50 Classic Climbs of N.A.

[AlpineK]

Let's see

 

Alaska

 

Denali, Cassin Ridge

 

 

Western Canada

 

Mount Sir Donald, NW Arete (2 solo climbs)

Bugaboo Spire, E Ridge

S Howser Tower, W Buttress

Mount Robson, Wishbone Arete

Mount Edith Cavell, N Face

Lotus Flower Tower

 

 

Pacific NW

 

Mount Rainier, Liberty Ridge (2 times, Once as a Mounty )

Forbidden Peak, (2 times, one solo)

Slesse Mtn, NE Buttress

Mount Stuart, N Ridge (2 times, one complete ridge)

Liberty Bell, Liberty Crack (2 times)

 

 

Wyoming

 

Devil's Tower, Durrance

Grand Teton, N Ridge

Grand Teton, Direct Exum

Grand Teton, N Face

Pingora, NE Face

Wolf's Head, E Ridge

 

 

Colorado

 

Creston Needle, Ellingwood Ledges

Hallett Peak, Northcutt-Carter

Petit Grepon, S Face

Longs Peak, The Diamond ( D1 )

 

 

Southwest

 

Castleton Tower. Kor-Ingalls

 

 

California

 

Royal Arches

Middle Cathedral Rock, E Buttress

Half Dome, NW Face

Fairview Dome, N Face

Lover's Leap, Travelers Buttress

 

I absolutely refuse to ever climb the Hummingbird Ridge. Middle Triple and Devil's Thumb are very very low on my desire list too.

 

I could see doing 10 more from the list, but ski traverses are a lot more exciting in my book.

 

50 Classic

 

[rob]

As a point of interest, our friend Tvash is mentioned in one of the climbs in Kearney's book. I think it's maybe in the warbonnet story?

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Damn Kurt, impressive!

[ivan]

As a point of interest, our friend Tvash is mentioned in one of the climbs in Kearney's book. I think it's maybe in the warbonnet story?

strange, i woulda thought a "grand tetons" one

[Buckaroo]

Feeling weak in the present company

 

Seven of them.

 

Mt Alberta, Japanese route, 4 solo attempts, 4 DNS(weather/conditions).

Sir Donald, 1 attempt solo, DNS, chased by Grizzly and 2 cubs

East ridge Bugaboo Spire, intended but never attempted (weather), (have done descent)

Devils Thumb, was part of a Yoder expedition that never left town because the boat backed out.

Edith Cavell, did the East ridge in prep for the descent from the N Face.

Mount Temple, East Ridge, got a good look(photo) at it 3 weeks ago.

 

 

Forbidden Peak, West Ridge, solo

Mount Shuksan, Price Glacier, soloed Shuksan N face, Fischer Chimmneys, never Price Gl.

Slesse Mountain, NE Buttress, twice complete from toe.

Mount Stuart, N Ridge, once complete from toe.

Liberty Bell, Liberty Crack, 4 times, once in 2 days, 3 times in 1 day

 

The Royal Arches, once

Middle Cathedral, East Butress, 4 times

El Cap, Salathe, once, 5 days, led the hollow flake.

El Cap, The Nose, first 4 pitches only.

Sentinel Rock, Steck-Salathe, 2 pitches only

 

 

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Some might be crowded, but there is some good stuff in there. I finally ran across a copy of this book in a used bookstore this past weekend.

 

So lets hear some chest beat, how many of the 50 Crowded Classics have you ticked?

 

I'd like to hear folks comment on what routes maybe should not be in the list... and what should in their place.

 

I've heard some folks talk up the merits of the E ridge of Forbidden as opposed to the W, for example.

 

[tvashtarkatena]

Alan's unforgivable sin was omitting the S Ridge of Custer.

Edited August 20, 2008 by tvashtarkatena

[syudla]

I absolutely refuse to ever climb the Hummingbird Ridge.

Dick Long is the orthopedic guy to see here. He's has an incredible pic of Hummingbird in his office. Inspires me to never go there either.

[matt_warfield]

Northcutt-Carter on Hallett should be removed due to the massive rockfall on the route a few years back that made it unstable and much harder. It should be replaced by Culp-Bossier on Hallett or something in Squamish.

 

My list is paltry:

 

Stuart N. Ridge

Petit Grepon S. Face

Diamond via Casual Route

 

But I sure as hell enjoyed all three!

Edited August 20, 2008 by matt_warfield

[mattp]

The success of this book is amazing. Wasn't it the first of its kind? It's been copied by everybody and their brother and some of the selections are for sure out of date or reflect the authors' specific climbing resumes, but they did a great job in my opinion.

 

I've climbed a dozen routes from "the list," and half of them before the book came out.

 

Bugaboo Spire East Ridge

South Howser Tower West Buttress

Mount Temple East Ridge

Mount Rainier Liberty Ridge

Forbidden Peak West Ridge

Mount Stuart North Ridge

Liberty Bell Mountain Liberty Crack

Wolf's Head East Ridge

Petit Grepon South Face

Middle Cathedral Rock East Buttress

El Capitan Nose Route

Lover's Leap Traveler Buttress

 

All of these were excellent climbs.

