Epic on N. Twin

[Buckaroo]

Met these guys at the parking lot for the approach to Mt. Alberta/ N Twin on my most recent attempt on Mt Alberta, before their little epic. Chris is from Golden and Ian is on the road. Their plan was to be to the top of the headwall in a day and then "forced bivy". I got a photo of their story in the hut log and took this verbatim from there.

 

I know it's not the Cascades but thought it might make interesting reading.

 

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++

 

 

Aug. 14, '04 Two hosers have a go at the North Pillar of N. Twin, in a day, yeah right. Started at 3:30 am Wed. morning, from a bivy at the lake at the base. 9:00 pm saw us at the top of the snow patch, in good shape aside from being a little frazzled from all the rock fall. Took a small hit in the lip and on the forearm, otherwise both of us unscathed. A bit of a chilly night on a small ledge w/ no bivy gear, but fired up for the headwall the next day. Made it about 4 pitches up the headwall, still shouting "incoming" more than "climbing" or "on belay", but feeling like we were getting out of the wet zone. Just when I was thinking one more pitch would surely put us in a safer zone Ian gets smoked just below the elbow by a limestone baseball. Lots of blood, no function of the left arm. He's able to finish the pitch by jugging and we decide to try another pitch, see if it's possible to continue. But with only one useful arm the belaying is tough, let alone jugging. On a nice little ledge we weigh our options, and decide to descend. Yikes. I remember reading somewhere that retreat from the headwall would be a memorable and expensive experience. It was indeed. About a dozen pitons, twenty nuts, a few biners and slings, ten meters of climbing rope, 43m of 5mm accessory cord (We brought one 10mm rope and the 5mm as a retriever line), a nice selection of cams (up to BD #2) and two more shiver bivies get us back to the lake, about 11:00 am today. We started descending 1:30 pm Thurs. After a little rest and food at the lake, and a little herbal remedy we think we can make it back to the highway tonight, but we're both wasted so it's to the hut to pilfer all the food here, rest a little, then hopefully out tomorrow. Ian's arm needs some medical attention despite what he says, and I think both our brains and bodies need some other attention (i.e. girls). May be back, maybe time to take up golf. Chris xxxxxxx Ian xxxxxxx

 

 

Spit off the North Twin Aug 14

Can only think what a different outcome it may have been if that rock was only a foot further left. Them's the breaks. Just glad to be away from that heinous screeching roar of missiles careening off that big wall. Down for the luxuries of town. Ian xxxxxxx

 

 

The photo is from the 10,100' upper bivy on the Japanese route on Mt. Alberta

[Colin]

A very worthwhile post - thanks.

 

How was Alberta? Did you finish the Japanese route?

[Juan]

It seems to me, Colin, that N. Twin is ripe for the picking and should see not only a second winter ascent, but a first "all-booty-only" winter ascent. Steve House kind of cheated by dropping just one shell, up high, don't you think? In fact, why don't you just solo the thing in Tevas? You're up to it, of that I'm sure.

 

=;-)

 

Sharp

[Buckaroo]

"How was Alberta? Did you finish the Japanese route?"

 

No, I got rained off the upper technical pitches. The climb to the upper bivy was pretty interesting though. I would describe it sort of like your approach to the N face of Robson, tedious with tricky routefinding. There are a few cairns but basically it's 1,500' of very winding route, only one path through lots of vertical cliffs, and continual exposure.

 

The worst section is the last 3 pitches which is the loose yellow band that runs all around the mountain. It starts out with a bunch of very loose plate type steps where basically almost everything is loose your just looking for the occasional piece that's solid enough to climb. Sort of reminds me of that game "operation" where if you touch the wrong thing... BZZZZZZT! There's a lot of these plate steps that are overhanging and supported by smaller loose pieces underneath. It's ok when your going up, you can see which ones are suspect but when coming down it makes for more traversing so you can see what's under that ok looking step. This band steepens on the last pitch with some mandatory loose 5.5. ending in a rappel point. The yellow band doesn't actually end here but continues with sloping scree ledges up to the start of the final black headwall.

 

 

From the middle of the yellow band, the exit is up and left

 

 

Down from the bivy, (4 person, the largest flat spot on the entire route), looking at the rappel from the notch at the top of the last hard pitch of the yellow band. Mt. King Edward in the back.

 

 

The furthest right "elephants ass". The gulley is above the snow and delineated by shade. The route starts left out of picture, you can go up the gulley also but it's prone to rockfall.

 

 

From 8,500' and below the lower black band. All 3 "elephants" are visible, the first above the wet yellow wall on the left, the 2nd dead center, and the 3rd just to the left of the V gulley on the far right of the upper black band, which is the Japanese gulley. The route actually starts just to the right of the center elephant.

 

The first pitch of the upper black band is very broken and loose. I ended up descending from the bivy in pouring rain, the wet actually binds the loose dirt in the scree, you just have to move fast through the gulleys to avoid rockfall.

 

I sort of compare this climb to the north face of the north peak of Index in summer, although it's a lot looser, longer and worse weather. It's similar in that it's almost as safe to solo as it is roped in that the protection and belays are sparse and questionalble, and a rope may also cause rockfall.

[glassgowkiss]

It seems to me, Colin, that N. Twin is ripe for the picking and should see not only a second winter ascent, but a first "all-booty-only" winter ascent. Steve House kind of cheated by dropping just one shell, up high, don't you think? In fact, why don't you just solo the thing in Tevas? You're up to it, of that I'm sure.

