[TR] Adams- North Face of Northwest Ridge 6/27/2004

[gearho]

Climb: Adams-North Face ofv Northwest Ridge

 

Date of Climb: 6/27/2004

 

Trip Report:

 

North Face of Mt. Adams taken by star light. There was no moon. Three of us woke at 1:00 to light clouds below and stars above, on Adams glacier around 2:00, followed a half dozen groups going for Adams glacier up to 9500'. From there we could access the North Face without any difficulty. There were ways around 8200' and 8800', but the snow bridges were sketchy and the gap from Adams to the NFace was a little puckery.

 

Once on the face it was really straight forward. Go up, don't fall. We had running belays that were really ackward until we figured out the two ropes were different lengths. Made decent time up the lower half (steeper half) in the shade. As the sun came up it didn't really effect the route but really baked us.

 

Topped out on Pinnacle and wandered over to the summit for a photo and a bite. Someone on the summit offered a squashed PBJ to me and I took it. It was what I needed at the time.

 

Down time was the North Ridge. What a P.O.S. choss pile that is. After endless flailing and sending rocks down ahead of us we bailed to an adjacent snowfield and plunged down fairly hard snow. After going up the 30 to 50 degree going down 30 seemed no problem.

 

9 hours to summit (in no particular hurry), 3 hours to camp, 2 hours to car.

 

Gear Notes:

Used 2 screws on entire route. At one stop for a break at a rock outcrop it was hard water ice. Other than that it was an ice crust about 2-3" thick with unconsolidated snow below.

 

Approach Notes:

We decided to make our own trail out taking a bearing more west than the trail. It was fun bushwhacking over about 3 ridges trying to convince ourselves how much time and distance we were saving.

[iain]

I'm sorry, but this route is no longer allowed to be climbed as it has been skied.

[gearho]

They were the only TR I could find for the route anyway. Bunch of sic basturds. First to go up the N ridge then down that uber scary steepness. I have no idea where the bail point is now. When I mentioned it was skied to a skier on Black Diamond(?) he mention a name and the crazy shit they do.

 

Climbers and skiers will only see each other at the summit. By the time it's skiable, we are going down the (uhg) N ridge.

[cracked]

It's a way fun ski, or at least, it was two weeks ago. Did you find sunglasses and a hat by any chance?