[TR] Mount Rainier - Disappointment Cleaver 7/15/2007

[suge]

Trip: Mount Rainier - Disappointment Cleaver

 

Date: 7/15/2007

 

Trip Report:

The Big Fatty looked good in the early AM from the Paradise parking lot. No clouds, warm sun, and we even had a sherpa, in the form of Dominc, to haul our rope up to Muir for us. Kevin (who badly needs a nickname), The Great Destroyer, and myself decided that the omens were favorable for a climb, despite contradictory forecasts from NOAA. We found our friend Bob in the parking lot gearing up for the same climb, but with a bevy of hot women climbers, and a dude, from the WAC. What Bob's secret is, I know not. Maybe I should join the WAC and find out instead of groping Kevin.

 

 

Our plastics squeaked on the pavement leading from Paradise, though they were drowned out by our constant yammering about how much they hurt our feet. When the weather is good, it is, of course, time to complain about something. As we began to reach the snow line, something else came down from heaven for us to complain about.

 

 

Some clouds. Not many. Surely, the weather would be kind to us. Surely those wispy clouds forming on the summit would burn off or blow off. And, there was no doubt that they would be gone by tomorrow morning. And most certain of all was that I would find a hot climbing wife at Camp Muir.

 

 

We lollygagged quite a bit, including a posh 30 minute break in the sun at 8100 feet, where we found running water. A few skiers passed us by, some day hikers rumbled through, and a group or two with ropes on their backs, not fortunate enough to have a Dominic around, trudged along.

 

 

The wispy clouds on top of the mountain had, er, solidified into something a bit less pleasant by the time we reached Muir.

 

 

Still, the NOAA point-and-click forecast showed nice, mild conditions for our summit day, and NOAA is never wrong when they tell you winds will only be 5-10 mph. The fact that the Great Destroyer had checked a different forecast that predicted 50 mph winds didn't depress us at all. For, in the worst case, we could always covort with Bob and his ladies at Muir.

 

 

We reached Muir after 4 hours of snow plodding and settled in for hydration and people watching. I needed to modify some of my clothing for the warm temperatures we faced. I tend to overheat easily, especially in my nether regions, and so cut myself a vent in a strategic location. It was also convenient for scratching, and I highly recommend people make such modifications in their pants.

 

Below photo by Kevin.

 

 

The Great Destroyer found a comfy spot in the sun to catch up on sleep, but was booted off of it when the a RMI group returned from a successful summit and needed the table to collect group gear on.

 

Below photo by Kevin.

 

 

By the late afternoon the sun was in full force and the clouds gone from the mountain. There was joy at Muir, though Bob's women seemed more interested in getting ready for their climb tomorrow than in anything we might have to say. I found this hard to believe, given my fine social skills, but they stayed hard at work practicing skills while I drank soup and tea. Some of us had other things to drink.

 

 

By 6pm we were asleep in the shelter, though as I was the only one with earplugs, I was the only one who really slept. Midnight found several climbers returning from a summit attempt, turned back by high winds. A few other parties set off for their attempt as we snoozed a bit more in a silly hope that the winds might die off in an hour. When the RMI trains headed out, we could wait no longer. At 2am we set off, though stopped frequently to talk with climbers returning with tales of high winds, driving sand, and generally miserable conditions. We were delayed further as I battled with Kevin and the Great Destroyer to turn around from this foolish attempt. Winds blasted us as we neared Cathedral Gap, pushing us around like little dolls. "Come on! Let's just go a little further, you turd." The straw that broke my back was watching the headlights of the RMI train making steady progress up the cleaver. And so over the gap we went to the comparative shelter of Ingraham Flats, where we met another group making a retreat. The route across the lower Ingraham and to the base of the cleaver had only one large crevasse jumps, but several step overs as well.

 

At the base of the cleaver we met yet another group retreating. The route up the cleaver was easy enough, with the lower half on rock and the upper on snow. We reached the top of the cleaver as it was beginning to get light out.

 

Below photo by Kevin.

 

 

We were still somewhat protected from the winds, but looking higher up we could see a solid layer of grey higher up, whipping by at a horrendous rate. We could also see the RMI trains making steady progress up the Emmons. This, of course, meant that we had to go on.

 

Below photo by Kevin.

 

 

Normally the DC route is pretty direct, but the upper Ingraham broke up oddly and a long traverse over to the Emmons is necessary. Just past the cleaver we reached a crevasse and snow bridge crossing that many had warned us about. Their dire tales made it sound very dangerous and thin. In reality, it was a quite pleasant, 3 foot wide bridge, followed by a short down climb. Two pickets had been left to protect it. Once it melts out, in a couple of weeks, the route will become more difficult.

 

Below photo by Kevin.

 

 

We finished the traverse and began meeting our first successful summitteers. We also met the full force of the wind. Moving up the endless switchbacks, we broke 13,000 feet and got into the thick of the grey mass. Later, NOAA would report winds blowing at 40-50 mph sustained, with gusts to 65 mph.

 

 

The RMI groups were returning, along with a few independent climbing parties. It seemed that we were the last group on this side of the mountain. Crevasses on the upper Emmons were moderate, with only a few step-overs. The wind was thrashing us hard and visibility was very low, but the top wasn't far. We topped out around 9 am, finding no one on the crater rim. The wind continued to blast and a white out closed down all visibility. Below is a shot from the Paradise-cam about the time we were on the summit. Pleasant it was not.

 

Thanks to Jayson for thinking of us and downloading this.

 

 

The altitude and the winds were beginning to affect me as we crossed the crater for the actual summit. I couldn't get my camera back onto my hipbelt. I paused to dry heave a few times. I convinced myself that I was on top of Shuksan. Shuksan? At the far end of the crater, a minute from the top, I turned back, believing that going an additional 100 vertical feet was going to push me over the edge. Kevin and the Great Destroyer continued on. Instead, I thought it a good idea to stand on the rim, in the full force of the storm, and shout obscenities at the winds, complete with artful hand gestures. I still thought I was on top of Shuksan.

 

Below photo by Kevin.

 

 

I continued to rant and rave at the storm when they returned, though seemed to return to a more normal status when the clouds parted for a moment and Paradise, far below, could be seen bathed in sunlight. No, I wasn't on Shuksan. We re-roped and headed down in a white out after an hour on top. Progress wasn't rapid, but that was probably for the best, as I could barely make out the Great Destroyer, tied in on the middle of the rope.

 

 

The wind subsided as we reached the lower reaches of the Emmons and by the time we reached the bottom of the cleaver, via a new snow track that RMI had kicked in on their descent, the skies were beginning to clear.

 

 

The slow grind back to Muir was pleasant enough, with the exception of a wind storm that hit us at Cathedral Gap, blowing hard enough to force us to our knees and bringing forth cries of pain from sand and grit hitting us at 80 mph. Once clear of the gap, the wind, of course, died down. We stumbled into the shelter at 2 pm and rapidly drank down the beverages we had hauled to the top. Results were predicatble.

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Standard glacier gear. Goggle are highly recommended.

 

Approach Notes:

The route to the cleaver is in good shape, with only one actual crevasse hop and two or three step overs. The route up the cleaver is about half to 3/4ths on snow, the rest on rock. From the top of the cleaver, make a big right turn and traverse across several snow bridges that may not last much longer. Gain the Emmons and head up the switchbacked boot track.

[kweb]

Great TR and photos, well except the one of you spread eagle.