Alpinfox Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Climb: Mount Stuart-Complete North Ridge Date of Climb: 9/7/2006 Inspired by TELEMARKER & FRIEND'S TRIP REPORT, ChucK and I took a day off from work yesterday to climb the North Ridge of Mt. Stuart. ChucK had done it once before with a camp and a bivy, and I had never done it before, but we figured we'd give it a go in crazy car-to-car style. Everything went really smoothly, and I don't have very much to add that hasn't been said before about this route. In fact, our experience was so similar to Telemarker's trip report that I considered just taking their report and photoshoping ChucK's and my faces over theirs. Anyway, here are a few random musings: The first two pitches of the lower ridge are really nice. I think the second pitch we did was the "Kearney death corner" (read his description in Classic Climbs of the Northwest and you'll know what I'm talking about). He says that pro is sparse and the corner is dangerous, but it must have been cleaned up since he did it, because it is easily protectable now. Anyway, we belayed the first two pitches of the lower ridge, simuled to the gendarme, did the gendarme in one pitch, and then simuled to the summit. I thought the second half of the Gendarme pitch (the offwidth section) was the hardest section of the climb. The second pitch of the lower ridge was next in difficulty, then the first half of the gendarme pitch, then the first pitch of the lower ridge. Everything else was surprisingly easy. I expected more difficult climbing overall, but the CNR is very cruxy. This is (obviously) a fantastic route. Almost 3000' of technical climbing on nearly flawless rock. Definitely deserving of it's "Classic" status. We did not see a single person all day. Nice to have such an awesome mountain all to ourselves. ChucK leading the first pitch on the lower ridge: Starting the simulclimb block just above the second pitch of the lower ridge: ChucK on the sharp ridge below the gendarme: ChucK heading up the slab below the gendarme: Looking up the slab pitch below the gendarme: Starting the gendarme pitch: Fire to the west of Stuart: Summit register: Gear Notes: blue metolius yellow metolius 0.5 camalot 0.75 camalot 1 camalot (x2) 2 camalot #4 forged friend about 6 nuts (mostly medium-large) three medium hexes 10 slings no crampons, no axes 60m 9.2mm rope (probably could have done it with a doubled over 7.5) Times: Woke at 3am Left car at 3:30am Base of ridge at 8:15am Started climbing at 8:30am Notch at ~noon Summit at 3:30pm Car at 8:15pm Approach Notes: We went in via Ingalls Lake, over Goat Pass, traversed to base of ridge, up route, down cascadian, then over Longs Pass. Water was available on the traverse from Goat Pass to the base of the route. No water until base of Cascadian Coulior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olyclimber Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 w00t! nice work dudes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weekend_Climberz Posted September 8, 2006 Share Posted September 8, 2006 Bitch'n climb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telemarker Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 (edited) Nice work! Great climb. I think the next CNR TR should focus on the Cascadian descent with the Longs Pass super direct route. Since in Nelson's guide the 1/2 ridge is a grade IV, does adding the lower ridge make it a grade V? Edited September 9, 2006 by telemarker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rad Posted September 9, 2006 Share Posted September 9, 2006 Sweet! I can't wait to get back and do it again. I asked the same IV vs V question Alpine grades thread Whether you call it IV or V or VII I still think it's a phenomenal route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyree Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 nice! car2car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 how'd you do the gendarme in one pitch w/ one rope w/o getting godawful rope drag? seems like you have to go way sidewise on top of the perch - a delightfully long pitch for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinfox Posted September 14, 2006 Author Share Posted September 14, 2006 The start of the OW is only ~12ft to the right of the top of the pillar. I clipped that fixed pin directly above the top of the pillar with a long sling, put one piece of gear in on the traverse with a long sling, and then I was in the OW. I moved our #4 Friend up with me until I could clip the fixed cam with a long sling then back cleaned the #4. Ropedrag wasn't a problem at all. I think clipping that pin was key as it kept the rope from running in the crack between the pillar and the face. I did have some significant rope drag issues on a few of the simulclimbing pitches though. Bobbing and weaving around towers/blocks/etc = vicious ropedrag. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoney Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 all ropedrag is relative Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyclimb Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 Excellent pictures! What a classic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregc Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 Hey Pax, Great pics. Good to meet you and Andrew at the RopeUP. Hope to have an op to climb with you again. Oh, and I found the NR local and scoped it out. Thanks Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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