[TR] Mount Deception - Honeymoon Route 6/23/2007

[suge]

Trip: Mount Deception - Honeymoon Route

 

Date: 6/23/2007

 

Trip Report:

The Eye of Doom came back for another spin over Puget Sound this weekend, thus frustrating our plans for getting some climbing in. For part of day, perhaps, we might have reasonable weather. We thought about something fun, like perhaps visiting the Hurricane Ridge visitor center and looking at maps. Or eating in Port Angeles. Or, if we were really bold, having a beer with our meal in Port Angeles while wearing our helmets. But then someone got the idea in their head that there was a rainshadow near Sequim. What is near there? Mount Deception! The fact that Deception is the second highest peak in the Olympics and therefore not in a rainshadow wasn't talked about. The fact that we had only part of a day of forecasted good weather wasn't mentioned much. The fact that a Red Robin burger had given me racehorse-killing heart burn was talked a lot about, at least by me. So, we found ourselves in the Royal Basin parking lot at 11 pm making our trailhead bivies. Some of us chose a fragrant place to nap.

 

Photo by K. Gallagher

 

 

The five of us were rolling at 5:20 under surprisingly clear skies. The approach to Royal Lake is mostly free of snow and the three smart ones in the group wore trail runners for the approach, carrying our boots on our backs, where they belong. Skies were very blue, which made us happy, although Red Robin was still trying to kill me.

 

 

We quickly passed Shelter Rock and skated up the remaining trail (partly snow covered) to an upper basin which held some big rocks. We donned boots, crampons, and helmets, and began the snow plod. Our big rock is on the right hand of this photo. Our route begins by going up the gentle snow gully running from the rock up to the left.

 

 

Me and Puyallup John climbing out of the gully. Photo by K. Gallagher.

 

 

Once on top (near two tarns) we could see the full mountain and our route. We climbed to the low point of the ridge between Deception (on the left) and Martin (on the right). From there we traverse right a bit and then into a snow gully that ran, sort of, to the top. We did not climb the big, mega gully that splits to the left of the bottom basin. Kevin and Seattle John inspecting the route.

 

 

Royal Basin holds lots of climbing opportunities. Here are the Needles and Mount Clark.

 

 

The climbing became very steep, increasing from a 30 degree, pleasant walk, to a 45 degree strenuous workout. The warm sun, which was rapidly going away, had put the snow in perfect condition for kicking bucket steps, but caution had to be taken as a fall would have had rather serious consequences: There is little safe run out on the route and the grade is steep enough that arresting a fall would have to happen immediately. We had to transition over some crappy rock to get to the snowy basin below the ridge, but this was short and uneventful. Rather tired, we reached the notch in good order.

 

The Great Destroyer (of Demonslayer Peak fame) and I at the notch. Photo by K.Gallagher.

 

 

From the notch you've got two options. You can descend the other side of the notch to the glacier below and traverse around its head, then climb a very steep snow wall (about 45-50 degrees) underneath a nasty looking cornice to gain the summit ridge. Or, you can traverse your side of the ridge, drop down a bit, and gain the Honeymoon route, which is what we did. The Honeymoon route is a prominent, though narrow, gully that runs to the the same summit ridge.

 

Below are The Great Destroyer and Kevin inspecting the route. To their right you can spy a little bit of the cornice against the white sky. Weather was beginning to worsen as we rested. To their left (but out of sight) is the Honeymoon route.

 

 

To get to the route, we had to traverse some sketchy and unpleasant rock to get back to snow. Seattle John in front, with me and Puyallup John behind. Photo by K. Gallagher.

 

 

Once back on the snow, the Honeymoon route looks alot better. We traversed below the rocks in the lower left corner, then went up the gully on the other side.

 

 

The gully is steep, requiring some care, but the snow conditions were mostly good. However, there were a few rock steps to overcome and a few places where the snow thinned out too much for casual work. Some ice was encountered. The grade was consistently 45 degrees, occasionally higher, occasionally lower.

 

 

As we neared the top and success seemed assured, we were faced with a choice of two gullies to follow. We opted for the left one, and climbed about 100 feet to some ice-coated rock that we had to negotiate. The first few climbers were able to front point on some slabby ice to get up, but the Great Destroyer and I had to chimney a bit as the slabby ice broke off after the third climber. Chimneying in crampons isn't a lot of fun. Neither is hand-foot matching. I still have all my digits.

 

Below is Puyallup John coming up the rock step to what we thought was the summit. There was pretty serious exposure here. Photo by K. Gallagher.

 

 

Unfortunately we were not on the summit. I declared us to be within 6 feet, which the Great Destroyer took great offense at. To be truthful, we were still 150ish feet below the actual summit, which wasn't accessible from our perch. So, we now had to downclimb the rock step in crampons and try the other gully.

 

Me downclimbing the rock. To be honest, it wasn't that bad and you could butt scoot most of it. Photo by K. Gallagher.

 

 

Weather was rapidly deteriorating. A storm that had been hanging on the Deer Park/Hurricane Ridge area broke off and was heading straight for us. Our time was running out as well. After down climbing to the split, The Great Destroyer took off, kicking big steps up the gully, which we ran up and over 4 foot vertical snow bank to a flat spot, where we could see the true summit again. Some long angle talus work got us over to it, and one final steep snow climb got us to the top.

