[TR] Torment-Forbidden - Traverse 6/28/2008

[ptownclimber]

Trip: Torment-Forbidden - Traverse

 

Date: 6/28/2008

 

Trip Report:

Our fourth couldn't make it due to a wedding...but we figured this would be an OK climb with a threesome given the amount of scrambling and simul-climbing involved. We'd had it on the calendar for some time and it seemed like a nice way to escape the heat. Gabrielle wondered if we were too early. "Well, it's almost July..."

 

Hackie sack on the waterfront seemed like a better idea than sitting in traffic, so we didn't leave town Friday until seven. We got an early start Saturday and made good time up the road (washed out at milepost 20), through the steep, winding trail, avy debris and the Taboo glacier.

 

crossing the first creek:

 

looking back through avy debris at Johannesburg:

 

 

It warmed up quickly but we had a nice breeze most of the time - great conditions for climbing. We found the bergschrund on Torment larger and steeper than expected. While approaching we watched a big slab of snow slide off right on to the 'schrund we'd be crossing to gain the SE ridge of Torment. We elected to climb the south ridge instead. This took a little while as Jport had to tunnel through a block of snow to get us to the rock. We simul-climbed some of this ridge – straightforward climbing but exposed. This took a while. We could see someone cruising around below, solo, to the SW. We were on top of the south summit around 3:00. We couldn't find our way down from the notch between the summits, so we scrambled over to the N. summit, downclimbed a little and rapped from there. The snow was soft and slushy– pickets and ice axe seemed pretty worthless. I soon recalled why I had retired my boots last year - halfway through the first day my feet were soaking wet.

 

s. ridge of Torment:

 

J-burg from Torment:

 

It seemed like it took us forever to get down, around a crevasse and back up some steep snow to rock and our bivy on the first high point of the ridge. We had hoped to be further along the ridge - as it turned out we were only about one fourth of the way. We found a nice bivy spot with great position - 360 degree views. We enjoyed the sunset and read from Beckey's account of the forgotten peak...climbing the west ridge of Forbidden in snow with nailed boots: "Once the North Cascades have caught the alpinist he is likely to return soon."

 

sun going down on Forbidden:

sunset over Eldorado:

moon over Forbidden:

 

 

We found that we were sharing this spot with some little mountain rodent that looked like a cross between a rat and a squirrel. We stuffed all the slings into the packs so this little beast couldn't wreak any havoc. After we hit the sack I could hear him chewing on my boots so I moved them next to us. Later I could hear him chewing on something else...got the headlamp out but couldn't see anything...went back to sleep. It was a warm night, a pleasant bivy with a bivy sack, puffy jacket and light fleece pants. Four days from a new moon...the view of the milky way was pretty phenomenal. I was sleeping quite well when all of us were awakened by me yelling motherfucker! as this little varmint chomped on my index finger, right next to the fingernail. The brazen little bastard drew blood. I had to tape it up and stick it inside my jacket pocket. The next morning we found that he'd chewed halfway through the ratty chin-strap on my helmet (I've been meaning to wash it). Evidently he liked the taste and went in for the real thing.

 

From our bivy spot it was a straightfoward scramble down to some snow, over to the next rock, down a gully and back up to the next band of snow. The beta we had talked a lot about avoiding the ridge by traversing snow. We did the opposite as we found the snow to be soft and crappy, even first thing in the morning. We were able to stem through a moat to gain the next rock band, up and around the corner, one more short section of steep snow (no crampons, as they didn't seem to help)...and we were on rock or low angle snow for the duration.

 

 

 

We simul-climbed most of the ridge, which wasn't a whole lot slower than going unroped. As advertised, the route finding gets easier and the climbing more fun as you get closer to Forbidden. It had taken so long to get to the bivy Saturday, and we had so much ridge left to travel…we had quietly worried we would not have enough time to make it over to Forbidden in time to climb it. By the time we made it to Forbidden, we were in a good rhythm and simul-climbed the ridge up and back with the occasional hip belay. It was a lot of fun to climb that without packs. We were back at the couloir well before our turnaround time.

 

 

We rapped the Couloir (three single raps...the first was a rope-stretcher and the second about 10 feet short, but close enough that we could down climb right next to the moat). This got us just over the 'schrund at the bottom. The slushy snow made for good plunge stepping/boot glissading as the angle eased off.

