[TR] Ingalls Peak, Wenatchee Range - South Ridge 6/24/2007

[devinejohnny]

Trip: Ingalls Peak, Wenatchee Range - South Ridge

 

Date: 6/24/2007

 

Trip Report:

South Ridge, Ingalls Peak, Wenatchee Range

 

Climbed on 7/24/07 during snow flurries.  We arrived at the trail head on Saturday afternoon to find it PACKED.  There were cars lined down the road for a couple hundred meters.  We squeezed in where we could and pulled out some books and beer.  It had been a beautiful day and we watched the mobs pour off the trail as the afternoon wore on into evening.  There were mostly day hikers, but a number of climbers as well.  We plied the latter for a bit of route information.  As we crashed out in the parking lot that night we were not alone, at least three other parties were gearing up as well.  That night the clouds became thicker and there were a few light showers.  We awoke at 5AM to find a group of 5 (FIVE!) already moving.  We were on the trail behind after a breakfast of coffee and power buns (from the Sunflower Bakery in Squamish).  The group of five put up a good fight, but it was inevitable that they would succumb to a couple of strapping young men like Jay and myself.  We passed them a few hundred feet below the initial ridge into the Ingalls basin.  At this point mostly dirt trail with patches of snow turns into solid snow.  Sub zero temps had turned the slush of the previous day into slick crust, but there was a wide boot pack to follow.  We contoured left around the basin and up, much higher then is possible in the summer.  This route was much more direct and saved a lot of time.  By the time we  were above Ingalls Lake, we were ¾ of the way up to the base of the ridge.  This last part of the approach was blessed with a couple of sun beams and near constant light snow.  Our fears of spending the whole morning waiting in line for our route were replaced with the joy of having a whole mountain to ourselves.  I guess the nice thing about 5.4’s is that they don’t draw the type of climber who is willing to climb wet rock in a snowstorm.  Anywho, we had come prepared for weather, so the climb ended up being an enjoyable adventure.  The route finding is no challenge, just straight up the cracks on the ridge, connecting the rap stations.  We climbed on double ropes (60m, 9mm) with a light rack (half set hexes, half set nuts, three cams), and 7 runners.  We descended by rapping the route 5 times on one of the ropes.  We were back to the car by 12:15.  

 

Gear Notes:

Don't need much. A single 60m will work, with a light rack.

 

Approach Notes:

Mostly clear to the first ridge/pass with a few patches of snow. Mostly snow around Ingalls basin. The lake is still ice covered, though starting to thin.

[still_climbin]

Nice report. Looks like you had it right climbing early in the year in poor weather. When we did the peak last year, late July, we had lots of talus and scree and a cluster of climbers on the route.