Forbidden E. Ridge Direct - 1 day?

[jared_j]

Anyone tried this? Are conditions on Boston Basin approach tough right now? I haven't been up there this year, the guidebooks allude to lots of stream crossings and I'm concerned with the high snowpack year that what might normally be little streams are flowing heavily right now.

 

Also, how stressful is the 'loose 3rd/4th' traverse off this route?

 

Thanks!

[OlympicMtnBoy]

All of your questions are miraculously answered in this thread here from the frontpage. :-)

[ericb]

Jared - I did the W. Ridge/ledges descent as my first trad climb, and didn't find the ledges that bad. The exposure is immense, and there's some loose rock, but it's doable. I'd do the ledges again vs. going down the West Ridge. I had boots on which probably made the ledges more secure....might have felt a bit differently in rock shoes which would be an option for the East Ridge.

[goatboy]

I climbed the E Ridge in a day about 5 years ago. It was a great day, but fairly long. We hit the ridge crest by about 8 AM and were up and back down to the car before dark. We left boots, ice ax, etc. at the gendarme where the ridge climb begins, and descended the E Ledges.

 

The first time descending the ledges, it was in fact stressful but not terrible. It's easy climbing with constant exposure, loose sections, and grassy ledges to cross...

 

We ended up simulclimbing about half the ridge, and pitching out some of the harder sections. I thought the technical climbing difficulty was a few notches harder than the West Ridge, overall, including one very steep (but short) gendarme section.

[Toast]

Try this.

 

Car to car in a day is doable, but it's a long day. You'll want to get an alpine start and simul most of it. The descent off the back side is kinda sketch and mentally taxing. Don't take it lightly, and don't drag a partner who's not comfortable with loose Class 3 terrain down that way. All else aside, it's a great climb.