[TR] Forbidden Peak w/ridge - Forbidden Peak w/ridge 7/12/2008

[shannonpahl]

Trip: Forbidden Peak w/ridge - Forbidden Peak w/ridge

 

Date: 7/12/2008

 

Trip Report:

 

Forbidden w/ridge was in great shape this week-end. Some of our pix are here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/shannonpahl/ForbiddenPeak

 

We decided to use the great weather window this week-end on something that needs it. We got a permit on Friday night. Cascade river road was opened all the way the day before. On Saturday morning, there were about 17 cars at the Boston basin parking lot. The conditions of the climbers trail up to Boston basin remains the same as last year - a fun face slapping, gear grabbing stroll through obstacles. Low camp is snow free but high camp is snow covered. Only on the way back did we see a partial trail to high camp (the rest covered by snow) - in summer there appears to be a trail to high camp which cuts across from low camp more or less directly. On the way up, we instinctively tried that because, a. the waypoint pointed us that way and b. the congregation of a group of 12 at high camp. It was an up and down path to high camp that looked quite flat from afar but was not. Coming back down, we chose to go around it all - traversing along the snow then heading down the moraine to low camp (see the gps track in the pix). It was an easy way down to low camp.

 

There is a river crossing on the way up to low camp that can be troublesome at this time - lots of water. Going up we managed to get across it ok, but coming down, the water was too strong and we essentially went back up to low camp then simply cut across two mini ridges and the two smaller rivers, then headed down to join the trail. As you come down to low camp, from one of those poles at low camp, just traverse left across two small ridges and the two smaller rivers that join below to make for a dicey river crossing. (see the gps track in the pix - the low camp is the next blue marker after the TH marker. Select download photo on the right to see full sized images). Just as you come to the low camp, you will get a good view of Forbidden and the couloir. This is one of many good places to plan you ascent. We camped overnight at high camp and came across two parties coming down, one from Forbidden, the other from the Torment traverse.

 

We got started at sunrise. From high camp, keep on the snow by skirting right around the rock obstacles in the middle of the snow field, then traverse left to avoid the large open crack in the snow, then left around the large rock that guards the couloir. The couloir is still in good shape in the morning. There are two bergshrunds that cut across the couloir, the second being the only that requires a small step over a reasonable snow bridge. (ps, go there now before it opens up completely). The couloir narrows a lot near the base then opens up. It runs at about 50 degrees but is good in the morning for kick steps with crampons and a solid ice axe self belay. Pickets would have been of no use here, the snow was not hard enough to allow the pickets to hold a shock loaded fall. It got a little steeper near the top with softer snow but luckily it was only a very short section. It ends up in a moat on the left as you're going up. Here is a good place to save some time and pack your ice axe and put on rock shoes for the short gully leading to the notch / ridge. We initially tried it with boots but found it much easier after we switched to rock shoes. At the notch, we roped up for some simul climbing. After about one pitch up, look back down to see the great bivy spots at the notch. (photographers - best time for pix from along the ridge looking down is early morning, so possibly plan to use the bivy at the notch) One way to get there is just before the notch, go left then over the crest. The climbing was great with amazing views. The wind was cold but we climbed with our puffy jackets (the only party also on the climb turned back mid way up the rock climb because they were too cold and did not have warmer clothing, outch, after all that effort getting to the actual climb). As mentioned in numerous reports, keep left of the crest and avoid the lichen and make climbing easy. We simul climbed the first few pitches below then pitched out the upper sections. The summit block is the most fun pitch with fun moves and good gear placements. (see pic of the block and a good report here: http://sabegg.googlepages.com/forbidden)

 

Coming down the rock was easier than expected, from the summit, there is a rap station leading to the base of the summit block - look to your left as you come down to see the next rap station. I think we took about 3 raps straight down to the last rap off a pink tech cord with no rap rings. As you go down this rap, look right to find the sandy ledge you'll want to head for once you're off rappel - its a short right traverse and then up about 10 feet to reach this ledge. From there, just keep traversing to reach the ridge crest in no time while simul climbing and then you're just about at the notch. Then, you can either rap down the couloir, or as we read before, you can climb/rap down a gully next to the couloir. We chose to rap down the gully to observe the alternative to climbing the couloir. There is a rap station just below the notch - as you down climb a little from the notch, the rap is to your left. The rap appears to go down the couloir but you can also head a little right (looking down) over the snow finger and onto some rocks below. From there, just walk around the rocks and notice the rap station on the right wall of the gully. It requires a little down climbing in the gully to get there. That's when we noticed the conditions of the gully, loose rock of all sizes - even large ones that appear good can be bad. From this rap, just keep going straight down. Single rope (60m) raps will get you down onto the steep snow. I'd prefer climbing up the couloir than the gully because of the loose stuff in there but later in the season you may have no option. The rap down the gully puts you a little lower that the last rap down the couloir and hence less down climbing steep snow. From the base of the gully there was only a short section that required 'front pointing' / kick steps and then start plunge stepping not too much further down. Rapping on Forbidden is not easy - it seems to have hungry sharks teeth all over just waiting to catch and cut your rope as it did to ours, and forcing me to climb up a few short sections to free the rope.

