[TR] North Cascades - Torment-Forbidden Traverse 7/30/2007

[swalsh]

Trip: North Cascades - Torment-Forbidden Traverse

 

Date: 7/30/2007

 

Trip Report:

My climbing buddy Steve Kuehne and I went in for our 3rd attempt at Torment Forbidden Traverse on Monday morning, leaving the trailhead at 5:30am. Uneventful climb via Torment Creek staying on the ridge above the heather basin until able to move over left into the col leading to the start for the S Ridge of Torment, roped up and started up torment at about 11:30am. My Camera popped off my pack on the 3rd pitch up and we wasted some time lowering down ledges above the S Face looking for it, it may be down on the snow below the S face if anyone finds it I'd appreciate getting it back.

Topped out on Torment at 2 and had some lunch before descending to the notch for the start of the traverse.

Around 3pm we rapped off the 2nd set of slings onto the snow and wasted a little more time descending a little farther down the snow. There was a party of 2 ahead of us and they gave us good advice to traverse directly from the bottom of the rap to rock, so we traversed a far as we could on snow (descending only slightly to follow the moat as far as possible onto rock)and then climbed a short patch of snow straight up followed by a pitch rising leftward to easier climbing over the top of the 1st tower. The 2nd tower was climbed up ledges to the right then up and passed around the south side close below the top. We got on the 3rd tower via the north side moat then led a pitch followed by simoclimbing over the top to the long flat saddle. It was now about 8:30 so we decided to bivy on a slopey flat rock pocket next to the snow on the NE side of the saddle.

Day 2 we started out about 8am directly from the moat into a gully system going up the next tower, after 1 pitch it was simoclimbing most of the way, next came the side walk sections and sharp ridge traverses with short sections of protected climbing, did a short rap half way to the Forbidden W Ridge notch, and another at the last tower to get into the notch via sandy ledges on the south side. Had lunch at the bottom of the W Ridge and met the party from the day before just finishing the descent of the W Ridge. We started up the W Ridge at 11:30 and topped out at 2:30. There was a party on the E Ridge nearing the summit and right before I rapped off a climber appeared on the summit having just soloed the W Ridge. We used the N side rap descent and came down from the E Ridge notch into Boston Basin, this descent worked very well coming down from doing the E Ridge 3 weeks ago when there was snow all the way down from the base of the E Ridge to lower Boston Basin but it was melted out and not fast yesterday.

Fun route, Lasting Impression: Committed!

Weather Monday started out with overcast to keep us cool for the climb up Torment Creek then cleared just in time for us to start up the gully to the S Ridge start, fine weather the rest of the trip with warm sunshine and intermittant cool breezes.

Steve did 90% of the leading on this one and I appreciated it!

 

Gear Notes:

We used a couple of pickets, 2 axes each, we also had screws but didn't use them.

Aluminum crampons.

We used only approach shoes

Medium rock rack to a #2 camelot.

60m rope.

[rob]

cool -- so, you guys climbed the second tower directly instead of doing the snow traverse after the second notch?

 

Incidentally, how was the snow?

[swalsh]

Yeah we stayed on rock the entire time after getting off the snow at the Torment notch. We did short moat sections from notchs onto towers in places.

 

The snow was good for crampons, we were able to get by with pickets to protect where we traversed. We could see that the other party did traverse a long section of snow to the 3rd tower or a little past that, by the looks of their tracks the snow was in good shape for that, I don't know if they protected in places or not. I would have a couple of screws just in case.

[goatboy]

I never saw any good ice for screws when I climbed it a few years ago -- but a picket might have been useful...

 

felt pretty secure with crampons and two ice tools, though!

 

 

[rob]

dude, that's pretty inconsiderate of you to lose your camera. I would have liked some recent photos.

 

Try harder next time, huh?

[StreetBoss]

Great job Sean & Steve.

 

Sean has all four ridges under his belt. North, East Direct & West Ridges of Forbidden and now the Torment-Forbidden Traverse. Dude you rock.

 

[StreetBoss]

dude, that's pretty inconsiderate of you to lose your camera. I would have liked some recent photos.

 

Try harder next time, huh?

 

Yeah...whut's up with that Sean?