first ascent [TR] Northern Picket Range- Surviving the Fence (N

[JoshK]

Climb: Northern Picket Range-Surviving the Fence (N Picket full ridge traverse)

 

Date of Climb: 7/16/2005

 

Trip Report:

FOR IMMEDIATE AND PREMATURE RELEASE

 

Seattle, WA - On July 16, 2005 Wayne Wallace and Josh Kaplan completed the Northern Picket Range summit ridge traverse, also known as the "Cascade Nonfecta." Sponsering and recording the event was their chief sponsor, "Uncage the Bowels." UTB coordinated the timing effort, hiring experts from Mountaineering Inc. to make sure the effort was "official." The final time came in shortly less than 6 days. In the highest standard of UTB productions and mountainspeedclimbing.org records it must be disclosed that the two elite alpine mountain endurance speed climbers did not operate the speedboat used to travel ross lake.

 

For additional information please contact Uncage the Bowels productions.

 

 

Summits: Luna -> E Fury -> W Fury -> Swiss -> Spectre -> Phantom -> Ghost -> Crooked Thumb -> Challenger

 

Gear Notes:

Used:

60m 8.1mm half rope

50m 7mm perlon rap line

BD firstlight tent ghetto-rigged with skipoles instead of real poles

super light bivy gear

1 akpine hammer each

medium alpine rack

 

Should have had:

I should have had rain gear like Wayne did.

 

Approach Notes:

Used Access Creek for approach and Eiely-Wiley Ridge for the deproach.

Edited June 12, 2006 by jon

[Colin]

Hell yeah, duderinos! What was the climbing like on the un-traveled sections? Let's see some pictures, eh?

[Blake]

Awesome climb guys. I have a question though... why not just bring the other 8.1mm half rope (PMI verglas or something) instead of the rap-only rope that weighed about the same?

[JoshK]

I'm working on the pics I can't find a damn card reader for SD cards at my parents house tho!

 

The moral of the story, compared to last time, is that the ridge just "works" going East to West (as we did this time) sooooo much better than the other way. This time we were climbing UP the good terrain for climbing and rapping the crap, versus the other way. From Luna to East Fury is easy, as most all of the way is the same as the standard Fury high route approach. From East Fury to West Fury things got interesting. TONS of 3rd and 4th class, almost all of it loose, some super scary lose was to be had. There were also bits of low fifth scattered here at there. Getting off West Fury was probably the most interesting downward section of the trip. We ended up doing a double rope rappel down a nearly vertical wall. It was the most intimidating rappel I have ever done, and I think Wayne thought the same thing. Swiss is actually the easiest peak. It can be climbed via 2nd and 3rd class but there is still definitely exposure. The character of the ridge made distinctly changed from Ghost on. Ghost has several short pitches of mid fifth on very reasonable rock. We found the same on Crooked Thumb and Challenger from that direction was quite fun too. What made it interesting was doing the last two hours of Challenger, including several technical spots, in the rain, with some ice pellets mixed in for good measure.

 

I will write up a full TR (I need to remind myself of all the lows and highs anyway.) when I get my pictures and some sleep.

 

 

As for your question, Blake - we scrutinized every ounce since we had to haul the stuff over so much climbing. The rap rope actually saved like a pound and a half. We only wanted (needed, rather) one rope because we simul-climbed everything we didn't solo with the exception of maybe 4 belayed pitches and we guessed (correctly) we wouldn't need to make any full rope lead-follow pitches. BTW, great job on your climb too!

Edited July 17, 2005 by JoshK

[olyclimber]

For the Official Records, I hope you were wearing a heart rate monitor, have GPS tracks (within 1m of accuracy), and have a real time vidoegraphy, along with photos in 5 foot increments in both analogue and digital format. We're all ready to back up your submissions to Alpinist, Climbing, and Rock and Ice when you provide the data with an audit trail maintained by an independant 3rd party. Well done, but we'll need to see the information before we can raise the freak flag for you.

[Chriznitch]

wow--incredible dudes...Congratulations!!

[Alpinfox]

 

Makin' us CascadeCouchpotatos proud.

 

[Toast]

ditto

[basecamp]

Nice job Wayne and Josh! Sounds like things were much better going east to west. I saw you guys at Luna Col last after you bailed going the other direction. Glad to see you had the gumption to try it again.

[JoshK]

Here are some pictures of our Northern Pickets traverse. I still have to go through them and figure out what pictures are from what parts of the ridge because without context they can pretty much be anywhere along there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[klenke]

Right on, guys!

 

The way that photo of the campsite was taken from above makes it look like the tent was pitched on a severe slope.

 

Josh didn't bring his raingear for a multi-day climb of the rain fence? Duh. Should have known better. Wayne obviously did.

 

You really get around, Josh. Chiwawa summit register yesterday: JoshK, July 9, 2005 (the last entry before Stefan's and mine).

[JoshK]

In all fairness, in the end, Wayne and I were both equally wet

 

That bivy was what we nick named "Ice Station Zebra". We built a rock "patio" inside the windlip of a glacier right below the ridge. The lip was very steep but the area we camped in was flat. It was a coooold bivy, hence the nickname. It did, however, turn out to be the right place to bivy. There was nothing remotely flat for a looong time after that.

[wayne]

Gosh what a fun trip that was, Great to see the pics too. Truly it was my "Wildest Dreams " to have finished this traverse. I didnt think it would be fun after my last attempt, but it was when we switched directions on the way we went. Josh was a solid partner and we laughed so much during the trip dispite the intense circumstances we faced.What a way to make a friend. We have only met the 2 times we were on this ridge together,but it seems we have been friends forever. He probably associates me with massive pain!

Sorry we dont have a tr together yet . I will get to it in a few days as will Josh too , Thanks, Wayne

[Chriznitch]

great pictures as expected guys!

ice station zebra is especially awesome

[Marko]

Oh man, you guys pulled it off! Friggin' great job!

 

I'm very psyched for you guys, that must have been a hell of an adventure. Inspiring!

 

Cheers y'all,

-M

[JoshK]

Yeah, as Wayne alluded to, it really makes a difference who you climb with, esp. if the anxiety index gets up there! It was damn fun, and I think we have a strange or funny name for practically everything we encountered along the way.

 

-josh

[layton]

way to hang in there through the nasty weather!

sooooo......see any good routes to do in the future..hint hint?

[layton]

oh and did you guys get any shots of the N faces of the southern pickets? that'd be neat to see.

super awesome photos!

[JoshK]

Yeah, I've got some, unfortunately the areas where the views to the S pickets are best (on the E-W trending part of the ridge, between Luna, and the W Fury/Phantom area) was where we were climbing in what was basically a whiteout. I'm going through all of these pics and I'll see what I can find.

[ivan]

good to see the rockies haven't turned you into a pussy josh!

[Szyjakowski]

This is a really Gneiss Photo!

way to get 'er done...

 

[Stefan]

Thank you for sharing! Those are some great photos.

 

What a great trip you two had.

 

Me jealous? You bet!

 

[olyclimber]

nice photos.

[Dru]

[mvs]

You guys are really inspiring! I remember looking at the terrain of your previous attempt, and imagining the rappel/ice descent <shudder>. I was sure you'd get it the next year.