Buckner

[Tennessee]

Has anyone out there done NF of Buckner? I'm hoping to get some beta on the approach via Sahale Arm, up and over Boston Peak and onto the Boston Glacier.

 

Or if you highly recommend the Sharkfin Col approach instead, I'd be interested in hearing why.

 

Are there any points of reference or an elevation where you need to make the crossover onto the Boston Glacier?

 

Basically I'm thinking of camping at the Sahale highcamp and doing the North face of Buckner with summit packs only, then descending the Southside of Buckner and return to camp via Horseshoe Basin. It looks straightforward, but is there anything to watch for as far as terrain barriers or places that cliff out on the way back to camp?

 

thanks.

[Mtnclimber]

I did the NF of Buckner 3 years ago. We approached from Sahale then traveresed the scree slopes next to Boston Pk. and then onto the Boston glacier where we camped. We then climbed the NF of Buckner with a full pack. The climbing is very easy though you may want to bring a few screws and a picket just in case. I used one picket in a running belay below a steep mushy sliding section and then belayed the second and third climbers up. From the top decend the other side which is low angle and up a pass (forgot the name) back to cascade pass. Took us two days but could be done easily in one long day without the weight. Boston peak is a pile of %$#^*@ definatly not worth climbing and then down climbing in my book. If you like mid 5th choss then go for it. I will climb choss only if I must as part of a larger target.

Edited June 15, 2005 by Mtnclimber

[Kyle_Flick]

Tennesse, Your plan for camp and a light long day back to camp is a good one . We did precisely that several years ago. My only regret was not going early (we did it in the Fall) so that one can enjoy glissading on the descent vs. side hilling on talus around back up to Sahale Arm.

[EJohnson]

You can also get back to Sahale Arm, by traversing under Davenport Gl and climbing 1000ft up snow gully.

[jaee]

These two plans are the same plan. I'm sure there are other ways to get back to Sahale Arm, but that gulley is a sure thing, and the recommended way to get out of Horseshoe Basin.

 

There's extensive beta lurking in the NC forums regarding Boston Basin and Sharkfin Col. There is even an alternate "easier" way over the ridge. Search is your friend or one of the search-bots will prolly post the links here if you beg enough.

 

The Sahale Arm approach was fantastic when I did it a few years ago. That was the closest I've come to bagging a climb and still finishing the thing. Boston Basin was socked in, the clouds were pouring in. We rigged a rap line to drop back to camp off Sahale. Just before we rapped the sun came up and in 5 minutes the clouds vamosed and we had a bluebird day. Also the only time I've witnessed a marmot brawl. They were squealing, fur was flying. Must be the marmot rut.

 

The traverse around Boston Peak is, um, spectacular and exciting.

 

Go soon. Take a couple pickets and screws, primarily to protect the berg crossing. Good on ya if you glissade the S. face. There's a few rocks and cliff bands here and there....

[klenke]

EJohnson's gully location seems a bit dubious to me. There may be one exactly where he's got the blue diamond but I know there is one here where it says key ramp:

The ramp is Class 3 with maybe one Class 4 bit. If you come upon an alcove with some old mining equipment in it (shovel, etc.) then you're on the right ramp. Ramp goes downhill to the right (east).

See the Sahale Arm Approach on this page for a more detailed description.

[JoshK]

Hey Klenke, one of your pics in the summitpost page names the Boston Glacier as the largest glacier in the 48. It isn't tho, just in the NCNP. The big volcanoe glaciers (in particular Rainer and Baker) are quite a bit larger...

 

-josh

[jaee]

Hey Klenke,

When we did it, your topo would have taken us under a gargantuan cornice that had already split away from snow at the top. Yikes.

 

The diamond is just the entrance to the same gulley you have the line drawn up. It's kind of a big gulley with a little gulley in the southwest corner of it. I can see these details in the topo, so I hope I'm making sense.

 

I guess the answer is also "It depends", especially depending on whether there's a bunch of snow in there or not.

[klenke]

You're right, Josh. I should have the non-volcanic qualifier in there.

 

Jaee: the blue diamond marks the location of a drop off with waterfall in late-season. Now that I think of it, there is a route that way but it involves more elevation loss to get to its base in order to get past.

[EJohnson]

The blue diamond is a waypoint from my GPS. It was a couple of years ago, but what I remember its at a bottom of a left trending gully.

 

Erick

[jaee]

Jaee: the blue diamond marks the location of a drop off with waterfall in late-season. Now that I think of it, there is a route that way but it involves more elevation loss to get to its base in order to get past.

 

Exactly so. Hence my comment about it depends, particularly on how much snow is in the basin. I did it June 15th on an average snow year and there was snow everywhere except the very bottom of the basin where the slabs were exposed. We did see the bottom of the mentioned waterfall/watercourse and traversed below that, with another bit of vertical lost.

[kurthicks]

BUMP. anyone been up to Buckner in the last couple weeks? Looking for reports about the 'schrund crossing onto the NF or NF Couloir?

 

Kurt

[JoshK]

If last year is any indication of the typical schrund season on Buckner, then the NF coulior schrund will be a major pain in the ass. It was nearly all the way across (and deep) in late April / early May. YMMV.

 

-josh