 

 

The storm was getting close and it was already after 2, which meant we couldn't muck around very much on top. Everywhere in the Olympics looked really nasty, except for where we were. Mount Mystery looked very appealing from our vantage point.

 

 

We took the obligatory photos, then began our escape route. From L-R: (bottom) Me, Kevin, The Great Destroyer. (top) Puyallup John and Seattle John. Photo by K. Gallagher.

 

 

The descent down was slow, with hundreds of feet of downclimbing and some rock fall. The setting, however, was immaculate and the storm had not yet hit us. Everywhere we could see in the Olympics was mired in storm, but it was still peaceful on Deception. Photo by K. Gallagher.

 

 

 

We kept close together, however, so I only had to dodge a few slow moving rocks. I couldn't imagine climbing Deception without snow as the rock fall from people above would be unbelievably bad.

 

 

Downclimbing, downclimbing, downclimbing. Our ascent steps were really good and I only had to re-kick occasionally. Below photo by K. Gallagher.

 

 

Rather than re-tracing our ascent route, we took a direct descent instead of traversing on the crappy rock to the notch. Although it meant more work kicking steps on the down climb, it had the benefit of missing some bad rock and, once clear of the last of the jutting rocks, we got a sweet glissade. The storm hit us on the descent, but after some snow it went away, remarkably enough. The Great Destroyer even broke out a 360 degree spin. We gave him a 9.3 for style. Below photo by K. Gallagher.

 

 

Once off the glissade, it was a casual walk back to the rocks where we left our runners and poles, with a little spitting rain. I donned my favorite skirt and runners and we began the hike out rather pleased with ourselves.

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe, crampons, and helmet needed. Some parties might want a scramble rope and runners to set up a handline or a rap. I would probably bring another tool for the climb.

 

Approach Notes:

Trail is clear of snow to Shelter Rock. We left the cars at 5:20 AM and returned to them at 7:50 PM. From the prominent rock to the summit took us 5 hours, but this could be cut by almost 1.5 hours if we had taken a direct approach instead of going to the notch and if we hadn't gone up the wrong gully at the top. Exposure is high on the route and the snow is steep. I would never climb Deception after the snow is gone. You've got another week or two before it becomes a choss fest.

[philfort]

Nice pics.... can someone explain this Honeymoon route for me? Maybe it's just me... but it looks like it takes you way right, then way back left, across some rotten rock, but in the end just puts you at the top of the "big, mega gully" which you could have just climbed directly. So um... what's the point???

[skykilo]

Nice to see what it looks like in there now. Still quite a bit of snow.

[suge]

The big mega gully isn't the route. You can barely see the Honeymoon route on the pic that I posted. From the notch, it moves left onto snow, around a couple of rocks, and then up. To get to the mega gully would be a lot more traversing on snow. With snow there, it is best to avoid the notch and just climb up. I'm not sure where the big mega gully leads, but it looked pretty steep at the top of it.

[philfort]

Ok, I think I got it sorted out now. HM route is completely behind the big blocky tower.

 

The big mega gully leads to an easy walk to the summit.

[Off_White]

Phil, isn't the big mega gully what ya'll skied?

 

Nice pics & TR, thanks.

[philfort]

Indeed - big mega gully doth been what we skieth.

[johndavidjr]

The route I took on Deception, which you describe in full and is partly same as HM, is rated class 2. Dare I call it a sandbag? The guidebook leaves out the 50-degree snow and nasty cornice you saw. I'm surprised they didn't re-rate climbs in new Olympic Mt Guidebook. I think I can dimly remember HM is rated class 3. Looked like at least 4 in your photos?

[suge]

The Honeymoon Route is rated as grade I (hah!) and class 3. I would put it at grade II with extensive class 4. Perhaps things are different when the snow is gone. The glacier route with the big cornice is rated at grade I, class 2.

[Norman_Clyde]

Deception has the only class 2 route I know of from which people have fallen to their deaths. That alone is reason enough to up the rating IMO, just so newbies don't get the wrong idea.

[RJRiha]

The big mega gully isn't the route. You can barely see the Honeymoon route on the pic that I posted. From the notch, it moves left onto snow, around a couple of rocks, and then up. To get to the mega gully would be a lot more traversing on snow. With snow there, it is best to avoid the notch and just climb up. I'm not sure where the big mega gully leads, but it looked pretty steep at the top of it.

 

I climbed the mega gully 2 weeks ago. Its very straight-forward and leaves you with a very easy walk to the summit. True, it is steep (about 50 degrees at the top). It seems most parties choose to descend a different route, but we didnt have any problems descending it. There was a TR this year of a team skiing it, but I dont have the balls for that.

 

It seems the guide book doesnt list that route (dont know why, because its an EXCELLENT route). Next time, I want to try the face proper, just left of the mega gully. Does anyone know if there is an easy access to the snow ramps on the face? It appears as though there is alot of rock in the way (and deception's rock seems sketchy at best). Maybe there are hidden gullys? Or does it have to be done early in the season when the gaps between the rock are plugged with snow? I know there are ways to access the upper face from the mega gully, but that seems as though it would take all the fun out of it.

 

 

 

[magellan]

Good Lord, that is the funniest first picture and paragraph ever in a TR! High quality climbing gentleman. If you can fall to your death, it's not class 2.

[johndavidjr]

Tell that to the guidebook committee....

Edited July 4, 2007 by johndavidjr