dberdinka Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Trip: White Chuck Mountain - W Face Attempt Date: 12/12/2009 Trip Report: Though it turned out to be only an attempt I thought I'd put up some nice photos from the alpine last week as no one else has. Looking over at Three Fingers and White Horse I was sure someone had to be getting on that stuff, hard to believe it didn't happen...anyone? On Saturday December 12th, Matt Alford, Gene Pires came up short on the west face of White Chuck Mountain. Running out of time, protection and adequate psyche at the base of the final rime filled chimney system we bailed off via a long traverse to the standard NW ridge route. The climbing we did do was full-on with some good ice, plenty of not good ice, some insecure mixed climbing, a complete lack of adequate gear and lots of exposure. I climbed this peak twice during the winter of 2005 when high snow levels and stable weather created near perfect conditions for winter climbing in the Cascades. It's a great mountain, steep enough to offer sustained technical climbing, great features for winter routes and just big enough to be thoroughly committing but doable in a day. If roads are driveable to at least 3000' the approach is quite manageable as well. Matt and Gene are pretty much my go too guys for alpine climbing in the northwest. Though we've all climbed with one another we had never climbed as a group of three. It worked out great! It's so nice to have company as you get bombed by ice chunks at some crummy belay. Thanks guys! Climbing through runnels on P2 Start of P3 a decepitvely challenging pitch of WI4 R (i.e. snice 4) Shortly after Matt pointed out the entirely obvious fact that "This isn't a daddy climb" At the base of the mid-height snowfield Top of the snowfield Looking up into the final rime filled chimney ??? Traversing off the Mountain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoahT Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Very cool--thanks for sharing. Now I need to go find a pic of the face...N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pilchuck71 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Nice trip Darin. The photos are great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainsloth Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 looks like a great day out! thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Nice show gents! Looks like you got some fun for sure. In answer to your question, the Thursday before Ade and I had a go at that E Face route on Three Fingers. We found great conditions up there (just like everywhere else at that time!). We did the ice bits but traversed across the NE shoulder without carrying on to the summit, so no route. Several hours later we were heading down the wrong descent drainage (at my suggestion) in the dark. Wrong, as in the nastiest travelling either of us have ever done in the mountains. It was all very purdy though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rad Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Nice gents. Wrong, as in the nastiest travelling either of us have ever done in the mountains. Bummer. Thankfully, most of us are wired to forget those things and remember the good parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 What things again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Choada_Boy Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Nice work Gents!!! Well played! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dberdinka Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 Maybe if we had actually summitted....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
t_rutl Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 White Chuck has got some sweet winter lines. Nice outing D! Summit's waiting for next time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benmurphy Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Nice dudes, great pics! The top of that final rime filled chimney is where I punched through the snow and nearly fell a long long way!! How was the traverse back across?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Frieh Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Great pics! Thanks for sharing! Marko: the east face couloir or the ne face on 3 fingers? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-spotter Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Very cool--thanks for sharing. Now I need to go find a pic of the face...N I think it's the sunlit one here? http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/40358007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marko Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Marko: the east face couloir or the ne face on 3 fingers? NE; see quickie 3 Fingers TR... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dberdinka Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 looks like you guys a great time! lots of smiles! good to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanstaafl Posted August 11, 2014 Share Posted August 11, 2014 Ken Ford, Micah L. and I climbed this route yesterday in far less snowy conditions on Ken's last available climbing day before he heads back to Ethiopia. None of us remembered to take a camera but Micah took a couple of photos with his cell phone. If he sends them to me I'll add some. We did the lower chimneys in 3 pitches, with the third pitch being the crux in 2 out of 3 people's opinions. The only one who disagreed was Ken, who led it, so take that for what it's worth. The mid-height snowfield yielded several hundred feet of scrambling, and we too avoided the final "rotten chimney" pitches by climbing a pitch and a half to the left of the chimney -- one straight up and one traversing leftward, to meet the standard route trail. We found a fixed wire at the base of our final pitch that had been there for quite some time. We felt the rating of 5.7 was fair, but sparse (sometimes extremely sparse) protection that often wasn't great even when you could get it made us agree that you might not be that happy on it if 5.7 is your limit. A couple of Micah's photos below: Ken leading the third pitch; also deceptively challenging in summer Me on short fourth pitch next to upper chimneys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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