 

On the way out we found the creeks running a lot stronger. The convenient little snow bridge we crossed on the way in (first creek) had washed out. We had to go upstream a little, over an intact snow bridge, up a small chimney, through some devil's club, alder, a few smaller creeks...your typical North Cascades bushwhacking fun. Below the first big culvert, water was running through a debris pile and over the road, where it had been dry the day before. Before we knew it Johannesburg was fading out of sight and the adventure was winding to an end. We had a watermelon in the car, busted it open with an ice axe & a rock, devoured it, let our waterlogged feet air out a little and hit the road.

 

Thanks, guys for another great climb - for living good days.

 

Gear Notes:

-frittata sandwiches, fruit, nuts, chocolate

-medium alpine rack; could have used less gear and more slings

-one 60m rope

-next time bring a rat trap

[Sol]

nice, that route's classic.

[DPS]

Nice trip report, great photos!. The rodent you encountered is a busy tailed woodrat AKA the Snaffelhound. When I attemped the TF traverse a number of years ago he chewed through my brand new pack straps. Grrrr!

[letsroll]

Nice TR. THe wedding was good, but I was thinking about you guys.

[Winter]

nice work fellas!

[jport]

Nice TR PTown!

Here's a few more of my favorite photos from the climb:

[ptownclimber]

Jport - Dude, excellent photos, as usual. Thanks!

[webnick2007]

Nice TR! Maybe the critter was a pika. The route's probably more dangerous in mating season.

[Panos]

Bravo guys!

I understand that last weekend crampons

and ice-axes would be pretty useless

up there, right ?

Ibex

[G-spotter]

snafflehound attack!

 

rabies shots?

[kevino]

thanks the trip report and pictures. is the descent/rappel from forbidden pretty straightforward?

[jport]

Panos- I was actually glad to have an axe on some portions of the snow traverses. Even though it was super soft, it gave me a little extra confidence... psycho pro., I suppose.

Kevino- The rap stations from the notch in Forbidden's West Ridge onto the glacier are melting out fast. We rapped using a single rope, so we used slings that could be bypassed with a double-rope rap. I suspect that the last two stations will be out of reach soon (if not already so). It would be possible to rap the first +/-150' over rock to gain the snow slope above the schrund. From there, that section could be downclimbed without having to rap. The other obstacle will be the schrund... it is melting out fast, too.

[ptownclimber]

Indeed. We could have saved some weight had we known...

[jport]

P.S.

It's unfortunate to see all the tat that's been left in the gully. If I could have reached some of it, I would have gladly cut off some of the ratty bits. My ethic is to remove an old sling if I'm going to leave a new one behind.

Here's a photo of PTown setting up slings for our third single-rope rap.

Notice that he's right on the edge of moat... barely reaching a small slingable block. There are two other stations (to his right) that are out-of-reach right now.

[goatboy]

I find two (double) ropes to be useful for descending Forbidden, especially as the couloir continues to melt out and the schrund opens up....as described above, the anchors get harder and harder to access as the snow recedes from the rock walls of the couloir.

 

When I did the TF Traverse a few years ago, snow conditions were firmer and ax/crampons were very useful. I actually had TWO ice tools for the steep, exposed snow sections and it was great. So, to each their own. I would not recommend this route with no ax at all, however.

 

I did hear about some folks taking the baskets off of their ski poles and using them as a "second tool" in firm snow -- pretty resourceful.

[jport]

Indeed, two ropes would be useful. However, we elected to go light and simul-climbed most of the traverse with one, 60-meter rope. We shortened the rope about 50' on both ends while climbing the rock sections. This allowed us to easily communicate with one another. Plus it reduced rope drag considerably. We traversed the small glacier (on the north side of the notch, east of Torment's summit block) using all of our rope... simul-climbing about 100' apart. This allowed us to run-out protection (pickets and sporatic rock gear). Additionally, the full rope made is easier to negotiate moats and end-crossing crevasses.

 

Goatboy is absolutely right about the snow conditions being very different mid-to-late season... the soft snow we encountered won't be around much longer. I imagine the pack will firm up on the north faces and glaze-over nicely. The traversing slopes are sustained, exposed aspects. Be careful, no matter the conditions.

Edited July 10, 2008 by jport

[KingsMM]

Joel-

Dang man that looks sweet! Next time you come up give me a shout. I'm working up here. Just got to climb Eldorado today!