N Ridge Mt Stuart

[Wacky Iraqi]

Looking for any beta on route conditions for the 'classic' N ridge Mt Stuart route. Not doing the Great Gendarme; is the rappel gully still snow-filled? I did it 7 years ago, but not with the snow year we have had. Going to be hot up there; we ran out of water on the last trip. Long day, long story.

[ChrisHXX]

I climbed it a few weeks ago and the gully is snow free, the traverse was a little wet but easy climbing. The forth class climbing was pretty loose.

[Wacky Iraqi]

Yes, I remember the 'easy scrambling to the summit' as described by Becky. Horribly loose in places. Wet in the gully will be OK; there was ice in it when I was last there. Thanks for the info.

[moronbros]

Climbed the complete north ridge last weekend with three friends.

 

We woke up with 1 inch of snow and rime ice on us at "the notch"..which is, in my, opinion one of the plushest bivies I've seen on a mountain like that.

 

no snow anywhere on the route. the stuart glacier is passable but we skirted below it. water everywhere until you get to the base of the ridge. after that, next water is from ingalls creek! you need to fill up many water bottles before you get on the ridge!

 

there are two rusty pop can tabs with 1/4 inchers and a balanced huge rock with a bunch of tat hanging off it. that's your rap anchor off into the gendarme bypass. personally, all I can think of when I see that crap hanging off that percariously perched rock is "sharkfin accident". it looks dangerous and it bugs the shit out of me. I don't care what anyone says.

 

maaaaan that gendarme bypass gully is chossy/dripping water/falling apart! I suggest attacking the gendarme. heck, just bring some bigger cams and aid the thing. whatever. it is so worth it. the simul climbing above it is rad.

[Buckaroo]

"all I can think of when I see that crap hanging off that precariously perched rock is "sharkfin accident""

 

Actually someone has already died rappelling off the N ridge of Stuart. The large anchor bolder pulled off and fell down with the guy into the moat.

[darstog]

I, too, would second "tackling the gendarme." It's amazing climbing and when you look down to the escape gully you'll think, "people climb that?"

 

Really, the climbing isn't very difficult. I didn't find either pitch harder than 5.8. The first pitch has absolutely sinker jams/lieback the whole way up (complete with 3 or 4 no-hands rests) and the second pitch is a little awkward but is all over once you get your feet in the wide crack (maybe 8 feet of strenuous climbing). If you're concerned about the difficulty, bring a 3.5 and a 4 camalot and you can aid the difficulties of the 2nd pitch in 40 seconds.

[moronbros]

I forgot to mention - the second pitch of the gendarme- the wide one- still has a nice fixed BD #4. bring a # 4 of your own and scoot it up a few feet and you're set.

 

I wasn't aware that someone died rapping off that. that sucks.