Big alpine cliffs in the PNW?

[chris_harkness]

Hello,

I've spent the last 9 years in Colorado, California, and abroad climbing rock, aid, big wall, and a little alpine, and now I'd like to step it up to some more serious mountains, and figured the PNW might be a good area to move out to.

 

I would like to find some mountains/faces/cliffs that are big, steep, and scary, with a healthy mix of all the climbing styles. Can anyone suggest any routes, mountains, or areas that I might research for future objectives? I know this is a pretty vague inquiry, but any suggestions would be much appreciated. thanks

[ScottP]

The Norwegian Buttress routes on Mt Index and the North Face routes on Mt Baring are big and steep. The scariness factor is pretty subjective, but these routes don't get a lot of traffic for 'some' reason.

[JayB]

Diamond face of Bear Mountain is another.

 

Plug "John Scurlock" into Google, scroll through his galleries, and cross reference the faces that look interesting to you with Beckey's alpine guide or inquiries at cc.com.

 

If you put this inquiry on the main forum, your post will probably get quite a bit more exposure, and you may get quite a few more suggestions than you will if you leave it in this forum.

[G-spotter]

Hello,

I've spent the last 9 years in Colorado...

 

I would like to find some mountains/faces/cliffs that are big, steep, and scary, with a healthy mix of all the climbing styles.

 

The Tooth has exactly what you are looking for.

[chucK]

Here's some stuff to argue about (no particular order other than when I thought them up)

 

Waddington?

Davis Peak?

Nooksack Tower?

Mox Peak?

Nothern Pickets?

The Tooth

Old Settler

Southern Pickets (N side)?

Johannesburg?

Stuart?

Chimney Rock?

 

 

 

[dan_forester]

what, you're getting bored with Shovel Point & road trips to Taylor's Falls?

[chris_harkness]

thanks guys! This helps alot. Hey, nothing wrong with Shovel Point and Palisade Head--we've all gotta start somewhere:) (never did like Taylor's Falls though) Maybe I will try posting this on the main forum. Thanks again

[cheamclimber]

If you dont mind dying and looking like a retard in the act the North Face of Lady Peak has never been climbed.... :: Its big and Alpine but more of a vertical chos pile that a real cliff

 

 

 

[Bill_Simpkins]

If you dont mind dying and looking like a retard in the act the North Face of Lady Peak has never been climbed.... :: Its big and Alpine but more of a vertical chos pile that a real cliff

 

 

 

 

Wrong! I climbed about 15 feet of it!

 

I'm waiting for someone to climb the South face of American Border peak when it ices up.

[cheamclimber]

I think the far right hand side of Lady North Face could be done in winter... and the south face of ABP would make a good aid line up one of the gullies I was looking at or a slightly harder route up the face.... I thought either would probably go at about 5.9 A1 or 2 (some small roofs) I will try it if you want to try it^

 

 

I'll give either of these a shot next summer

 

Edited January 5, 2008 by cheamclimber

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Chris! Long time no see since our party in Kyrgyzstan! Let me know if you need a partner when you come up, or at least come grab a beer. There's some choss exploring to be done in the Olympics too but the above objectives are probably all steeper/longer.

- Stewart

[Bill_Simpkins]

I would consider the South Face of ABP during one of those dry/cold winters we had, like a couple years ago. Heck, you could probably even hike in snow free then. Right now it's probably just plastered with crap and super deadly. I'll try to telephoto into it next time I go snowboarding at Baker.

Maybe John S. could take a few up-close photos from his plane? (hint hint).

[G-spotter]

I have a photo of the ice gully that foms up in Cheamclimber's right-hand line but I bet it's a death trap right now like almost all of the alpine.

 

I can't see it being a good summer route.

[cheamclimber]

The rock changes dramatically on that face, southeast part of the mountain has some of the worst rock I have ever seen in my life but the farther out you go towards the southwest face the rock improves quite abit. I would still really want a helmet though.

[i_like_sun]

There are some really good big alpine cliffs off of Chair 5. Nice steep landings!

[Sol]

Also check out:

 

Navigator Wall on Mt Slesse

Dissapearing Floor Route on Mt Hardy

[cheamclimber]

Also check out:

 

Navigator Wall on Mt Slesse

Dissapearing Floor Route on Mt Hardy

 

Is the navigator the East Face.. that looks wicked hard!

[Sol]

Also check out:

 

Navigator Wall on Mt Slesse

Dissapearing Floor Route on Mt Hardy

 

Is the navigator the East Face.. that looks wicked hard!

 

the nav wall goes up a sub summit to the east of the east pillar.

 

both are ED1, both are hard.

 

the one positive of the east pillar may be the additions of fixed gear (20 year old bolts and pitons), while the nav wall has not a single piece of anything resembling fixed gear, prior ascents, hints of human life, etc.

 

Nav Wall TR

 

East Pillar TR

 

but really those are just warm ups for the real hard climb on slesse, the NE Face.

[cheamclimber]

Also check out:

 

Navigator Wall on Mt Slesse

Dissapearing Floor Route on Mt Hardy

 

Is the navigator the East Face.. that looks wicked hard!

 

the nav wall goes up a sub summit to the east of the east pillar.

 

Are you reffering to the face between NE Butress and N Rib?...has that been climbed?

both are ED1, both are hard.

 

the one positive of the east pillar may be the additions of fixed gear (20 year old bolts and pitons), while the nav wall has not a single piece of anything resembling fixed gear, prior ascents, hints of human life, etc.

 

Nav Wall TR

 

East Pillar TR

 

but really those are just warm ups for the real hard climb on slesse, the NE Face.