[AlpineK]

For all practical purposes the Northcutt-Carter bit the dust.

 

Culp-Bossier is a good one

 

I liked the Kor-Van Trongren as well, but that's just me.

[ivan]

forbidden oughta be dropped for nooksack tower

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Some might be crowded, but there is some good stuff in there. I finally ran across a copy of this book in a used bookstore this past weekend.

 

So lets hear some chest beat, how many of the 50 Crowded Classics have you ticked?

 

I'd like to hear folks comment on what routes maybe should not be in the list... and what should in their place.

 

I've heard some folks talk up the merits of the E ridge of Forbidden as opposed to the W, for example.

 

No comment on the other 50 classics, but the W Ridge of Forbidden is more of a classic than the E Ridge in my humble opinion.

 

I've climbed 3 of the classics:

 

- N Ridge Stuart

- W Ridge Forbidden

- Liberty Ridge

 

I'd like to climb the NE Butt of Slesse, but probably not this year.

[Alpinsanity]

I've got a copy of "50 Climbs" in pretty good shape, if anyone

wants to make me an offer on it.

[Skeezix]

Bugaboo Spire, East Ridge

Mount Rainier, Liberty Ridge

Forbidden, West Ridge (About twenty times ...on the gov't payroll)

Stuart, N Ridge

 

That's it for me. But I liked them all...

[pc313]

$76.00 USED AT AMAZON.COM SOLD,AND IT WAS A PAPERBACK!

I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT USED BOOK STORES!

[AlpineK]

One of the most inspiring climbs in the list for me was the NE Arete on Sir Donald.

 

First off you can see it right from the transcanada and my dad climbed it in the 50s.

 

At the time they roped out every pitch and as a result spent the night on a ledge while descending. He has a funny story about one of his partners fighting with a snafflehound who ended up taking some of his stuff.

 

[denalidave]

One of the most inspiring climbs in the list for me was the NE Arete on Sir Donald.

 

First off you can see it right from the transcanada and my dad climbed it in the 50s.

 

At the time they roped out every pitch and as a result spent the night on a ledge while descending. He has a funny story about one of his partners fighting with a snafflehound who ended up taking some of his stuff.

 

We ended up soloing the whole thing. What a great route. We kept calling it the mini Matterhorn. The 50 classics route we dubbed the stairway to heaven. I'd love to go back and do it again. I screwed us on the decent though and rapped on to a dead end ridge and we ended up spending most of the night getting down , good times.

[Alpinfox]

Liberty Bell, Liberty Crack, 4 times, once in 2 days, 3 times in 1 day

 

I did a little when I first read that, but now I know what you mean

 

 

 

I've done seven from "the list".

 

Rainier - Lib Ridge

Forbidden - West Ridge

Grand Teton - Exum

Fairview Dome - NF

Bugaboo Spire - NE Ridge

Liberty Bell - Lib Crack

Stuart - NR

 

 

 

Two of those were done this summer. All were enjoyable and memorable routes.

 

I have several more from "the list" on my personal, short-term to do list.

 

 

[kroc]

 

I've got six:

Mount Sir Donald Northwest Arete

Mount Rainier Liberty Ridge

Forbidden Peak West Ridge

Petit Grepon South Face

Fairview Dome North Face

Middle Cathedral Rock East Buttress

 

All were high quality climbs in my opinion. From what I've heard/read these climbs no longer should be anywhere near the word "classic".

 

Mount Saint Elias Abruzzi Ridge(dangerous, and not repeated since the early 1970's)

Mount Logan Hummingbird Ridge (never fully repeated)

Mount Robson Wishbone Arete (sounds like there are a lot of better ways up this mountain)

Hallett Peak Northcutt-Carter Route (fell off)

Shiprock (illegal to climb?)

 

More edits for the fifty classics 2008 edition?

 

[AlpineK]

The Wishbone Arete is pretty darn cool. You look at it right from the highway as a very prominent ridgeline staring back at you. There are harder routes for sure, but it provides a good mix of ice and rock.

 

Rock down low

 

Getting through the gargoyles

 

I'll have to read more about recent attempts on the Abruzzi.

[wayne]

Mt Hunter west Ridge (complete to 11,5)

Mt Sir Donald (free solo)

Bug Spire

Forbidden W. Ridge (3x Solo)

Shuksan Price glacier (traverse with N.Face Nooksack)

Slesse (2x)

Stuart (3x complete incl 1 free-solo and 1 half winter attempt)

Lib Crack

Grand Teton N face (c to c in 18 hrs)

Arches (3 x)

Half Dome Nw face

El Cap Nose

Whitney E Face

Fairview N face( free solo)

Clyde Minaret ( free solo)

Lovers Leap ( 2x)

 

[powderhound]

The Durrance on D -Tower should be removed form that list. That route sucks compared to the classics of that area. I refuse to climb it. They need to replace it with far better routes and my vote would be for McCarthy's North Face tot he Top, or McCarthy's West Face to the top.

 

Could we add a route form Montana?????

 

Potential routes:

 

California Ice: in the beartooths

 

The Centennial Route: on Cowan

 

 

[Alpinsanity]

I still have a copy of "50" if anyone is looking for one.

PM me with an offer if interested.