[TR] Mt stuart - Upper north ridge 7/14/2007

[skibum1087]

Trip: Mt stuart - Upper north ridge

 

Date: 7/14/2007

 

Trip Report:

2 weeks ago we looked across at the north ridge of stuart from the top of dragontail and decided it looked to long to hard and to scary. On wendsday I had forgotten how big it looked from up there, and convinced my friend Wyatt once more to go out for a climb. We approached via Mountaineers creek, and immedietly found the approach confusing. We left the trail at the switchback, but were confused by "cross the creek immedietly, as the creek was still a good ways through the woods. We found our way across it, and after seeing no signs on any path started plowing our way through the brush, reorienting ourselves whenever stuart peaked through the treetops. Eventually we ended up in boulder fields following carins that led to nowhere, more sections of bushwhacking eventually led us to camp. Bodies were tiring, but our spirits were not yet dampened. We set camp near the creek below the ice cliff glacier. Stuart loomed above.

 

 

The second we stopped moving the mosquitos engulfed us, and we are not talking about the average docile northwestern mosquitos here. These were the bloodthirsty little buggers that I am more familiar with seeing back home in Maine, I was less than impressed (note, Cutter advanced with "new active ingredient" is the most uselss bug spray of all time) As I lay in my bivi sack, discovering that if the mesh is up against your face bugs can actually bite through it, with a pounding headache setting in I thought this is the kind of stuff a true alpinist would revel in, I then began to think that mabey I was not cut out to be a true alpinist. Only time could tell. We left camp and were treated to a fantastic sunrise at the edge of the stuart glacier.

 

 

 

Our first obstacle was gaining the gulley to the notch. I had never heard anybody say anything about the glacier being much of an issue, and I am begining to think that most people go around to the right of it and come in similar to if you did the south approach from goat pass? We shot directly up the left side of it, to the left of the main broken part on a steep snow ramp. The climbing was not hard but once we finished the ramp we traversed above a gaping crevasse, slightly taken aback by the "you fall you die" climbing so early in the morning we were excited finally to be working our way up the gulley looking down on the glacier.

 

 

Within 10 minuites of going up the gulley we witnessed a massive icefall go down the glacier. It broke off where the glacier meets the cliffs and broke from where it meets the north ridge on the left, all the way across through the shrund at the bottom of the SGC (part of which broke) the cracking sound echoed across the valley and we sat there shocked that we had already just nearly cheated death so early on in our climb. We nervously finished the scramble to the notch. Where we were treated with great views.

 

 

We pitched out the first 3 pitches until we became more comfortable with the sharp knife edges and extreme posistioning and then began to simul climb. Plenty has been said about the route already but for those who have not done it, the pictures do not do it justice. The climbing is rediculous, unlike anything I could have ever imagined. Hanging from the hand traverses, feet dangling down over the ice cliff below, I was in awe.

 

 

One long pitch brought us into view of the slab below the generarme.

 

 

The whole climb I had some anxiety in me, knowing that the bypass was snowed in and that up and over was the only way to get home safely. The pitches are rated 5.9, but I many trip reports describe them as being pretty stiffly rated, and I had already found out on my last leavenworth alpine trip that 5.9 up in the mountains is harder than 5.10 at the smoke bluffs. As we appraoched the generarme loomed menacingly above.

 

 

I started up the lieback pitch, heart pounding. I put in my first piece, clipped the fixed nut, looked down and realized the pitch was already halfway over. The climbing on this pitch is never that hard just extremly fun, I was stoked to have led this pitch clean and without major delay. The belay on top was great. We moved into the offwidth which was harder, but nowhere near as bad as I had feared, I actually thought that the crux of the route was the last 5.9 crack up near the summit block.

 

Wyatt tastes the exposure on the offwidth...

 

After this pitch we had some confusion again. We had read something about an exposed 5.5 traverse from the belway alcove, but we did not see anything of the sort. We went up and left on steep flakes and cracks, traversed right to avoid going over the top of the generarme, and then downclimbed a bit to a fixed belay around a block. We could see the final 5.9 crack but had no way to get to it. After a few dead ends that had me traversing on steep lichen with no pro we finally decided to climb stragiht up to the top of another tower, rap down, and then scramble a little bit to the base of the crack. Any thoughts on how this section is supposed to go? Up the crack to a small water drip that was much needed, and then it was one long simul pitch to the summit, where oddly enough there was a giant swarm of butterflys hovering just off the rock, it was an actual cloud of them. The climb was getting more and more outragous every second. They soon flew to slightly lower pastures upon our arrival.

 

 

looking back down the route

 

 

From the summit we were faced with decisions. We origionally wanted to descend the sherpa back to camp, but had heard several large booms that sounded like they were coming from further away than the ice cliff while on route, and logic told us that the sherpa was spitting ice and rock as well. Also the day was warm and we were worried about the wet snow sliding. Down the cascadian it was. We followed it down with the occasional carin until it reached the low pines. Here there was a piece of flagging on a tree and then no signs on a path. After much debate we went straight down the gulley with the stream, doing some 3rd and 4th class scrambling down wet rock with a rattlesnake sighting thrown in for good measure. Were we supposed to go right? Many hours later we hit the ingalls creek trail and started heading towards the junction for stuart pass. Everything was taking way longer than antisipated at this point, and night was closing in. Man this mountain is huge. At nightfall we hit the junction and unsure of exactly where goat pass lay on the ridge above us in the dark we settled in for a chilly night. We had not planned on a night out, and especially after the rock climb went so well we thought it was all under control, but no such luck. Our extra clothes were limited and we climbed into our backpacks for warmth.