 

You need to be efficient on this climb to make it back to the car on the summit day, or plan on camping a night at high camp on the way down.

 

The climb is superb, one that requires a wide range of mountaineering skills and improvisation beyond just climbing crag walls. It certainly is a classic.

 

NAD 27 UTM (obtained from a book)

642018 5371237 TH

643099 5372904 low camp

643173 5373628 high camp

643311 5374636 couloir

643346 5374773 west ridge

643487 5374798 summit

 

Gear used:

ice axe

crampons

light alpine rack to 2 inches

[mkporwit]

Nicely done. Wish I could have come along on that one. Instead all I got was an aborted attempt at Thompson...

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

good job, Shannon! that one's on my tick list as well.

[Lisa_D]

just got back from the West Ridge. Low camp- summit in 4 hours, down in 7 due to a bottleneck of climbers descending the ridge and rapping into the couloir. In hindsight, the East Ledges might have been nice...

 

The snow bridges on the couloir are only going to get skinnier! Go soon!

 

Snow conditions were good, even for someone like me who is cautious on steep snow - solid self belays and steps available the whole way. Take care near where rock meets snow and make sure you're on solid snow. Downclimbing the snow couloir, someone slipped on a slab that was underneath about 10 inches of snow and was very lucky to stop.

[esugi]

Looks like we just missed you LisaD. Did the car-to-car West Ridge up and NE Ledge descent on Sunday. I won't go into all the details about the ascent as there's many beta already. The descent for us was not too fast and at times frustrating.

 

In hindsight, the West Ridge descent may have been easier... =)

 

As the Selected Climbs Cascade Vol I shows, you make 5 rappels (single) from the horn just to the east of the summit block (existing rap station) to find the ledge system and traverse across 5 ribs on class 3/4 ledge system. The ledge system was not too obvious so we questioned ourselves few times while rapping. Once we found the start, there was no question we were on the right ledge. There are cairns at almost each rib as you're traversing. We found the exit couloir (there's a cairn at the top of the couloir), climb up 90 feet and you top out...back on the south side.

 

 

Fun glissading on the snow!

[goatboy]

The E Ledges look a lot worse than they really are...but they're time-consuming at first and kinda stressful initially...

[Skeezix]

Nice trail report. Beautiful photos of scenery from Boston Basin ...one of the best places.

[Toast]

The E Ledges look a lot worse than they really are...but they're time-consuming at first and kinda stressful initially...

 

Careful... be sure you and your partner are comfortable traveling unroped on exposed, loose, Class 3 terrain. It's not bad, but I can think of a few friends I wouldn't take down that way. Just make sure you're goin in eyes wide open before you cast off.

[Toast]

BTW, nice job Shannon and Siew Moi

[jpasteris]

Question about your descent. It sounds like you rappelled straight down the north side for approximately 3 rappels before cutting back over towards the West ridge. Is that correct? A few years back when I did the West ridge we did more of a down climb/simulclimb of the ridge back to the notch, which seemed very slow and tedious.

[Lisa_D]

Our West ridge descent consisted of simuling back to the "crux" block. Then we made 3 rappels from established stations on the north side of the crest - kind of sideways, traversing rappels, but not so bad that we were afraid of a pendulum. Then we simuled quickly down to just below the notch, where we waited and then braved down climbing/rapping the steep snow...

 

Loose class 3 sounds better than what we went through going down that snow couloir. (The other gully to climber's left of the couloir doesn't look any better - we saw a rope that had gotten stuck there, and as Shannon said in her trip report it looks really, really loose!) The East Ledges might be unnerving because it's new territory. rapping into the unknown is always a little scary. Descending the west ridge is sticking with the devil you know...

 

basically, there's no easy way off this mountain!

[Rad]

E ledges beta:

 

Rap until you it get to a cairn at a good ledge. Last time we didn't go far enough and had to go back and do more raps.

 

A rope really won't help you on the E ledges (other than for the raps) as there isn't really anywhere to place gear so put it away after the raps.

 

I'd recommend a slightly rising traverse on the path of least resistance across the ledges. This will bring you out right at the top of the gully. If you get to the loose gully at the end of the traverse don't climb in it. Rock on the right side of it is more solid.

 

You may feel more comfortable with your rock shoes on, but it's certainly not required. Just keep your head about you and you'll be perfectly fine.

 

Finally, start early enough that you're not hurried on the E ledges or traversing them for the first time in the dark.

 

Have fun!

[shannonpahl]

Yes, we went down the North side. The rap off the crux block was a little sideways to get to the north side rap station below it, but after that it was straight down. Down was faster this way than our ascent.

[jpasteris]

Cool. Thanks. I've done the East Ledges descent before and didn't find them to be too tough, but was wondering if your three raps and traverse back to the west ridge notch might be quicker.

 

Any thoughts on whether or not the snow couloir will still be "in" for this weekend?