cbcbd Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Trip: Mt Berge - East Ridge Date: 7/4/2009 Trip Report: The "Z" and I took a quick trip up to Mt Berge. Despite the existence of a Summitpost page on the route (almost a deal breaker), we sucked it up and checked out the East Ridge - recommended by the Fred and with promises of pink granite. We bit. Day 1-Approach: Mellow. Start on trail, leave it, ford Buck, walk up through some brush, opens up, keep to the left earlier than we did or else just keep going up to gully that tops at 6K'. Note: The skeeters were VICIOUS for the first .5mi of trail. Do not let this crush your earthen spirit to go on. Carry on and they will stay behind. I promise. Plenty of bivying possibilities North of the ridge. The marmots laid excellent path networks, were gentle hosts and we repaid them with poo in front of their doors. Great views of the Entiats, Buck, and said ridge object. Day 2-Climb: We decided to start on the North side just past the twin gendarmes. Choosing to embark on a loose and vertical chinchilla playground to gain the ridge, we now recommend circling the toe and taking the lame way up, on the graded grassy slopes abundant on the South side. We simuled most of the way, except for ~2 pitches - one of them the crux, with some fun moves up a corner and then a chimney. The rock kept getting better and better, the lichen made it interesting, the pro all there, some good moments of exposure, plenty of interesting ways up, fun step-acrosses, and... can we give a hand for the weather, folks? Stellar. The summit pano was exceptional. The register was slim... just what we wanted. We ate some, jabbed sarcastic jokes at each other, and headed down towards High Pass. The way down we took a better way. A lot less intense and favorable for life-loving. The skeeters were still there to greet us back at the end of the trail, where I chose to just run for the car. We then had some extremely quick grub at the 59er since I had to make quick time back to Seattle and not risk getting dumped by my girlfriend for bailing on her during the 4th to go climbing. Lesson learned. The Ridge [video:youtube] Gear Notes: Gear up to 2" fine. If you feel like carrying extra weight then take your #4 because it "calls" for it. Approach Notes: ~6mi on Buck Creek trail until it passes through an obvious slide path. Take a left there and cross the Buck. Get on and stay on the ridge... at around 5500-5600' start rising traverse left to get onto the open basin under the cliffs to the right. If you can't see the ridge... dude... Quote
tvashtarkatena Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 On my list for quite a few years now. It just moved up to near the top. Thanks for the TR. Quote
Kyle_Flick Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Fast work guys! We did that route several years ago and thought it was a pretty special place. Good call. Quote
Tokogirl Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Thank for the great trip report and bug update. Love the area and variety of climbing routes on surrounding peaks. Route looks fun. Planning on doing Tenpeak Mtn. next weekend so know I will plan on running the first few miles to get ahead of them little devils! Quote
mountainsloth Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 sickness!!! quality pick of mtn and route. Quote
telemarker Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Cool TR. Like Kyle said, it is in a cool locale, with the climbing being okay for the most part. It would make a great alpine solo scramble! Quote
cbcbd Posted July 7, 2009 Author Posted July 7, 2009 (edited) Thanks folks, but just to avoid confusion, since I guess I wrote it vaguely, we did this in two days. The approach to camp at about 6K' N of the ridge took ~6hrs... with some interesting route finding issues. We started to the right of the double pointy gendarmes at ~6K'. The toe of the ridge seems to be at around 5500-5600'. The summit is 7960', so we got about 1900' of climbing... and that took... 5-6hrs? edit: Beckey calls it a III Edited July 10, 2009 by cbcbd Quote
Tom_Sjolseth Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Nice work. You gotta love that butter brush and grease rock traverse (the basin in which you took your deer photo). Slippery when dry! Quote
tazz Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 NICE!!! I Know that snow slope shot! haha! Franklin saw the finger impressions in the snow. No ice axe? haha! That was a fast ride down that slope! weeeee.... hey there! I was the sloth you watched from your camp. ;-) My second time doing that bushwhack! I have now bid it farewell... FOREVER! Great work you two. Quote
The Cascade Kid Posted July 8, 2009 Posted July 8, 2009 what exactly is going on in the second to last photo there? unique glissade technique? Quote
cbcbd Posted July 9, 2009 Author Posted July 9, 2009 what exactly is going on in the second to last photo there? unique glissade technique? The pic is deceiving. I'm actually going uphill using a snow-jet prototype (I got a friend who develops weird stuff at Boeing). It straps to your waist and, similar to a jet-ski, it uses a turbine and snow for propulsion. nah, it's a pic of a self-arrest. Quote
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