Forbidden Peak/W. Ridge

[Need2Climb]

So I'm finally getting the opportunity to do this classic, this upcomign weekend. I hear it's a great climb.

 

Does anyone have any Beta on this particular route as far as conditions, as well as the following:

 

Once the Col' is ascended, what about the following -

 

a) how many pitches

b) what's the best pro for the route?

c) running belays?

 

etc etc

 

Any tips would be great.

 

Thanks,

Chris

[catbirdseat]

I'll bet there isn't any information at all on the Internet. Hardly anyone every climbs this route, let alone writes about it.

[goatboy]

Hi Chris,

 

If you're comfortably , you can do most (or all) of the route that way.

 

Take a small rock of stoppers, cams to #3 camalot, and ten long slings

 

Two ropes help with the rappels back down the W Ridge Couloir, if you go that way

 

Descending the W Ridge can take as long as climbing up it, for many parties.

 

I recommend staying RIGHT ON THE RIDGE CREST rather than the N Side Traverse options around difficulties -- no harder than 5.6, and some fixed pro (like pitons) where you need them.

 

Have fun! Post pictures!

 

Get an early start so you can enjoy the route and not feel rushed.

 

Camping at the higher campsite (just below the S Face of Forbidden) is best!

[ivan]

a) nothing needs to be pitched out on that route, it can all be done w/ running protection - simul-climbing.

b) small-medium rack - bring a bunch of runners, including long ones - there's tons of big blocks to sling for pro. you can get away w/ very little gear on this climb, but if you like to have a bunch of gear, you can find uses for any cams up to 3 inches, including aliens.

c)yes

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Easy simuling with one obvious 5.6 crux that you may or may not want to belay. We climbed it on a folded 60m half rope in probably 3 or 4 simul pitches. We climbed torment first and had half a dozen medium to large nuts and I think single camalots .5-1. This seemed sufficient as the crux is pretty short (also has fixed pin)and other than that you don't need much pro.

[chucK]

If fretting about this climb, do not focus on the rockclimbing on the ridge. The crux is the couloir.

 

Well, unless you're like some experienced steep snow/iceclimber who has never climbed rock before.

 

I repeat, THE CRUX IS THE COULOIR!

[nolanr]

Can also be done in a day easily enough, I did last year and we weren't setting a smoking pace. I can't remember exactly when he left the car at the TH, probably around 5 or 6 am, and we made it back before dusk. It was around this time of year.

[Need2Climb]

Thanks for the beta guys. So did you guys protect the climb up the Col with pickets? Everything I've seen, it does look pretty steep.

 

I'm also thinking at this point, weather rock shoes are remotely necessary for the rock, or just a good pair of stiff mountaineering boots for the whole climb.

[Norman_Clyde]

I've climbed it twice in semi-stiff mountaineering boots. They might feel clumsy in one or two places, but mostly you won't notice, especially if you're accustomed to alpine rock climbing.

Medium beefiness boots like Vasque Sundowners would probably be ideal. When I climbed it in 2001, a pair of guys smoked past us on the ridge, obviously on a one day jaunt, wearing flimsy looking smooth soled hikers-- probably fine for approach and rock but certainly scary in the couloir, like Chuck said.

[tomtom]

I climbed it back on Memorial day in stiff sole boots.

 

Pro: 6 medium stoppers, 2 small tri-cams, 3 medium hexes.

 

Bring lots of double runners for slinging stuff.

 

We pitched it out (6 pitches or so). There are rap slings every 30m which were convenient anchors.

[specialed]

Commonly soloed in under 6 hours car-car in sneakers.

[nolanr]

We didn't use pickets. I guess it would depend on time of year and conditions. I think a bigger concern would be how melted out the approach gulley is at this point. We got maybe halfway up it when we encountered a moat. The snow continued above us but would've been difficult to get to. We had to jump across a couple of horizontal feet onto a small ledge, made it just fine, but if we didn't stick the landing it would've been an unpleasant little tumble down inside the moat. After that it was scrambling up the rock on the left hand side to the ridge crest, not too bad, but nowhere near the quality of rock as the route proper.

[dberdinka]

The couloir can be avoided entirely via 4th class gullies to climbers left of it. There are a couple options the easiest and fastest is the one furthest to the left if I recall correctly. 100' of 4th followed by sandy 3rd class to the ridge crest.

[Need2Climb]

I'm probably going to end up calling this trip at least this weekend. Marblemount Ranger station is not giving very happy reports for weather system this weekend.

 

I'll post pics, once I do in fact make it up there.