John Frieh Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Trip: Stuart - complete north ridge Date: 7/6/2007 Relevant beta: - Route is fairly snow free though some snow patches still exist at lower ridge bivy sites, at the notch, and upper pitches for the purposes of melting. - Gendarme bypass still holding lots of snow... looks like fun times on wet slabs. - Lots of running water in the cascadian couloir. Snow relatively near summit but didn't see a puddle. - We left Ingalls lake with 3 liters each... this was enought to get us up and over before running out and getting more water on the descent - handlebar mustaches: oh so pimpin - my 10th stuart summit Time: Left car @ 12:05 am Started climbing @ 5:05 am Summit @ 11:15 am Car @ 4:45 pm We were staying on track for a 14 hour c2c but we took our sweet time on the descent as Brock's knees were hurting. Would have been stoked to do it in 14 but really who cares? Just a fine time in the hills... Handlerbar Mustache... the future? Ready... Set... Go! gendarme pitch 1 closing in stache on top! Gear Notes: black dress socks mustache comb Your mileage may vary: - red, yellow c3 - .4-4 c4 (doubles in red) - 5-13 stoppers - 12 runners (10x24", 2x48") No crampons, ice ax. Bug spray highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotly Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 10th! Very nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivan Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 ! the 'stach makes me want to party in my pants! who wants a mustache ride? you can never climb the n ridge too many times...like hitting the black dragon roller-coaster... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ishmael Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 The first time I climbed the north ridge it was July 2nd and there as ton of snow on the ridge. The slab pitch was completely covered... Much drier year.... Looked like a good climb... and fast... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drederek Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 (edited) Nice work and great TR! Did you even need the headlamps with that moon shining down? Must have been a cool hike in. JRCO and I bivi'd that nite atop the gendarme and summited about 9am. There was one particularly large rockfall onto the Stuart glacier about dawn, did you guys see it? I guess you would have been down below or past the glacier by then. Edited July 9, 2007 by Drederek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billcoe Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Nice work of it! Sweet TR John! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted July 9, 2007 Author Share Posted July 9, 2007 Did you even need the headlamps with that moon shining down? Yes... finding the cairns near Ingalls lake can be tricky at night. There was one particularly large rockfall onto the Stuart glacier about dawn, did you guys see it? I guess you would have been down below or past the glacier by then. We didn't but we were at the toe of the north ridge about ~10 mins before sunrise so we were fairly low at that point of the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinfox Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 That is a sweet 'stache. I'm curious, is 14hrs c2c a landmark for some reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted July 9, 2007 Author Share Posted July 9, 2007 That is a sweet 'stache. Yeah... I bet Chaps would be super jealous I'm curious, is 14hrs c2c a landmark for some reason? No... not at all. Sorry if I made it sound like it was. Sometimes when I get out I like to set goals... push myself a little... that's all... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevbone Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Ive been told the record for the CNR is 6 hours c to c / solo....fing crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marcus Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 I bet that's the first time a stache like that has been up the CNR in 20 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good2Go Posted July 9, 2007 Share Posted July 9, 2007 Great TR. I did that same route last summer. We were pretty surprised to encounter a stout enduro layback crack somewhere about the 3rd pitch from bottom of the ridge. The crack wasn't on any of the topos we could find for the lower ridge (none of which were very detailed btw). Had we known how strenuous it would be, we probably would have hauled packs on that pitch. Anybody know if we were off route? Could it have been the famous "death crack" mentioned in the Kearney guide book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted July 10, 2007 Author Share Posted July 10, 2007 Anybody know if we were off route? Could it have been the famous "death crack" mentioned in the Kearney guide book? Yes and no... Yes that was on route if you were doing the eastern variation of the CNR. No if you were doing something else. Keep in mind a few options exist through the initial pitches. As stout as it is I would still recommend this option. Many people do consider it the route's crux. If you reread Kearney's death crack description he considers it death because the crack runs out where as this one doesn't. Make sense? Haul your packs? How much were you carrying? