Lambone Posted September 28, 2002 Share Posted September 28, 2002 ...either way, there might be something interesting here for someone. I've decided that this is my favorite climb in Washington, excluding Yosemite...maybe anywhere. It is never too difficult, yet once you head out on the ridge, you're just pulling fun easy moves forever. The variety of movement is just awsome, and the positions the ridge puts you in are sooo exhilerating! One of the things I love about this climb is how it could be done a hundered different ways, and almost seem like a new route each time. Some are bold enough to solo it, some fast enough to do it in an afternoon, or both... We on the other hand decided to take our time, save the knees, and enjoy the scenery for a couple of days (plus we're out of shape ). Matt has been living, climbing and guiding in washington his whole life, yet he'd never seen the north side of Stuart (crazy huh?). So we decided it was time, and I didn't hesitate chosing to getting on the route for the third time in a year. The weather looked good, and I was cleared through the higher authorities (new wife)!!! We spent about an hour on the phone planning different ways of tackeling the adventure. "In a day was out," not worth the suffering this time. So, carry over??? I was reluctant, but after grabbing my light bag, bivi sac and pad, tossing them around for a minute, I decided...eh what the hell, they arn't too much to carry on the climb. After a 10pm start from the car would bivi at Ingals lake, then on the summit. If we made it... Hardware was the next big thing to ponder. I was mostly exited about this route cause Chysten and I had just gotten some high tech ultralite aluminum crampons and axes up at MEC on our honeymoon, woohoo! The alumi-strap-ons just barely fit on my sticky tennies. Next, gear... like both times before, I decided to suck it up and carry a full rack. A full set of stoppers and cams, and a few hexs, plus more slings than we ccould count. I snuck in my big Metolius cam, hoping that I'd be able to convince Matt to head up the Gendarm once we were up there (he usually prefers the path of least resistance). Rope Beta: Maybe the most helpful info in this TR 37m by 7.8mm I wanted to carry a light rope, cause I hate heavy ones, especialy on a route where you cant fall anyway. I have this ultralight blue water ice floss rope that all the hardcore glacier climbers disaprove of so much. We decided to double it in half to have two strands, which put us about 70ft apart, perfect for simo climbing with a few short belays here and there. Also, the rope worked on the Gendarm (yes I convinced him). I led up on two strands, just before the last steep part on the first pitch we realized it was too short. I pluged in a cam and went off belay, I was determined to make it. We untied our fat knots and milked every inch we could get out of it. I headed into the pumpy lieback not nowing if I'd get stopped before the ledge, it made it, whew! With barley enough slack to clove to the anchor, I pulled one strand up out of the pieces to haul the packs with. Matt had to untie from the rope to retrieve the packs that we had put a few feet back, but overall the whole system worked and we got away with using the skimpy rope. The next pitch went smoothly as well, I was nervous about leading it, but it wasn't as tough as I had remembered, it was warmer than our trip last August! I should have left the #10 Metolius at home, the #9 worked fine with the fixed camolot. Within an hour we were on top with plenty of daylight to burn. Since we wern't going down right away, we hung out at the summit, and matt signed the register (I had never made the 2 minute hike up there before, going straight down instead). A wonderfull alpine bivy just before the false summit, although a bit chilly in my piece of shit 40 degree down bag. Then a stiff walk out in the morning. A great climb! With only two things that kinda sucked...running out of water (shoulda brought 3 liters) and crossing the Stuart Glacier in my approach shoes, oooowch! My ankles are still recovering, I have never felt like more of a gimp! The La Sportiva Boulders (on the tight side) worked awsome on the route, no need for rock shoes, even for the Gendarm pitches. Now I am just left with this warm fuzzy satisfied feeling, after several succesful failiures this summer, it was nice to finaly get up something without that defeated feeling. I'll probably spend most of the winter pondering how to go about doing The North Ridge next season... Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted September 28, 2002 Author Share Posted September 28, 2002 about 40 hrs car to car...5 hrs on the route... woohoo!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noway Posted September 29, 2002 Share Posted September 29, 2002 Lambone, wonderful tr, but you forgot to impress us with times (hrs.& min.) other climbers post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vegetablebelay Posted September 30, 2002 Share Posted September 30, 2002 Nice TR Lambone, but to keep it from chesbeating you'd need to follow this bare bones trip report style a little more closely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg_W Posted September 30, 2002 Share Posted September 30, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Lambone: was cleared through the higher authorities (new wife)!!! Pussy. Nice job. Greg W Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted September 30, 2002 Share Posted September 30, 2002 Nice job Lammy. Nice report too. I think you spelled Gendarme wrong a couple of times though . Why did the Stuart Glacier hurt your ankles? Too steep, torqueing 'em sideways? