[TR] Sherpa Peak- West ridge 7/9/2006

[armin]

Climb: Sherpa Peak-West ridge

 

Date of Climb: 7/9/2006

 

Trip Report:

My girlfriend and I climbed Sherpa Peak via the West Ridge on Sunday. We approached over Long's Pass on Saturday. Unfortunately we headed up the Stuart ridge too early and ended up in Ullrich's couloir. At around 6200 feet we began crossing east and made it to Cascadian couloir in about an hour. From there we crossed over to the basin below the Stuart-Sherpa col and bivied at around 7000 feet. The route from the col at 8200 feet is pretty obvious, but rappel slings mark the way. The climbing is pleasant and easy, with a slabby "crux". The views of Rainier, Adams, Glacier and Baker from the summit were magnificient.

We made the fourth ascent this year and 2005 the mountain saw only ten ascents. Maybe it's too little climbing for the long approach?

 

Gear Notes:

Slings, a few nuts. Claire protected the "crux" with a #1 cam. Smaller cams are handy to make an anchor on the summit, although a positional belay would probably suffice. We had 60m double rope, but a single is rope is fine.

 

Approach Notes:

Do not branch off Ingalls Creek Trail too early, instead wait for the signpost to Beverly turnpike, which is right below Cascadian Couloir. Go up Cascadian and cross over to the East and head up to the obvious col between Stuart's false summit and Sherpa.

[Mark_L]

The correct approach to the West Ridge of Sherpa is to do an angling ascent of the rib next to the basin underneath Sherpa until you can traverse into the basin proper. Then climb straight up to the Sherpa Stuart col. This makes the approach considerably shorter and way more pleasant than climbing up the Cascadian Coulior. (The climb is quite reasonably done in a day from the parking lot.)

[JoshK]

The north ridge was a very fun climb, but descending that south (west?) side and going up and back over the sherpa-stuart col and down the glacier was just brutal. that was one of the longer days I have had.

[summitseeker]

First off, cool climb! Congrats. I'd agree with Mark and say don't ascend the Cascadian for the approach. To add, you can just take the climber's trail used for the 'standard' (southeast route) on Stuart to 5,800 ft, then climb over a rib to the right and contour into the basin beneath Sherpa. Continue up to the Stuart-Sherpa col, staying left of a waterfall and cliff band. There is a big, flat rock in the upper basin (7,400 ft) that makes a great bivi site, but water can be scarce later in the season.

 

More in my guidebook of course.

 

--Scott

[jbclimber]

Does the approach have snow? I am thinking about going there soon and won't bring an ice axe if I don't need it. Thanks.

[armin]

No axe needed.

[marek]

Just how difficult is the crux of W Ridge of Sherpa Pk?

How many pitches?

[MisterMo]

Low fifth class. 3 pitches if I remember right, plus the balanced rock if you did that.

[spotly]

First off, cool climb! Congrats. I'd agree with Mark and say don't ascend the Cascadian for the approach. To add, you can just take the climber's trail used for the 'standard' (southeast route) on Stuart to 5,800 ft, then climb over a rib to the right and contour into the basin beneath Sherpa. Continue up to the Stuart-Sherpa col, staying left of a waterfall and cliff band. There is a big, flat rock in the upper basin (7,400 ft) that makes a great bivi site, but water can be scarce later in the season.

 

More in my guidebook of course. --Scott

 

Are these directions good for this time of year? I'm familiar with the path that stays to the left (in the trees) on the Cascadian, which pops out into the couloir above all the brush at the bottom. Is this the same path mentioned above? Anyone know if the west ridge would likely be doable right now?