How not to climb the West Face of Cheam

[cheamclimber]

The first step in not climbing the West Face of Cheam is to ask two people that dont like snow and love bushwacking to climb with you. Make sure these people are syummer only climbers who like to leave for a climb at 8AM instead of 6:00 at absolute latest. After packing all the gear and rope you will need and start hiking up the gulley to the base of the huge snowy couloir make sure that one of the people you asked to join you leads up into the trees to go around the first nasty cliff. After bushwacking 2000 ft ''around'' the cliff cross the gulley again and as you start to have a lot of fun ascending the snowy gulley make sure that the "avid bushwacker" crosses the awesome gully just to bushwack up more crummy forest. As you explain that the idea was to climb the snow in the gulley it starts snowing and your partner says " I dont really like snow, lets go back down"

 

If anyone who actually like climbing in snow wants to give this a shot with me some other time (in Febuary most likely) PM me please.

 

[G-spotter]

I cant think of worse conditions for an attempt. You are lucky your friends told you to turn around!

[cheamclimber]

It wasnt going to really be an attempt... I wanted to see what the gulley was like, more of a recon trip than a real attempt. I was annoyed that I spent all of 5 minutes in the gulley and the rest was a boring and tiring bushwack.

[Stemalot]

yeah...gotta pick your battles wisely, especially in the Wack!

[cheamclimber]

I'm gonna wait until Feb or so when the big slides cover the entire gulley in snow. Looks like a very fun climb with minimal bushwacking though. Has it been repeated since 1988?

[G-spotter]

Have you ever taken an avalanche course Marc?

[cheamclimber]

No, I'm trying to sign up for one in the North Shore. I've read 5 or 6 books but that isnt much good without real intruction. When I went to Wells to go ice climbing my partner was a guide and he gave me a pile of info but I want to get a full course.

[G-spotter]

Did you know the avalanche conditions for the alpine were rated High today?

 

Not the best day to be in an avalanche gully.

 

Being in the trees was probably a fair bit safer.

[cheamclimber]

Ya, I'm going to wait until the snow freezes up tight and it would be nice if there is more snow closer to the bottom of the route. I'm guessin the crux of that route will be on the upper section out of the trees..am I right. I dont think this route is climbed too often though is it? Has it even being repeated? I couldnt find any info on it other than really vague descriptions in a couple books.

[Don_Serl]

check out:

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=8&Number=127889&Searchpage=4&Main=9689&Words=cheam&topic=0&Search=true#Post127889

none other than messieur g spotter himself, 5 yrs ago.

and, no, the crux is NOT just out of the trees...

good luck later on.

p.s. this turned up searching "cheam" in the subject in the BC forum; newer than 5 yrs... quite powerful, actually. hint, hint...

cheers,

 

[Don_Serl]

btw, the SW BC avvy forecast is also on-line:

http://www.avalanche.ca/default.aspx?DN=253,4,558,3,Documents&regionID=1

worth checking. climbers don't often get killed in these parts, but it'd be a heck of a way to miss high school graduation.

cheers,

[cheamclimber]

I've read all about Dru climbing the NW Face but I was reffering to the original West face route that takes the 5000 ft couloir in the forest signifigantly west of their route. Theres a topo somewhere here http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=613895

[Don_Serl]

I've read all about Dru climbing the NW Face but I was reffering to the original West face route that takes the 5000 ft couloir in the forest signifigantly west of their route. Theres a topo somewhere here http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=613895

 

well, I did some checking, and the Kay-Zozykian line (red) marked on that photo is wrong. Bruce assures me they climbed the true NW face, much as marked by the purple line (later climbed by Brayshaw and Touche), which was my original understanding. their approach was via the gully immediately behind the foreground telephone pole (light blue) - there were 2 roped pitches in "steep jungle" somewhere in there - the rope stayed in the pack for the actual face.

 

so, the layout is:

 

green: main gully approach (best in trees to left)

light blue: B-Z approach (winter)

yellow: upper N ridge

purple: NW face

dark blue: summer West bowl (upper part probably climbed earlier via W'ern approach)

red: unclimbed

 

 

cheers,

Edited January 15, 2008 by Don_Serl

[G-spotter]

Hmm?

 

That's not what Bruce told me when I sent him photo showing our route after Fred and I climbed it.

I probably still have his email somewhere.

[cheamclimber]

hmmm I wonder then, I still want to try it this year when the conditions improve, it looks like conditions are gonna get a lot better when this storm ends for the rest of this week. I've been in the area where the light blue line goes and that is some steep and gross stuff in there,I dont think I would even want to try that one... I think the red line looks nicer and more aesthetic in general (it was nice when I was in there anyways)

Edited January 15, 2008 by cheamclimber

[cheamclimber]

I've read all about Dru climbing the NW Face but I was reffering to the original West face route that takes the 5000 ft couloir in the forest signifigantly west of their route. Theres a topo somewhere here http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=613895

 

well, I did some checking, and the Kay-Zozykian line (red) marked on that photo is wrong. Bruce assures me they climbed the true NW face, much as marked by the purple line (later climbed by Brayshaw and Touche), which was my original understanding. their approach was via the gully immediately behind the foreground telephone pole (light blue) - there were 2 roped pitches in "steep jungle" somewhere in there - the rope stayed in the pack for the actual face.

 

so, the layout is:

 

green: main gully approach (best in trees to left)

light blue: B-Z approach (winter)

yellow: upper N ridge

purple: NW face

dark blue: summer West bowl (upper part probably climbed earlier via W'ern approach)

red: unclimbed

 

 

cheers,

 

I must add that on the green gully approach to the angel one must take the actual drainage right to the base of the large cliffs halfway up and then go left into the trees or else you will end up going to the true North face and have to cros 3 or 4 gullies to get back into the angel wich would be really crappy and tiring.

[cheamclimber]

Alright I think I'm doing the unclimbed red line this weekend but only to the top of the couloir I think...

[steller]

Here are a few things to consider.. south west winds transfering low density new snow into your gully.. forecasted arctic highs have arrived. along with mod to strong out flow winds. which are blowing snow into your gully from the other side. west aspect.. afternoon solar effect. these are all reasons why this thing runs natural all the time. and I assume why it is still "unclimbed" I admire your ambition. but I cant help to say my two cents.. please consider the hazard fully. and have fun!

 

chris.