tanstaafl Posted July 22, 2008 Posted July 22, 2008 Trip: Inspiration - South Face Date: 7/19/2008 Trip Report: Rat and I climbed the South Face of Inspiration this weekend. Beautiful setting and a fun route. We realized after doing the entire approach that the SCA volunteer at the Marblemount Ranger Station had given us a permit for Torment Basin instead of Terror Basin. Oopsy. I guess that explains why she was asking if we were going to park at the Eldorado trailhead. Fortunately we were never accosted by anyone asking for our permit. I forgot my ice ax but the glacier is mellow enough right now that a pointy stick worked just fine. We started from the very toe of the buttress which adds a pitch or so to the route as described in Beckey. The gash pitches are just way cool. We took only one rope and had no problem rapping right back to our packs. Ran into tough guys Dylan and Chad on the summit doing the traverse. They were moving fast, no surprise. No photos; my camera broke in Chile this winter but Rat took some pics on a disposable grocery store camera. Maybe he’ll scan them in and post them. Yeah, right. Gear Notes: aluminum crampons pointy stick one 60m rope rack to 2.5 inches Approach Notes: steep Quote
Off_White Posted July 22, 2008 Posted July 22, 2008 Maybe he’ll scan them in and post them. Sounds like a great trip. Quote
goatboy Posted July 22, 2008 Posted July 22, 2008 Strange that you'd forget your ice ax but carry a pointy stick all the way from Seattle? More importantly, where can I buy me one of them pointy sticks? Nice work, tanstaafl and rat! Hope to see the pix (some rainy day???) Point of clarity on the descent: Did you descend the west ridge and rap near the gully, or straight back down your route, or what? Quote
tanstaafl Posted July 22, 2008 Author Posted July 22, 2008 We did four 30m raps down the west ridge and then down the south face from there. We added two slings for the last raps to get back to the toe of the buttress so that we didn't have to downclimb steepish snow above gaping crevasses in rock shoes. I didn't take my pointy stick up the route with me so I was chicken. I'll be happy to make you a good deal on a pointy stick anytime, GB. Quote
wayne Posted July 22, 2008 Posted July 22, 2008 Good climb eh? So... What "Traverse" were they doing? Quote
JoshK Posted July 23, 2008 Posted July 23, 2008 Good climb eh? So... What "Traverse" were they doing? The traverse from the car to the summit. Quote
tanstaafl Posted July 23, 2008 Author Posted July 23, 2008 The word I got was they traversed from Little Mac to Terror-Rake col and then tagged Chopping Block on the way out. Someone had to be at the airport by 9 pm sunday so there wasn't time for any more. Damn, I wish I was that fast. Quote
EC_O Posted July 24, 2008 Posted July 24, 2008 Nice work MickB. Funny to hear you ran into Chad moving fast. What a surprise. Lemme know when you're coming to Bavaria soon and I'll give ya a tour of the new digs. Quote
curtveld Posted September 7, 2008 Posted September 7, 2008 Glad to know about the 30m rap descent - thanks! Anyone had more recent experience getting to the southern base of Inspiration? Terror glacier getting icy or broken up at all? Quote
goatboy Posted September 8, 2008 Posted September 8, 2008 The pretty princess sez, "I'll be happy to make you a good deal on a pointy stick anytime, GB." Huh, like this? Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.