[TR] Natal Peak, NNE Ridge (FA?) 7/13/2008

[Lowell_Skoog]

Trip: Natal Peak, NNE Ridge (FA?)

 

Date: 7/13/2008

 

Trip Report:

 

On July 13, my brother Gordy and I climbed the NNE ridge of Natal Peak, pictured above. Our route climbed the obvious ridge in the center of the photo, accessing the route from the lower left snowfields via the major heather ramp. We didn't climb the lower part of the ridge, where the rock in the photo is darker.

 

Natal Peak is on the Cascade Crest between Mt Logan and Black Peak, just west of Indecision Peak and about a mile ESE of Fisher Pass. We chose this destination because it was one of the few places we could think of that satisfied my desire for a scenic view and Gordy's desire for a place he'd never been before.

 

From the col SW of Mt Arriva, we descended an unpleasant gully to the west. I've descended this gully on snow several times during ski traverses in this area. I had no idea it would be so ugly without snow. The gully seems to have been scoured by flash floods and the crux is a section of crumbly rock and hardpan dirt. We managed to get down without problems and without using a rope. This was the only unpleasant section of the trip.

 

We climbed Indecision Peak via the standard SW route. The Beckey guide rates this class 3 and 4, but the class 4 climbing (if any) is really minimal. We didn't use a rope going up or down.

 

Since our time was limited, we initially decided to climb Natal Peak by the easiest way, which appeared to be the east ridge (left skyline above) accessed by a narrow snow couloir. But as we approached the peak the NNE ridge drew us like a magnet. We figured it was worth going that way even if it meant a late return to the car. The heather ramp was simple and the ridge was enjoyable and pretty straightforward. We did some roped simul-climbing and I'd call the route Grade I-II, class 5.0. The summit view is as good as any in the North Cascades, with Goode, Logan, Ragged Ridge, Arriva and Black towering nearby.

 

We descended the east ridge and NE couloir. This ridge provided quick class 3 downclimbing. The NE couloir had continuous snow, but it was only five feet wide in places, so it won't last long. I suspect that this would be a poor descent route when snow-free.

 

Beckey's guidebook says that the "NWW ridge" was climbed by Mark Allaback and John Roper in 1981. I don't know if the NNE ridge has been climbed before. Whatever the case, it was a very enjoyable outing.

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Very cool trip! I love that area. Any photos on route?

[Stefan]

thanks for confirming the east ridge is class 3. I was planning on going up that way.....