The three North Ridges of Rainier?

[Dane]

Alpine climbing is all about conditions. Recognizing that fact I have tried to put the three North ridges of Rainier into perspective from my own climbs.

 

I found Curtis to be a rubble pile and thankfully short. Easy to get on and off of.

 

Liberty always a long slog to get there. Surprisingly scary/difficult on the top. And easy enough but long up and over the mountain either down the Emmons or thorugh Paradise.

 

Ptarmigan has always been an adventure. Beautiful walk in through Mowich lake, awesome moderate technical climbing in cold hard conditions late in the fall and fun trips traversing the mountain going out through Paradise.

 

What say you for comparisons? Ratings are from Becky's guide and climber's comments on difficulties found on more recent ascents.

 

Curtis Ridge: "climbing" starts around 10K. Breaks out on the snow fields up high at just past 12K. Line is funky, weaving in and around snow fields to avoid the terrible rock bands. Certainly nothing hard by modern standards in snowed up conditions if you take the easiest lines. M5 or harder if you start climbing rock. If you can call it rock? Climbing off the west side and onto the edge of Willis Wall makes it much easier. Best done with lots of snow and cold weather. Rock fall can be serious. We found the hardest climbing (which was the route finding) low on the ridge, below the "second step". Easy to get back on the Emmons for the descent. Bivy is typically around 10K or just a bit above. IV with some mixed/rock 2000' and a long walk to the summit.

 

Liberty Ridge: "climbing" starts at the base of the ridge at just under 9000' getting to Thumb Rock at 10,700'. Thumb Rock is the typical bivy site. The crux seems to be turning the Black pyramid 12000k (serious rock fall hazard below it all the way to the Carbon) and getting past the bergshrund at 13.5k. It has been skied and not unusual for people to decend Liberty in decent conditions. Snow conditions up high after the BPO always worry me. Obviously the longest climb of the three ridges but most will climb togetehr or unroped to the bivy at 10,700. III (IV if icy) 50 degree snow or ice 4000' (3000?) But tops out on a summit.

 

Ptarmigan: climbing starts at 10,000' and a great bivy site. The crux will be how you get around the last rock buttress at 12,000 and the final ice cliff to gain Liberty Cap Glacier at 12,500. The 2500' of technical terrain can be as steep as 55/60 degree snow and ice but most of it is below 50. Mixed or rock if you choose the west side gully exits. III or IV 55 degree snow or ice / mixed. Rock fall can be a problem if it gets warm. (Personally I think this is the steepest ridge line of climbing) 2500' and a good walk to any summit of Rainier.

 

As a added note, Thermogenisis, between Willis Wall and Libery Ridge, in good conditions, is also worth of inclusion. Disregarding the obvious additional objective danger down low and climbing in Liberty's slide path on the entire route. With no ridge bivy it is more elevation gain in one day and a bit mindless for kicking steps. 3500'

 

My vote as the "best" route would be Ptarmigan. Consistantly steep climbing. The technical crux up high. With a reasonable level of objective hazard in good conditions and the most beautiful and may be the shortest approach (least effort anyway) coming up through Spray Park from Mowich Lake.

[JoshK]

I haven't done any of the routes you mentioned but a good friend of mine who has guided Rainer for years also believes Ptarmigan Ridge to best the "best" of those. He has always mentioned what a beautiful route he thought it was, and the best climb of his long career on Rainer.

[ScaredSilly]

To my knowledge there are probably less than ten people who have done all three of Rainier's Norwand ridges. I think the first was Jim Wickwire. My climbing partner and I did all three over the course of 12 years, Liberty (89), Curtis (98), Ptarmigan (01).

 

Liberty is probably the best from mountaineering point of view as it has a bit of everything, glacier travel, objective danger, great bivy, long continuous but not difficult climbing. Unfortunately though today the Ridge has become a trade route with some days a congo line above Thumb Rock with no real climbing as it a nothing but a set of steps.

 

Both Ptarmigan and Curtis have easy approaches up to 10k where the business begins. The climbing is more difficult but after 2500 feet they end. Short but sweet.