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobBob Posted September 30, 2002 Share Posted September 30, 2002 I was gonna say something about Yosemite...but I was afraid that maybe just maybe there WAS something called Yosemite in WA... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted September 30, 2002 Author Share Posted September 30, 2002 "excluding yosemite...maybe anywhere." You know what I mean dorks. I think we spelled gendarme wrong in the register also! Traversing steep glaciers in tennis shoes just sucks. I alternated walking sideways facing uphill and downhill, I have bunk ankles and the pain was excrushiating...your regular French step/poilet-whatever was hell on 'em. My boots would have helped us break that 40hr time barier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhamaker Posted September 30, 2002 Share Posted September 30, 2002 It took you 3 attempts to actualy summit? Sad, so sad . . . >>>Chysten and I had just gotten some high tech ultralite aluminum crampons and axes up at MEC<<< What brand/model, and how much. Would you recomend them over other Al crampons? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted September 30, 2002 Author Share Posted September 30, 2002 Well, The veiw is the same from fifty feet down from the summit...and I'm not much into signing summit registers. The first two times we just wanted to get down as far as we could before dark. The crampons and axe are both Camp. I forget the exact model names. The axe was 80$ Canadian and the Crampons were 100$ Canadian. Not pro-deal, but cheaper than you can get em here in the states. MEC is the place to buy techy clothes though, all their MEC brand outerwear is way cheap and looks bomber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted September 30, 2002 Share Posted September 30, 2002 I wore crampons over sneakers and a ski pole across the stuart glacier no problem. You probably suffer from bad-limiandjoint-itus. If I was to do it again it would be the same way. I dont think the axe is necessary. [ 09-30-2002, 02:07 PM: Message edited by: Cpt.Caveman ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Attitude Posted September 30, 2002 Share Posted September 30, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: I wore crampons over sneakers and a ski pole across the stuart glacier no problem. We can guess where he wore the ski pole.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambone Posted September 30, 2002 Author Share Posted September 30, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: I dont think the axe is necessary. Yeah, one probably couldn't self arrest on the blue glacier ice now anyway... It might almost be worth skirting under the first half of the glacier, and scrambling up that rock rib to gain the second half... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest_m Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 quote: I've decided that this is my favorite climb in Washington, excluding Yosemitei didn't know yosemite was in washington. did we annex it through some tim eyeman initiative or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg_W Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 quote: Originally posted by forrest_m: quote:I've decided that this is my favorite climb in Washington, excluding Yosemitei didn't know yosemite was in washington. did we annex it through some tim eyeman initiative or something? I was wondering the same thing, but thought I would limit my harassment to pointing out that Lambone is pussy-whipped. Actually, that was a Tim Eyman initiative. Didn't you see it? It was Initiative IV5.9A3; it was on the ballot. GregW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Attitude: quote:Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: I wore crampons over sneakers and a ski pole across the stuart glacier no problem. We can guess where he wore the ski pole.... Right up your fat ass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Attitude Posted October 1, 2002 Share Posted October 1, 2002 quote: Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: quote:Originally posted by Attitude: quote:Originally posted by Cpt.Caveman: I wore crampons over sneakers and a ski pole across the stuart glacier no problem. We can guess where he wore the ski pole.... Right up your fat ass In response to this, Mr. Borbon send me a PM saying: "I hope you fall to your death off a cliff soon. " In light of recent events, I believe this goes beyond spray, and I'll not continue this thread. Sorry, Ray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwills Posted October 25, 2002 Share Posted October 25, 2002 quote: The weather looked good, and I was cleared through the higher authorities (new wife)!!! what happened to the old one bone? hey, nice job again on stuart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crackbolter Posted October 26, 2002 Share Posted October 26, 2002 [ 10-28-2002, 08:33 AM: Message edited by: Crackbolter ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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