Mt Formidable - North Ridge

[Nelly]

Fred indicates the rock quality is fairly good and the ascent to the ridge requires negotiating ice falls of "varying complexety." Anyone have any recent info or experience with this route?

[geordie]

I went up from the middlefork Cascade River and found it too be reasonable by local standards - no icefall issues. Unfortunately, it was early season and avy danger was unreasonable and the route was snowcovered. Plan to head there again in the next month or so.

[mattp]

What is "reasonable by local standards?" If you are talking catfight and dog paddle, an alternative approach that may be worth considering would be over Cache Col.

[wayne]

I free soloed the "complete" N. ridge in 24 hrs. It is more direct and you dont have to deal with glaciers, It is a bit if a sandbag overall, At 5.0, I woulndnt take it lightly, THe rock is loose and not much for pro.

[CascadeClimber]

I don't have a pic of the lower 'icefall', but here is the upper part of the glacier. The access route to the North Ridge is non-descript from this angle, but fairly obvious when you are there- just don't go too high on the glacier. I think it is via 'snow point' just above the hairpin turn we took (in blue).

 

 

We went in via Cache Col. My partner did the Middle Fork drainage approach on his last trip and said never again.

 

More here:

http://cascadeclimber.com/mt__formidable.htm

 

-Loren

 

[ 08-06-2002, 09:09 PM: Message edited by: CascadeClimber ]