 

We did both Ptarmigan and Curtis under icy conditions. But found Ptarmigan easier and finished using the left hand variation. Ptarmigan was the most "business" like climb I have ever done perhaps it was because my climbing partners were the same ones with me on the Cassin. There was little discussion while on route we swapped leads once. Even the summit bivy was just another night in a raging storm.

 

Curtis on the other hand presents a couple of interesting sections. Gaining the ridge is the first - we by passed the aid section and found a by pass similar to what Wickwire did. We did not repeat his variation as the rock section was little more than a few steps of easy 5th class. The middle section was icy but straight forward. The exit gully was fun, a couple short rock steps to pull over before climbing towards headwall exit.

 

From my view point Curtis is probably the best as it has point of no return after the rap and the climbing is varied. Too bad it is so short.

 

 

 

 

 

[MarkMcJizzy]

To my knowledge there are probably less than ten people who have done all three of Rainier's Norwand ridges. I think the first was Jim Wickwire.

 

This is probably a claim that would not stand up to scrutiny. People who probably climbed all thee ridges prior to thirty five years ago: Jim Wickwire, Ed Boulton, Dusan Jagersky, Mike Heath, Dan Davis, and Gene Prater. Most of these ascents were probably prior to 1969. This list could easily be researched further, but to quote such a low number as ten seems presumptuous

 

And since he did the first ascent of Curtis, as well as the second ascent of Liberty, Gene Prater seems as likely a person as Jim Wickwire

[MarkMcJizzy]

Good god! Looked it up in Dee Molenaar's book. Gene Prater Liberty Ridge, second ascent 1955. Ptarmigan Ridge, second ascent, 1959. Curtis Ridge, first ascent, 1957.

 

So this difficult and seldom done triptych was first done fifty years ago. By 1957 Marcel Shuster had climbed Liberty and Curtis Ridges. Was he still active into the '60's?

[ScaredSilly]

Mark, my quote on that number came from discussions with Eric Simonson, Gaiter and Wickwire. I got Wickwire in there as being the first but needed to include a few other routes like those on Willis. I think Dee mentions this fact in his book as well. Needless to say what the number is actually I would still venture to say it aint many.

[MarkMcJizzy]

The number is as likely to be five as it is twenty. And the truth is, correlating and cataloging ascents of those ridges is not something that is done in any real sense. My list of possible people leaned heavily on climbers who graduated high school in the fifties. There was a huge group of climbers born between 1948 and 1964 who viewed Rainier as a great challenge, but did not need to get "The Three North Ridge" merit badge. I just do not believe that statistics have been very well kept, and quoting them should be avoided.

[John Frieh]

From my view point Curtis is probably the best as it has point of no return after the rap and the climbing is varied. Too bad it is so short.

 

+1

 

I might be biased as instead of the wickwire bypass we freed the aid pitch @ ~M5... something cool about some in your face terrain with your kit on your back on a volcano... that 2k is short but so varied. I had a blast

[wdietsch]

Gene Prater Liberty Ridge, second ascent 1955. Ptarmigan Ridge, second ascent, 1959. Curtis Ridge, first ascent, 1957.

 

As well as the North Face of Little T with Spike in '59 as well.

 

Long Live the Sherpa Climbing Club .. studs I say, STUDS!

[Dane]

Hard to believe anyone that lives around here and alpine climbs hasn't done all three.... and something on Willis as well. 10 seems silly. I know may who have done at least two, few that have done 2 and Curtis, fewer yet to have done something on Willis and all three.

 

Sheesh, I lived in Coeur d'Alene when I did them between '75 and '78.

[Skatan]

Dane a shout out for Daho, I have only climbed LR a great route lots of fun above thumb. Heard PR better and CR more interesting,and would like to get the trifecta someday. Now I have more incentive for the Idaho Faction to step up and giver a try.

[ScaredSilly]

Dane, I will see your Idaho and move it east. All of my north side climbs have been while living in Salt Lake City. And like many others after doing to the north side I played around on Willis (1/2 up the East RIb) as well as venturing over to the Mowich. Funny last year I did the Kautz for the first time. I had as much fun on it as the other routes.

 

BTW I flew over Rainier today. Sitting on top of it was one of the best cloud caps that I have ever seen. Bet no one was on top.