey says about it, and I am not familiar with Challenger arm in particular, but if you are a group of 3 or more, then I would simply concentrate on basic glacier travel skills. Here are the points you probably want to touch on:

 

*Basic roped team walking on glacier

*Crevasse navigation (esentially being able to pick a route through the slots and follow it to avoid double backing, etc.

*Being able to arrest a crevasse fall and set an anchor while down

*Being able to extract the unlucky bastard who is in the crevasse

 

If you are at least 3 strong and all posess these basic skills then I would feel that is a good margin of safety. I would leave 2-man glacier travel alone until you have more experience.

 

Try to get your partners to go climb Baker via the coleman-deming with you. It may not be the most glorious route technically, but the coleman is definitely very broken later in the year and will make use of these skills.

[graupel]

The descent into Luna Cirque is not trivial, especially after the snow is gone as it likely would be at that time of year. The glacier to get to the Arm has crevasses. Both of those things are not deal breakers skill wise, as proper routefinding should reduce your technical issues (i.e. need to use the rope for anything other than "what if I fall into a crevasse" on the glacier).

 

The routefinding is the key, and avoiding falling off of rugged ground while scrambling around unroped. You also need to be able to judge hazards before you subject yourself and others to them. That and an attitude and fitness that accommodates suffering.

 

Yup, I'd call that the need for good mountaineering sense and skills just as Fred has recommended.

[pat_o]

marylou....graupel nailed it. I'm responding because I'm bored and I love the Northern Pickets. If you are heading to Luna Cirque I'm guessing you have a real objective other than sunbathing at Luna Lake. Chances are this objective will be more technically difficult than anything on the way there. Only thing is,, your are two days from your car. My only recommendation is that you seriously study the topos for the area.....reallly closely... In any event you will be a much better mountaineer by the end of the trip than you are right now, whether you ever see Luna Cirque or not. Oh ya, you can also get there up Access Creek and avoid mawing glacier ice!....GO FOR IT!!!

[JoshK]

FWIW, I've heard from a couple of folks that going up Access Creek is not nearly as bad as legend holds.

[David_Parker]

Why anyone would want to be IN Luna Cirque other than to climb Fury, Swiss or Crooked Thumb is beyond me. To get to Challanger Arm from Hannigan you are basically following the route to climb Challenger via easy ridge, imperfect impasse and Perfect pass, across Challenger glacier to Challenger Arm which includes Wiley and Eiley lakes, etc. Beyond that, not much glacial travel on the actual Arm as compared to wilderness bushwacking. From the Challanger Arm, you are looking across Luna Cirque at N. Face of Fury. If you want to sunbathe at Luna pond, go in via Access Creek. Beckey did N. rib of Fury by dropping into Luna Cirque from Challanger Arm, but the glacier has receded significantly and you're still always under shit calving off Swiss and Crooked Thumb. If I were to go to Perfect Pass again from Hannagan, I would go over Whatcom Peak. It's easy to descend to PP from there. If Challanger Arm is the only Real Objective, probably better to come up from Ross Lake on Big Beaver trail or just stay on the trail from Hannagan over Whatcom Pass and find your way from the Big Beaver trail shortly after. The best way to Luna Pass is up Access creek. Just don't think about going up or down Luna Cirque unless you are into S&M!

[Gary_Yngve]

I plan to do a trip in August or September (probably the latter) that will involve crossing Challenger Arm. The objective is Luna Cirque, and we will be heading from the west via Hannegan Pass via the route descibed in Beckey and elsewhere. Beckey would suggest that you need real true blue mountaineering skills to do the Challenger Arm part of the trip, and this makes me a bit nervous. I'm fine on the ice axe and crampons part of it, and have ok navigation skills, but mountaineering skills, well....hm, not really.

 

I know how to rock climb, tie the knots, do a belay, all of that kind of stuff, plus routefinding etc etc, but have no glacier experience. The Challenger Arm part of the trip probably represents half a day to a day of a week-long trip.

 

If you were in my shoes, what would you do (besides some training to get strong) to get ready skillswise for such an endeavor? This is an ambitious trip for me for sure, but other than the glacier business, within my current skills.

 

Also, that time of year, what are we looking at, crevasse-wise, on Challenger Arm?

 

No spray, pleeze. Thanks for any help.

 

There's some crevasses, but they are largely avoidable. When we were back there in August a few years ago, we never had to go over any sketchy snowbridges or do any exposed traverses above gapers. If you traverse around 7200-7600 feet, things should be pretty simple. I was also on a two-man rope team with a dude who couldn't reliably self-arrest (dislocated his shoulder twice the previous day).

[gnibmilc]

Following the green arrow!

[Mal_Con]

The main challenge is the weight to carry as usually you need glacier and some rock gear along with food for 5 days or so along with the normal hiking stuff. It is about 3000' up hannagan then you drop to the Chillawac then another 3000' up Easy Ridge. Then you drop at least 2000' to avoid the impass and back up to PP. You will not save much time doing it direct and from your description I would not advise it. The route up is class 3-4 but hard with the load. Then you traverse the CG which is not hard but unsafe unless roped. When we were there there was only one narrow path about 4' wide between deep holes. Otherwise you either had to climb Challenger (all but the Summit) or make another descent. Challenger Arm is nice but it is loose scree down to the Cirque with ice fall if you stay high like Beckey. Access Creek is brush below and more scree up high not technical but exposed and loose. As long as you are there you might as well do Luna as it is a walk up and near as high as Fury. Whatcom is also a scramble from PP.

[ncascademtns]

I really don't think you gain Challenger Arm from Hannegan Pass. Come in from Big Beaver and head up to Beaver Pass. Head up from there and that will get you on Challenger Arm (Eiley / Wiley Lake route). Went that direction in 1999 and climbed Challenger. Did the Luna Cirque and climbed Fury and Luna and then went down Access Creek and connected up with Big Beaver.

You'll have to deal with the Ross Lake Boat. Best way to go if you want to do the Luna Cirque.