Climbing Mt. Torment?

[highclimb]

anyone know the best route on this peak? if so beta would be great! whats the desent?

thanks aidan

[dberdinka]

Here's a description of the S ridge I wrote for a friend. I believe it is the standard route these days. North Face looks pretty nice though....

APPROACH

From high camp in Boston Basin do a long level traverse on scree and slabs, below the Taboo glacier, to the obvious col (3rd/4th class) that leads into Torment Basin. On the other side drop down 150' to slabs that lead up to an icefield (crampons) below the SW face. Follow it to the notch below the south ridge proper. (at least 4.5 hard hours from the car) A lot of people get lost on the S Ridge.

TORMENT SOUTH RIDGE

From the exact notch, 4th class up 20 feet then follow ledges down left into rubble filled alcove. A steep gully/chimney leads up right and an big grey dihedral leads up left. Go left up the left wall of the dihredal to it's top (80'). Climb up some steep blocks then follow a groove up right past slings, past a short jam crack to a nice ledge with slings below a grey wall with quartz intrusions (1st pitch 180' total, low 5th). Ignoring the slings up and left of you, do a level traverse left around a corner into a dirty gully. A short steep wall leads to another belay at rappell slings (2nd pitch 190', low 5th). Keep traversing up and left another full pitch (200' 4th) to a large ledge where the big notch below the summit is obvious. Basically when in doubt keep traversing left.

From the large ledge you can solo/simu-climb into the notch. From the notch an obvious grass filled dike cuts across the SE face. Start following this, halfway across is a good place to head for the summit(3rd/4th class for 300').