Top 5 routes in PNW

[Pete_H]

Nice. That Nesakwatch Spire shit is on my list.

[marc_leclerc]

Nice. That Nesakwatch Spire shit is on my list.

 

That rock is phenomenal! Beautiful splitter granite in a friendly alpine setting. That whole group seems to have a pleasant relaxed atmosphere. It gives off very different vibes than the dark, looming tower of Slesse accross the valley...

[mattp]

not certain if you did it matt, but the rock on the bertulis route on nooksack is much more solid - just 1 scary bit that i can rememmber, as opposed to the interminably raps down the standard route, where i always went first, then immediately turned my pack into a shield above my head and cowered as my partner rained blocks down on me

Interesting. I climbed the Bertulis/Davis route, and I thought the rock was good but there was an opportunity to kill your belayer on damn near every pitch. It wasn't Canadian Rockies or anything, but clearly not MOUNT STUART. And the descent? I don't remember having a lot of problem with bad rock on the standard route, but it was far from trivial and then mandatory downclimbing ice above the bergschrund in the dark was certainly interesting!

 

Nooksak is full value, from start to finish. And fun.

[ivan]

yeah - come to think of it, i remember cursing layton at one very exposed belay where he couldn't help but send a lot of scary shit my way - just that 1 belay though - oh yeah, and that one where i had to set up a belay w/ essentially no gear at all...

 

the descent down the interminable 4th class gutter system was much crappier and looser though

[layton]

hehe I remember that block!

[mountainsloth]

Leclerc, all BC climbs, no?

[G-spotter]

5) North face of Rideout - Culbert route. (IV 5.4)

 

4000 feet of rock, there's got to be a solid hold in there somewhere. Maybe a clean one too. Probably not the same hold though. Culbert said it was "great training for the Rockies". No known repeat ascents.

 

4) None But The Brave - Marble Canyon (IV 5.9)

"We probably would have retreated if any of the anchors had been solid enough to rappel from" - Robert.

 

3) The Weremouse (IV 5.7) - Cayoosh Wall

"God knows why they were climbing this stuff when they could have been nailing Cathedral Park granite" - guidebook author

 

2) The Barrier - (V, 5.9 A2) Crown Mountain

Almost certainly an entirely fictional route, the crux 30' 5.9 A2 aid roof not only having never been climbed, but never seen again, despite apparently prime visibility from the Grouse Mountain tourist helicopter

 

1) Northwest Passage (V, 5.8 A4) - Squamish.

 

"THE classic big wall route on the Chief" - Beckey. Crux aid pitch involves pins nailed directly into a tree.

[mattp]

Nice!!!

 

I suppose you think slugs are your friend, too.

 

[TimL]

What about the top 5 least known, not often climbed jewels of the Cascades. Routes that don't get much traffic, but are unknown classic or deserve more attention.

[Dechristo]

Nice!!!

 

I suppose you think slugs are your friend, too.

 

 

Many make presumptions of your affection?

 

Real purty, soft, un-calloused hands - with clean, pearly fingernails you got there.

[genepires]

unknown classics-

 

while it has been mentioned in this thread, the NW face of forbidden is still a "unknown" classic. Unknown classic being a good route that is not in a select guidebook.

 

what about the w ridge on stuart?

 

Fisher chimney on shuksan gets local traffic and love from Alan Kearney, but I bet that not many other people know this route is so good.

[dberdinka]

What about the top 5 least known, not often climbed jewels of the Cascades. Routes that don't get much traffic, but are unknown classic or deserve more attention.

 

 

Castle Peak NE Buttress or Herrington-Hirst Route

It's in the Kearney Book but I don't think anyone ever goes back there, even Don Serl hasn't been there!

 

 

[Sol]

i'd put der sportsmen on prusik peak on that list.

[G-spotter]

 

Fisher chimney on shuksan gets local traffic and love from Alan Kearney, but I bet that not many other people know this route is so good.

 

I have descended it but I wouldn't say it's "so good". In fact I'd give it about 2 out of 5 stars.

[ivan]

 

Fisher chimney on shuksan gets local traffic and love from Alan Kearney, but I bet that not many other people know this route is so good.

 

I have descended it but I wouldn't say it's "so good". In fact I'd give it about 2 out of 5 stars.

wow, so cynical! fisher chimneys was the climb that convinced me to a) move to the northwest from back east b) stop climbing volcanoes and c) actually learn to trad climb

 

i met a guy on our hike out at lake ann - probably in his 80s - carrying an ancient ice axe - it was the 65 anniversary of his ascent of the chimneys - we offered to take him back up

 

if FC gets only 2 stars, then the sulphide has to get -2 stars

[DPS]

Fisher Chimneys is my favorite route on Shuksan. A lot of variety for its grade.

[Otto]

Sol, what is der sportsmen on Prusik? Is it on the South Face? Please forgive my ignorance, but I'm at work with no reference books handy. Details?

[marc_leclerc]

Leclerc, all BC climbs, no?

 

Yes, I dont get out much...

 

As far as unknown classics:

 

1. Slesse South Peak - SE Buttress

2. Cheam Peak - North Face '76 route

3. Mt. Waddington - Mcnerthy Pillar (sp)

4. Slesse E Pillar

5. South Nesakwatch Spire, West Face/Dairyland

 

Edited May 6, 2009 by marc_leclerc

[tanstaafl]

Der Sportsman TR:

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=840730

[Blake]

What about the top 5 least known, not often climbed jewels of the Cascades. Routes that don't get much traffic, but are unknown classic or deserve more attention.

 

Salish Peak - Flight of the Falcon

 

 

Castle Peak - North Face

 

 

 

 

Complete East Ridge of Silver Star

 

 

Goode NW Buttress

 

Amphitheater Mountain - North Face - Middle Finger Buttress

 

Colfax Peak - Polish Route

 

 

How about the E. Pillar of Slesse, Labor Day on NEWS, Yvon Chouinard route on Cutthroat, The Nose on The Deacon or Boving Route on Dragontail?

 

Edited May 5, 2009 by Blake

[TimL]

Wow, nice suggestions. I hope to get out and get on some of that stuff when I come back this summer. What about El Gato Negro on Silverstar?

[Alpinfox]

 

 

 

 

Real purty, soft, un-calloused hands - with clean, pearly fingernails you got there.

 

Hey DeChristo, check out my fresh "mani"

 

[Alpinfox]

To absolve myself of the sin of spraying in such a great thread:

 

1) West Face, Colchuck Balanced Rock

 

2) Direct East Buttress, South Early Winter Spire

=fern's picture

 

3) North Ridge, Mt. Stuart

 

4) Liberty Ridge, Mt. Rainier

 

5) West Face, North Early Winter Spire

=Layton's pic

 

6) Davis/Holland, Index UTW

 

To sum up: Granite, Granite, Granite, Snow, Granite, Granite

[Pete_H]

The Boving route on D-Tail deserves more ascents and is a great route for what it is but it is definitely unpolished. 3 pitches of good stiff but scruffy rock followed by complete crap. Like all routes on D-tail its cool b/c its a mountain climb not just a rock route.