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 Great TR. I did that same route last summer. We were pretty surprised to encounter a stout enduro layback crack somewhere about the 3rd pitch from bottom of the ridge. The crack wasn't on any of the topos we could find for the lower ridge (none of which were very detailed btw). Had we known how strenuous it would be, we probably would have hauled packs on that pitch. Anybody know if we were off route? Could it have been the famous "death crack" mentioned in the Kearney guide book? I've done that crack. Its a fun variation and the more natural line. I think the standard route takes easier ground to the right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahT Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 sounds like coming at it from the other side is a better way to go, when trying to "go" quick. We did CNR saturday c2c from mtneer creek, opted to forgo the full-on boots/pons and instead rock the approach shoes down the sherpa. It ended up being tedious at a time when we were yearning for straight-forward, and left us with a moonlit, instead of sunset, hike out. We're still trying to figure out where we could have shaved off 3 hours on the ridge, though(?) Well done! Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyHarry Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 and left us with a moonlit, instead of sunset, hike out. The horror. The north side approach is better I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Off_White Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 Especially once the Sherpa stops being a plunge step cakewalk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 ...The north side approach is better I think. I agree, but are you thinking Ulrich's then Goat Pass to Stuart Lake for the deproach? Downclimb West Ridge? Anyone have good beta for getting down the NW Buttress? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxhasson Posted July 10, 2007 Share Posted July 10, 2007 If the NW Buttress is what I think it is (and I'm still not exactly sure I know where we were) I would not reccomend it. We attempted to descend somewhere around the west horn, as beckey claimed that some parties had been doing. Kearney also seems to suggest this descent if you are hiking out stuart lake and/or mountaineer creek. If the sherpa is "in", though I've never descended it I would think it preferable to whatever that choss fest was that we descended last year. I am sure there is a cruiser way down it, but our path was anything but cruiser. Plus, after hours of mentally draining chossel down climbing we had to kick steps in tennies in almost too firm snow (read Jens had to kick steps while I waited patiently above him listening to howls of screaming barfie hell (no gloves either)). All this wasted time led to a totally dark, one headlamp (we're smart) deproach through the black hole of mountaineer's creek. Many hours of peering through the gloom, trying to find the next cairn finally put us back on the cattle trail and stumbling to the vehicle. Not quite safe, we still had to endure the drive home in a severely debilitated state, more drunk on fatigue and eye-strain than should be trusted behind a wheel. Did I mention it was my first trip of the season? Eight letters, two words: near-epic. So anyway, don't do what we did. Last week we descended the west ridge, as our stache was at stuart pass. This was straight forward only after reaching the notch, it's a bit confusing right from the summit, especially with residual spring snow. I haven't gone down the cascadian, and although it's not very aesthetically appealing (sure wouldn't want to go up it) it's probably the fastest, easiest way assuming you want to exit long's pass, that by the way is a whole other story... max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 who wants a mustache ride!!! sickie sickie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbb Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 I do! I do! (not) I'm surprised no one has mentioned rapping one of the buttresses further East from the Sherpa glacier. I've read a report of people climbing close to the base of the West Ridge of Sherpa, and then rapping down to the basin below. Sounded pretty strait forward, with maybe 8-10 single rope rapps at existing stations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rad Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Go in Mtneer creek and out Teannaway. Car shuttle or get friends to assist in transport. It's a lot of miles on the road but still easier and faster than walking around the mountain or rapping endless choss towers. Also, if you go late enough you can leave axes and crampons at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spotly Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 What's the shuttle distance/time MOL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucK Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Car shuttle is extreme! I'd much rather spend two pleasant hours walking in the mountains than spend 4 extra hours driving (plus 2 cars = 2 times more gas and CO2 emissions). There's no way the car shuttle is faster if you count the extra hours logged driving (unless you are a VERY slow hiker) You can leave the axes/poons at home if you do the Teanaway approach (assuming late-season and complete NR). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpinfox Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 A car shuttle would be an atrocious waste of time, energy, and gas and I personally promise to make fun of anyone who admits doing it. Early season, go in Mtnrs Crk and down Sherpa glacier. Late season, go in Ingalls Lake and down Cascadian. Simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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