[TR] the Brothers, south peak- south buttress?????? 12/19/2004

[quikclimber]

Climb: the Brothers, south peak-south buttress??????

 

Date of Climb: 12/19/2004

 

Trip Report:

headed up last saturday to take advantage of the weather and get the legs moving after a ski trip in BC. My friend like came along. we left the trailhead around 6 in the evening on saturday and made it to the "Y" in the creek up the valley of the silent men in three hours or so and set up camp. the hike in was nice, the moon and stars were out and it wasnt very cold. left early the next morning and plodded through the shallow patchy snow up to where the avalance debris accumulate below the hourglass. there wasnt very much snow here yet...a lot of the snow near the cliffs had melted and the talus slopes were bare, along with the hourglass itself. we climbed on the rocky ridges to the east of the standard route, which were dry and bare. we enjoyed great views since we were above the clouds. a few times we were forced onto snow, which in the shade was very hard...so we cut steps since we ditched the crampons earlier. we brought a small rack and used it on a few sections of 5th class rock we found along our meandering route. in all it was a lot of fun to sramble up the rocks and get a little exposure in. the weather was also awesome all day, with the sun out. we did a little standing glissading and a lot of sitting glissade down the standard route which was filled with snow to a few hundred feet above the hourglass. we could have climbed this, but the sun and warm temps kept the spring-like snow fairly soft and the rocks were bare. we hiked out again under the moon and made it to the car around 5. ill try and post some pics soon

 

the gullies on the north side were nice and filled in the the snow was rock hard...might be some ice here and there or at least steep hard snow to climb on.

 

Gear Notes:

used a small rack of hexes, tapers, 8.8 rope, axes on descent, helmet..etc. didnt use the crampons or snowshoes.

 

Approach Notes:

patchy snow starts up in the valley of the silent men, but most of the climbing trail past the Y in the creek is bare.