Ptarmigan 2nd ascent... still waiting?

[Blake]

Does anyone know what the closest a part has come to really following the ptarmigan traverse and climbing all the origiinal peaks? IMO the traverse has not been repeated, although the general route has been followed. Now that these are not FAs... will it get a repeat? Is any route from Cascade Pass to the Downey/Bachelor area considered a repeat in your mind?

[John Frieh]

I believe one of the Skoogs did it on the 50th anniversary of the original traverse or something like that...

[Lowell_Skoog]

I believe one of the Skoogs did it on the 50th anniversary of the original traverse or something like that...

 

No, we didn't.

 

On the 50th anniversary of the 1st traverse (1938) I did a one-day ski of the route with my brother Carl.

 

On the 50th anniversary of the 2nd traverse (1953) I did a photo documentation hike of the route with three friends.

 

No plans for commemorating the 3rd traverse (1957) at this point.

 

I'm not aware of anybody repeating the original 1938 itinerary completely.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Is any route from Cascade Pass to the Downey/Bachelor area considered a repeat in your mind?

 

I don't know that my mind counts for much.

 

For many years, the conventional view has been that any route from Cascade Pass to the Dome Peak area, staying above treeline, is the Ptarmigan Traverse. Most people don't require you to climb any summits for the traverse to "count." It seems like a reasonable view to me. We don't require people who repeat climbing routes to grab every hold that the first ascenders did.

[DirtyHarry]

Unless there's blue tape on 'em.

[pms]

I would think any trip from Cascade Pass to Suiattle River would logically be referred to as a Ptarmigan Traverse. At the same time I love Blakes suggestion that the original Ptarmigan Traverse has not had a second ascent. Just seems cool, and amazing in this day of super climber feats. Not that you need to climb any summits to have a great PT trip, just one way to help understand the talent and excitment for exploration that the original group seemed to have.

[RocNoggin]

OK, I'll bite. lets do it. repeat the first traverse with all the original climbs. when? shall we try to repeat their dates as well?

[wayne]

Knowing very little about traverses,I believe any of us would be lucky to do half of it.

[mike1]

Agreed.

 

I always thought chaining the Ptarmigan, Pyramid Inspiration and Pickets traverses (AKA The Grand Tour) would be a great way to spend a summer.

[Tony_Bentley]

I did a search looking for the first ascent party and have yet to find the original traverse story. Anyone have a source or know of the exact peaks and routes?

[JoshK]

Agreed.

 

I always thought chaining the Ptarmigan, Pyramid Inspiration and Pickets traverses (AKA The Grand Tour) would be a great way to spend a summer.

 

You do realize that the picket traverses are a completely different ball game than the ptarmigan or inspiration/pyramid correct? We aren't even talking about the remotely same level of commitment or style of climbing. This is assuming you mean traversing the summits, rather than just chaining some together.

[Lowell_Skoog]

Agreed.

 

I always thought chaining the Ptarmigan, Pyramid Inspiration and Pickets traverses (AKA The Grand Tour) would be a great way to spend a summer.

 

You do realize that the picket traverses are a completely different ball game than the ptarmigan or inspiration/pyramid correct? We aren't even talking about the remotely same level of commitment or style of climbing. This is assuming you mean traversing the summits, rather than just chaining some together.

 

If you click the link he provided, it is clear that he wasn't talking about traversing the summits. People have been "traversing the Pickets" for decades without following the top of the ridge. The ridge traverses have been done only once, and only very recently.

 

Maybe we need new terminology to distinguish between traditional alpine traverses and ridge top traverses.

[tshimko]

see: Manning, Harvey, "Ptarmigans and Their Ptrips," The Mountaineer, 1958, p. 48.

[tshimko]

see also; http://www.alpenglow.org/climbing/ptarmigan-1953/index.html