 

=;-)

 

Sharp

this waqs NOT w inter ascent, since it wasn't winter! i don't want to diss these guys, as they put up a mighty nice effort, but share a few thoughts on subject of media hype. first of all winter ascent would be between dec 23 and mar21. just because route is in winter condition doesn't mean it is a winter ascent. second point is- quite a few climbers from Calgary/ Canmore area have hard time calling house/prazej a new route. the majority of hard climbing (headwall) follows Lowe's route. this is most likely due to the fact of media hype and lack of actual writing material for rags like climbing or r&i. ascents get inflated, so do ratings leaving crowds confused from all the bullshit they try to shove up everage joe's ass. forget was was happening in alpine climbing in the 70's 80's or 90's. let's try to pretend that "single push" was invented by a couple of americans in alaska in the late 90's.

[james_e]

that picture . nice tr

[Don_Serl]

this was NOT winter ascent, since it wasn't winter! i don't want to diss these guys, as they put up a mighty nice effort, but share a few thoughts on subject of media hype. first of all winter ascent would be between dec 23 and mar21. just because route is in winter condition doesn't mean it is a winter ascent.

 

yup, those are the rules, and the only criticism i'd make of Steve House's otherwise excellent and inspiring account in Alpinist 8 is that in his epilogue he says, "Our sole intention was to try to climb the north face of North Twin in winter by whatever path seemed most logical..."

 

The ascent took place April 5-7, so excise the words "in winter" and you've got an accurate description of events - a phenomenal climb on a big, awesome face.

 

 

second point is - quite a few climbers from Calgary/ Canmore area have hard time calling house/prazej a new route. the majority of hard climbing (headwall) follows Lowe's route. this is most likely due to the fact of media hype and lack of actual writing material for rags like climbing or r&i. ascents get inflated, so do ratings leaving crowds confused from all the bullshit they try to shove up everage joe's ass. forget [what] was happening in alpine climbing in the 70's 80's or 90's. let's try to pretend that "single push" was invented by a couple of americans in alaska in the late 90's.

 

in the published report, the summary (Alpinist 8, page 47) lists this as "The House-Prezelj Variation... to the Lowe-Jones..., north face, North Twin..."

 

doesn't seem like Steve and Marko themselves are claiming anything beyond what they did.

 

in the context of the other climbs that are being talked about on this thread, the question that occurs to me is, given a long track record of hard ascents in the Rockies taking place in March and April, given the generally poor weather and conditions in the Rockies in so-called "summer" (July and August) - witness the reports and photos from the various recent attempts/routes on Mount Alberta, for instance - and given a track record of stable weather in September and October, why do so many people continue to suffer through storms, wet rock, crap snow, wet ice, and rockfall to climb in the Rockies in "summer"? is it just that the temperatures are less harsh/challenging? or that "traditional" holidays occur in July and August?

 

wouldn't it make sense to pay attention to the locals and to history, and climb the harder mtn routes in April and September?

 

just a thought...

cheers,

[Dru]

Yeah in July and August you should be flying in to the unclimbed 2000 to 5000 foot rock routes in the Coast Mts not scrambling up loose choss in the Rockies....

 

Oh wait. Forget that. There is no unclimbed rock in the Coast Mts. The Rockies are the home of North American alpinism. Stay there. Climb there. Embrace your inner choss.

[glassgowkiss]

Don, like i said. the intention of my spew was not to diss steve or marko, but to point out some facts of media hype. i was talking specifically about climbing and r&i- in both cases they used phrase "a new route". similar story with infinate spur "in a day". i think these ascents are fantastic on their own and they don't need to be hyped up. i think these 2 magazines are doing HUGE disservice to our climbing community. a repeat of Lowe's route after 30 years is news on it's own. even more spicy, since a shell of a boot is dropped! 25 hours non sttop on a remote alskan route (fastest ascent before was 7 days!) is so far out there it is hard to imagine! enough rambling, time to train

[specialed]

August happens to be more convenient for me for long road trips. But I agree Spring or Fall are probably better times to hit the Rockies. Though by that point in the Spring, the tempation of warm dry sandstone in the desert is pretty inticing.

[Juan]

I am one of those average Joes that puts too much stock in the media version of events, and I have no clue about the history of climbing up there. Thanks for starting the debate to set this straight! I didn't realize that the climb was in April.

 

A friend of mine (female) wants to sleep with Marko, by the way.

 

Sharp

[Alpinfox]

This weekend is the anniversary of a couple of ascents of the North Face of North Twin.

 

Go get it boys and girls!

 

 

1. Lowe-Jones VI 5.10 A3, Chris Jones, George Lowe, August 6 to August 12, 1974 [“Ascent” 1975-1976, p. 8-13, AAJ 1975, p. 1-8]

 

 

2. House-Prezelj Variation 5.9 A2, Steve House, Marko Prezelj, 2004 [“Alpinist” No. 8, p. 40-47]

 

 

3. North Pillar VI 5.10d A2, ca. 60 pitches, David Cheesmond, Barry Blanchard, July 31 to August 5, 1985, a lot of free climbing (only about eight aid points) and genarally good rock, particullary on the headwall [AAJ 1986, p. 73-79, “Mountain”1986, January/February, No. 107, p. 6-7]

[Alpinfox]

 

Let's see those trip reports!

 

Or are you waiting to get your film developed?