The Brothers beta?

[PackOnMyBack]

I'm planning to climb the Brothers on Sat (4/20). Anyone have any current info?

I understand that transition to the couloir may be tricky (routefinding). Any info would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[westernbackcountryskier]

have you done it before? which coulior are you talking about? I am looking to do it on the 27th and 28th, and I was looking for some beta too. let me know of anything abnormal or that I should know about. thanks

[PackOnMyBack]

Skier,

I have not been up there before.

I understand there is a gully at about 5300' that you want to be sure to hit.

There is a vague description in "75 Scrambles in WA" but I'm looking for better info on the upper part of the route. I'll pass along info after this weekend. Good luck.....

[Tom]

The Climber's Guide to the Olympic Mountains has good route descriptions. I've climbed Brothers twice, although not recently. The common mistake I see many make is failing to bear right a hundred feet below the summit.

 

Watch for falling rock from other climbing groups, especially near the hourglass.

 

This climb has some of the longest glissades in the Olympics!

 

Tom

[dbb]

Once you come up out of the camping area (there is a faint trail when snowfree) you come into a basin under a big slabby cliffy waterfall. This is Variation 2 (as in the book). Keep traversing left through a short but dense forest. 100 yards of forest and bam, you're right there at the base of the couloir.

 

Up high you can pretty easily scramble from the col at the top of the hourglass-couloir to the top.

 

Ditto on that glissade (esp. down the lower slope). It has to be about the most perfect angle for glissading: not too steep so that you get out of control, but plenty quick!

 

Here's an old trip report from when we did the "variabtion 2" route, which is a pretty nice scramble up to the "lunch counter". http://students.washington.edu/dbb/olympics/brothers.html

[dbb]

I think we were there during the first weekend in June on a normal snow year. (Also, That would be the hourglass-couloir in the backround and the summit off to the right.)

[hikerwa]

I did it in July, not much glissading except over some nasty looking snow bridges. Routefinding isn't that bad, especially with snow on the ground. The biggest problem was finding your campsite in between all the huge boulders!!

 

Definately keep to the right and you should be fine, and the snow should make it nice (unlike scree)

 

Have fun!

 

sean

[climberbro16]

Hey If the weather shapes up Ill be up there to. So Maybe Ill see ya.

[climbhigher]

Just did Ellinor on Thursday 4-11. You'll find more snow than usual and will have to walk about a mile and a half to get to the trailhead. Since we were doin Ellinor I can't tell you much else about Washington. Especially since we couldn't even see it from Ellinor due to total whiteout.

[climbhigher]

Don't know what the hell I was thinkin. You were asking about The Brothers and I started writing about Washington. I must have been asleep at the wheel.

[PackOnMyBack]

dbb,

Thanks for the info. BTW, what time of year was that photo taken?

[westernbackcountryskier]

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I've done the route once before and don't remember finding it very difficult except for one semi-steeper section close to the top, I remember a rock gully on the right side of the snowfield as you look up that we scrambled up, not a big deal though pretty straight forward. Have a good trip, and be safe, definately wear a helmet though, they don't call it the hourglass for nothing.