[TR] Super-Brief Waddington TR- Various activity near Plummer hut and Bravo Glac. 7/23/2005

[dylan_taylor]

Climb: Super-Brief Waddington TR-Various activity near Plummer hut and Bravo Glac.

 

Date of Climb: 7/23/2005

 

Trip Report:

I headed into the Waddington Range twice this summer. The first trip was up to the Tellot Glacier. I was guiding one client. We camped at the dragons back after being dropped off at the plummer hut on July 16. On July 17 we climbed a new? route on the dragons back, it would be a little to the right of the 5.10 (the second route from the left side) in Don Serl's guidebook. We have no name for it, it was nice 5.8 hand-jammies for about three long pitches, then a short lichen pitch to the top of the wall. It is short, obscure, and I wonder if anyone will ever climb it. We have no name for it. On July 18 we attempted a route up the highest Tellot Spire. It was extremely windy, and the rock was verglassed. We ended up veering left at the second pitch (more towards Tellot #2). The first pitch was easy mixed, the second was dry rock. My client dislocated his shoulder while reaching down to unstrap his crampons on a ledge two pitches up. Rope trickery ensued as I lowered and tandem-rapped my client a couple pitches back to the glacier.

 

We went back to our camp, I dragged our heavy kit to a flat spot below on the glacer, we hoofed it to the Plummer, and flew out that afternoon, and returned to Bellingham, somewhat disappointed, the next day. On Monday, July 23rd, I returned to White Saddle with another Guide and 4 clients to attempt the main summit of Waddington via the Bravo Glacier. We flew on the morning

of the 24th, and made good progress up the lower Bravo to the Cauldron Camp. It was in much better shape than it was when I climbed it earlier in July a year ago.

 

The following morning we found that crossing the 'Schrund was MUCH easier than it was a year ago. No two-tooling was required. We made rapid progress up to Bravo col, then up to Spearman Saddle, where we camped.

 

We climbed Spearman Peak the next day, following the convoluted knife-edge ridge away from camp and up towards the petite summit pyramid.

Here is Spearman Peak (not my pic - client's digi pic)

 

The next day we moved up to the high camp at 12,300 feet, right below the tooth. A shovel broke this day breaking camp. Bad news.

 

On the 28th I summitted the NW summit with two clients. Beautiful climbing in poor visibility with high winds. The other guide and his client were turned back on the main summit (at the notch) by these winds.

 

We returned to camp at the beginning of a nasty storm. We were storm-bound for three days, digging like fiends with our one functioning shovel. One tent was burried (later recovered). We woke on monday, aug 1st, 80%buried ourselves, sharing small 2-P tents between three spooning men. Some sleeping bags were rendered useless by the wet nature of the storm. The wind blew at least 60-70 MPH in camp, and at 100+MPH over the ridge 150' away from us. Any person who left the tent to dig would find themselves plastered in rime within seconds. Eyelashes would freeze together. Goggles or shades were useless, as they rimed up almost immediatly. Probably 6-7 FEET of snow fell around camp in less than 72 hours. It was far worse than any storm I have ever seen on 9 trips to the alaska range. Partly because it was warm and extremely wet.

 

Here is a view of the summit tower - heavily rimed:

 

While digging out in the sunshine, we broke the second and last shovel. I shudder to think what would have happened if it had broken sooner.

 

We departed camp tuesday morning, and couldn't locate our cache at spearman saddle. The cache-markers were completely buried (bigtime snow-accumulation zone in the wind eddy at spearman saddle. I bet 5-10 feet could be deposited here in a big storm due to the side of the fetch on the buckler glacier side). In this cache is garbage, extra fuel and food, dirty sox and undies, some minidiscs, and my USED FILM. If anyone ever finds this cache sometime in the next century, let me know! All I would ever want back is my film. I learned my lesson. It was the first and last time I have ever cached film.

 

We flew out that night, and pancakes at White Saddle the next morning, and went to squamish.

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

lots of shovels. Longer cache markers.

Edited August 17, 2005 by dylan_taylor

[Billygoat]

Wow, Epic Storm.

 

What kind of shovels, lexan/plastic or aluminum? What brand?

 

Either the shovels were weak or you guys were feeling your wheaties.

 

Were you able to reduce the shoulder in the field or did your client have to suffer all the way to B'ham?

[olyclimber]

Sweet, thanks for the TR. Glad you and the client made it down OK. I guess the lost film means no photos to share, eh?

[dylan_taylor]

Both shovels were BCA shovels - aluminum. Both blades broke at the exact same spot. The aluminum ruptured around the shaft at the blade-end of the weld. Repeated warnings to not pry may have not been heeded by clients. Who knows. I have abused shovels far worse than this, and had them last longer.

 

The client's shoulder reduced on its own, but his arm was useless and he had little feeling in his right hand. Slinging his shoulder sufficed for the trip out.

[dylan_taylor]

I did have a few scanned - from the one roll which survived the trip.

 

Racking up for summit day...

 

 

The summit of Waddington as viewed from the NW summit in shitty weather...

 

Our tent, during a digging mission partway into the storm...

 

 

Descent from high camp, looking north

 

Mike King picking us up at Rainy Knob

[jordop]

Wicked storm Mike said to tell you he found your tent in Nabob Pass. Did you lose one

[dylan_taylor]

wasn't ours. we dug it up. We lost a fuel can, a bag of garbage, some dirty underwear and socks, and a green stuffsack with minidiscs and film in it. I heard someone lost a tent...

[layton]

did your tent poles fall out of your pack?