first ascent [TR] Mt. Triumph - FA SW Ridge - Layton/Wallace

[layton]

Trip: Mt. Triumph - FA SW Ridge - Layton/Wallace III 5.8b

 

Date: 9/2/2007

 

Trip Report:

This summer has been a long string of alpine failures. Wayne and I were 0/2 on our big project list, and with a shitty weather forecast, we were thinkin' it was going to be 0/3. Rain, shitty routes not worth finishing, partner failure(Bailure), and too much work finally caught up with me this summer.

 

So with nothing better to do than try another one on the "list", Wayne and I did a lap around Mt. Triumph via a new route on the Southwest Ridge and down the NE ridge for full mountain circumnavigation.

 

Having been told by irate girlfriends, annoyed climbing partners, rangers, and hapless co-workers that I was a bit rough around the edges, I decided to make the best out of my "time to think" at camp saturday night

I don't know what the fuck this "Dale" guy is talking about

 

Of course along the way, we followed proper protocol and picked up a permit. Thanks NPS for your permission to use "your" wilderness! Wayne and I had a great time walking on durable surfaces, collecting our waste in bags (to keep next to my Kleenex boxes, jars of urine, and bundled newspapers at home), fishing with dynamite, building huge fires, hunting birds, and stealing picnic baskets from day hikers. Since we were not allowed to bring a machette, we had to use gas powered weed wackers. After it ran out of gas, Wayne hucked it in the lake, and we had to use our trecking poles to hack at plants and wave at bears.

Wayne wondering where a good spot to heli-lift the Ski-Doo's into this winter

 

Anyways, up and around Thorton Peak we went,

 

 

 

 

and down to below the South Face of Triumph for our original intended objective.

 

The still unclimbed S.Buttress of Triumph

It was much to steep and crackless, also soaking wet (the main line is a watercourse) so we opted for plan B. It could go, but it would require some aid and bolting, also hard climbing.

 

We scrambled up ~500 feet of steep cliffy heather. It wasn't so bad, except for the fact that the sky was turbulent and threating a mega storm to hit any minute. The thought of downclimbing was not a happy fun one. All the peaks had big lenticulars forming, and the thick black wave-like patter of clouds above our heads shouted "hurry up and climb be-otch!"

 

It gonna Rain!

 

The climb started off with a few pitches up steep slab. The rock was solid, lots of good holds, and fun! Pro was scant, so there were a few moments of nervousness. I had to bust out my ice tool for an "M" move to bypass grabbing a very untrustworthy looking flake/key hold. It was solid, and the mixed/moss mantle was unnecessary. It started raining, then stopped. Hurry up!

Wayne scoping the route

 

The ridge topped out about ~1100 feet up to the final summit headwall.

 

 

Wayne had a great fun steep lead. It looked scary but turned out to be a super fun 5.8 pitch.

 

 

Climb Monkey, Climb!

 

I got the last pitch, traversing some shitty gendarms and up to the summit. 20' up the exposed crumbly gendarme Wayne shouted, "It's about to let loose up there!" A wall of rain headed our way, but somehow it cut north at the last second and spared us a slippery and scary descent. We only got a few drops the whole day, but we did get in a great fun climb and an awesome mountain. Our cramponless hike out wasn't a great idea, but I'm here, so I guess we didn't need them!

 

 

Heading down the Northeast Ridge just waiting for the douching

 

We got back to the car at 7:30, having left camp at 5:45 a.m., which is funny since the 1500' route took only three hours of impending rain hurried climbing to the top!

 

Gear Notes:

Nothin bigger than 3" and no pins or tat needed. Crampons if you want. One rope.

 

Approach Notes:

Up the 3rd lake to a col next to Thorton Peak, down and around (long) to the S.Face, and up a steep moss gully to the SW ridge.

Edited September 3, 2007 by layton

[G-spotter]

So isn't this the same as the South Ridge route from 1972?

[wayne]

No that is the alternative descent route, ours is to the left a ways. It makes a good descent but you gotta deal with the glacier.

[G-spotter]

I thought that that was the West Ridge? Maybe it makes more sense looking at the topo than looking at the photos and Beckey.

[layton]

You really can't see the ridge from anywhere, it's pretty guarded. Maybe the immortal John Scurloc can grace us with an overview?

[John_Scurlock]

immortal

I am only as good as my last landing.

 

There is this - http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/84776490 - from Thursday afternoon but I don't think it is far enough to the L? I don't have access to the other shots until I get home tomorrow. They will show it a lot better.

[layton]

Yeah, that shows it kinda

 

 

[ivan]

woooord

[Crackman]

Nice work guys . The line looks really sweet on Scurlock's photo.

[Off_White]

I am only as good as my last landing.

 

That may be standard pilot-speak, but I hadn't heard it put quite so succinctly before.

 

Mike & Wayne, nice job snatching an adventure from the jaws of a crummy weather forecast.

[AlpineK]

Yeah, nice route.

[kevbone]

Nice.

[marcus]

Thank the baby Jesus that you two crackheads finally have something to show for your summer! Papa was gonna make you get summer jobs pickin' berries next year if you didn't do something to make the family proud...

[dbb]

So Mike, I see by your topo that you went by the adage: "when you get to the summit, keep climbing"

 

[Sol]

[billcoe]

Nice stuff dudes!

 

Side note of advice: Mike, don't be displaying those plastic bags at home thinking you'll be picking up or impressing the ladies.

 

"Oh, that's a classic stool sample collected when Wayne and I did the SW Ridge of Triumph", ... see, I think it loses something in the translation.

[Bug]

Where is Wayne's left hand?

That may explain "a few drops".

Nice looking route!

[John_Scurlock]

here is a more straight-on view of it: http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/85045778

[carversprint]

Nice work! Great pics; looks like an excellent character building experience.

[s_darris]

I like Tr's with a sense of humor.....nice job guys!

[layton]

Thanks, I was making up for my ulta lame previous TR's

And a shout out to all the beautiful girls at the ranger station in marblemount

[skykilo]

Bump for a couple of hilariass paragraphs.

 

Did they have guns? Gotta love bureaucrats with guns.

[roboboy]

I was thinking about this and about the standard route on Triumph, called the West route, that I did once.

I think the West route traverses around to the high bench that Layton calls the 1100 ft point on their route on the SW then finishes up on 4th class rock on the upper southeast face, basically crossing over their SW ridge route.

The new route sounds pretty worthwhile but basically this means that there is an easy escape to the right to summit from the final two crux pitches of the new route. I guess it also means that you could combine the upper and lower parts of either of the routes as desired ?

[denalidave]

Saaahweeeet!

[wayne]

Sorry, I dont know the west route well enough to make that call. Our route wasnt a real big deal nor an above average classic. It was more than fun though , there were a few great pitches, and any time with Mike is a good time.

Mike you have anything to add?