 

 

We were pretty much out of food and were not looking forward to the long hike in the morning with nothing to eat. The next day, we got over the passes and were in the boulder between the stuart glacier and the camps when the thunderstorm came. Lightning struck at rapid intervals and we climbed under a boulder for shelter wondering if after 18 pitches of rock climbing and circumnavigating a mountain we would finally die from a lightning strike. We didn't and once it passed we packed up camp and took off. We followed the trail along the river on the way out... until it completly dissipeared about an hour later. This time the bushwhack was worse than on the way in, and we fought our way through the chest deep brush for what seemed like an eternity until we hit the stuart lake trail, finally safely off the mountain faced with nothing but a stroll back to the car.

 

It was an amazing trip that really tested everything that I have ever had to use in the mountains. Navigational skill (mabey these need to be improved) rock climbing, snow travel, and an open bivi thrown in. My hat is off to all the crazy bastards who do this route car to car, hopefully I will get a chance to try the complete later this summer. Thanks a bunch to everyone who helped provide info before this trip, especially John Frieh who gaved extremly detailed answers to all of the questions I had asked.

 

-Spencer

 

Gear Notes:

doubles from .5-2 camelot, a 3, a 4, and a red and blue zero, crampons, ice axe.

 

Approach Notes:

Woods and boulders and bugs, who wants to tell me the secret of the right way to get in and out of there?

Edited July 14, 2007 by skibum1087

[spotly]

Cool TR. Sounds like you did the "have fun" part right I'm looking forward to getting up the NR for the first time myself (can hardly wait for mid Aug). We came down the Cascadian after doing the West Ridge last year and other than the crappy cold bivy, I really enjoyed it - cool colors, neat rock, flowers, just a really neat setting. I'm told I'm odd though

 

I don't recall any flagging but we did head towards the right after some 3rd class scrambling and quite a bit above the brushy creek. There's a brushy though well-trodden trail through the trees that keeps you from having to do the bush whacking next to the creek.

 

Would you change anything on your listed rack if you were to do it again? How many runners (in doubles and singles) would you recommend?

 

Nice work and congrats

[kevbone]

That is one of the best trip reports ever.....thanks so much for sharing.

[matt_warfield]

Others can chime in but I think from the belay alcove atop the offwidth above the gendarme, make a short traverse right and then up to avoid the difficulties you encountered. But I remember the sting in the tail near the top when one is expecting easier terrain.

 

Good work, going from apprehensive to livin' the life on the gendarme finish!

[skibum1087]

Thanks for the good words guys. Spotly- I carried 8 singles and 3 doubles for the climb. It seemed to work well, although mabey excessive. If anything I would bring one more double and one less single. As for the rack I used all of it and really enjoyed having all of it with me. It allowed us to make our simuling blocks very long without running out of gear, and bringing the 3 and the 4 allowed me to sew up the offwidth. That being said, if 5.9 is no big deal for you than you could get away with singles in everything and no number 3.

-spencer

Edited July 15, 2007 by skibum1087

[Rad]

Sounds like an excellent adventure you will remember all your life. That's what it's all about.

 

It seems the gods were trying to send you a message...do you know what it was?

 

Next time do the lower half of the route too. It is excellent.

 

Thanks for sharing!

[dbconlin]

Thanks for the TR. Looks like quite an adventure. I am hoping to get on that route myself soon and appreciate the beta...!

[ivan]

where's the mp3 and the bowl??? woulda made this whole scene much more homey...

[wayne]

I am surprised that I didnt see you guys there yesteday. I did get after it pretty early though and came in mtrs crk .

[skibum1087]

wayne- we did not get back to the north side of the mountain until about noon on friday, and then hiked out not on any path. It would have been cool to run into you, it was the #4 camalot that you sold me that got us up the genderarme.

[ken4ord]

Awesome sounds like a good character building experience.

[Bug]

Right ON!!!

Sounds like some great memories in the making.

I have done Stuart a few times and descended and traversed all over. The pass east of Sherpa Peak and west of Argonaut is less work than going all the way down into Ingalls and around. It won't help until the next time. Take lots of water from the summit snow field though cause that's the last time you will see it until the snow field on the north side of the notch.

Or descend the Urlich's Coulor rt (clean rock)or the NW buttress rt (lots of loose rock).

[John Frieh]

Thanks a bunch to everyone who helped provide info before this trip, especially John Frieh who gaved extremly detailed answers to all of the questions I had asked.

 

No prob dude... glad I could help out.

 

Mtneers creek especially the first time can be very confusing... I still get kinda confused doing it. Basically once you cross the creek head straight and left until you hit mtneers creek and keep close to that until it turns up hill and then follow the cairns at that point. Practice makes perfect.

 

Though some will disagree with me and yes mtneers creek is faster assuming you don't screw it up approach I personally rather spend a little extra time on the approach for a shorter descent (come in and out ingalls) but that is just me. I only come in mtneers if I am positive I can come down the sherpa.

 

Any thoughts on how this section is supposed to go?

 

I don't think you go right... I think you keep going up and then downclimb to an exposed step up the 5.8 and then simul the last bit to the top. Who knows...

 

Were we supposed to go right?

 

No you did this right. The flagging is new this year... future parties shouldn't plan on it being there.

 

You should look at CNR later this summer... also consider

 

W or E (or both) ridges or S face of Forbidden

S face of Prusik

CCB of Bear (muy bueno)

Slesse

to name a few...

 

Cheers!