tvashtarkatena Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 (edited) TR: Chair Peak NE Buttress, Jan 27, 2009 Separated at birth? Don on station in the ready position. Nothing brings out your eloquent side like having your brain frozen through your eye sockets by high velocity spindrift. After a beautiful weekend and its attending flurry of trip reports, Don and I beat the crowds, ex post facto, by following their many divots up Chair Peak’s NE buttress. Unfortunately for us, the forecasted storm arrived 12 hours earlier than expected. Despite heavy snowfall at the parking lot, we decided to have a romp anyway, given the friendly avalanche conditions. Source Lake was buried under the wreckage of the basin’s former snow pack, courtesy of ‘The Weather Event’. On the approach we were surprised to encounter two other pilgrims who apparently didn’t get the weather memo either. After pitching the first gulley and its accompanying spindrift induced brain-freeze headache, we simulclimbed the remainder of the route without incident. The snow and ice conditions were still as good as the weather was not. The summit, with its frequent spindrift blasts, afforded an opportunity to finally exfoliate my face, something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now. I down climbed most of the way with my eyes shut to avoid pitting my corneas. Unfortunately, my fogged, then frozen goggles were at that point worthless. Enjoying a nice sandblasting on the summit The rap gulley, its flutings awash in spindrift, resembled something out of the Andes. I managed to loose a 6” deposition slab on the way down which scoured the remainder of the descent nicely. Rapping down the spindrift hose Filling the pack with snow for the trip down All in all, an interesting immersion into conditions one normally doesn’t experience if one has any foresight or brains. [video:youtube]Au3G_a5h4NE Edited January 29, 2009 by tvashtarkatena Quote
Marko Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 Now there's a proper winter ascent; in full conditions! Quote
Alpinfox Posted January 29, 2009 Posted January 29, 2009 Filling the pack with snow for the trip down Stealiing snow? Dude! "Take only photographs, leave only footprints" WTF? Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted January 30, 2009 Author Posted January 30, 2009 (edited) F'in oompa loompas. Can't control 'em. Photogenic though. Edited January 30, 2009 by tvashtarkatena Quote
Tokogirl Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 Nice work guys!! Don, no wonder I haven't seen you on the nordic trails lately - looks like your having way to much fun in the alpine. Teresa Quote
olyclimber Posted January 30, 2009 Posted January 30, 2009 what do you get when you guzzle down sweets? full on! Quote
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