Ingalls in late July

[philih]

newbie to forum needing beta on Ingalls North Peak, South Ridge Cracks... whats a good read? if someone has been before are there any suggestions for rack or what i should expect. Would appreciate replies... thanks a bunch.

(if you need beta for Austin, TX (boulder, crack, sport)..I'm happy to provide)

[ScottP]

This being one of the most popular alpine routes in the state, expect crowds. (Avoid weekends like the plague.)

A small, comprehensive rack should be sufficient to protect the route if you are proficient leading up to 5.6 (there are ways to avoid even the 5.6)

Be ready for snow on the approach to the route.

[philih]

cool. sounds like a blast. i'm a consistant 5.11 climber, but this will be my longest lead. central texas only has a few spots for multipitching (and not longer than 2 pitch).. any good book on this climb and nearby climbs?

[sayjay]

Selected Climbs in the Cascades: Alpine Route, Sport Climbs and Crag Climbs

Jim Nelson & Peter Potterfield

Also, of course, the Fred Beckey guides to Cascade Climbs-

 

Also, the Ingalls Lake basin area is GORGEOUS.

While you can easily do this climb as a day trip I would *highly* recommend spending the night. And I agree -- go midweek. It can be a zoo up there on the weekends.

 

HAVE FUN!!! It's a fun climb.

 

[ 05-09-2002, 08:49 AM: Message edited by: sayjay ]

[mattp]

If you are a "consistent" 5.11 climber, you can climb up and down this route, unroped, with both hands tied behind your back. Or is this just a troll?

[sayjay]

(um, yeah, have to admit i had the same reaction, matt!

perhaps he's climbing consistent 5.11 in the gym???)

 

[ 05-09-2002, 09:16 AM: Message edited by: sayjay ]

[Raustin]

I find it funny how a simple question about beta and turn into a cut down fest. Blah, Blah, Blah.....

[mattp]

Raustin, I'm sorry if you took offense at my remark. I sincerely meant it, though, and did not intend any insult: if the guy consistently climbs 5.11, he should have no trouble with the south face if Ingalls. Rather than being insulted, he might feel complimented and confident in anticipating this venture in the alpine realm.

[sayjay]

I also meant no offense -- but I did find the original post a bit puzzling!

No harm meant... I just agree w/ Mattp that the guy sounds a bit nervous about the seriousness of the endeavour, and if he really is a 5.11 climber he should fly up this route.

[philih]

well, thanks for the replies. any beta/info helps. no harm, my etiquette isn't the greatest either, and I know how things can be taken out of context.. at the end of the day, its all in good fun... cheers!

[Lambone]

That's a great route...you'll love it. The climbing is not the most spectacular, but you cant beat the view!

 

The thing I like most about Ingalls is the rock is so funky..it has all this weird green polished stuff on it. Anyone know what that is? My fiance is a Geologist, and she was stumped!

 

It'd be a good route to solo, but its some of the slipperiest rock I've seen in the Alpine!

[Lambone]

P.S. - do it on a week day, and start the climb at about 4 in the afternnon after all the mounties have rapped off. Catch the sunset on top, it's the way to go!

[DPS]

Lambone,

 

I think the rock on Ingalls is Dunnite/Olivene. Same as the Twin Sisters. I could be wrong.

[Self_propelled]

The green rock could also be Serpentine.

[nolanr]

I noticed that green stuff on some boulders in a little lake basin to the north of Ingalls. Lambone, I'd have to say the slipperiest stuff I've found in the Cascades was on Sperry--when it was wet. Right next door on Vesper the stuff was bombproof even w/ little rivulets running down it.

[jon]

You can start on either side of the dog tooth. Only a small rack is needed, I wouldn't bother bringing any cams. Go on a weekday and you might have the place to yourself. Check the Mounties site http://www.mountaineers.org if you are going on a weekend to avoid the clusterfuq.

 

Have fun!

[gschryer2]

quote:

---

Originally posted by philih:

newbie to forum needing beta on Ingalls North Peak, South Ridge Cracks... whats a good read?

---

See some notes I made... including rack beta.

 

http://members.tripod.com/Schryer/1999/ingalls99.html

 

Have fun,

GS

[Stonehead]

Yeah this is thread drift, WTH

 

quote:

---

The thing I like most about Ingalls is the rock is so funky..it has all this weird green polished stuff on it. Anyone know what that is? My fiance is a Geologist, and she was stumped!

---

The green rock is peridotite partly altered by metamorphism to serpentinite. In places where the rock is mostly composed of the mineral olivine then it'd be called a dunite. There's some red rock there too but probably just weathered dunite.

 

Haven't climbed Ingalls. Looks like most of the routes are rated class 4 to low mid 5th.

[Lambone]

quote:

---

Originally posted by nolanr:

I noticed that green stuff on some boulders in a little lake basin to the north of Ingalls. Lambone, I'd have to say the slipperiest stuff I've found in the Cascades was on Sperry--when it was wet. Right next door on Vesper the stuff was bombproof even w/ little rivulets running down it.

---

Yeah, I guess it wasn't all slippery, just that funky greenish rock. Sperry huh? How is that? Vesper looks fun!

[Norman_Clyde]

For those of you wondering how a person can be a consistent 5.11 trad climber and be uncertain about his skills on an easy alpine ascent like Ingalls: try living in central Texas sometime. I started out climbing while living in Dallas, and we used to drive 90 miles just to get to Mineral Wells State Park, which had a small area of 20 foot cliffs that crawled with centipedes, daddy longlegs and copperheads. The closest multipitch climbing was the Ouichita Mts. in Oklahoma, 4 hours from Dallas and more like 7 or 8 from Austin. A 5.11 gym climber would probably feel intimidated on Ingalls, but Philih, if you've had to do any routefinding at all, you should not have a problem. Take 2 or 3 days and grab Stuart West Ridge while you're at it!

[mattp]

Clyde-

I understand how somebody might feel intimidated. I've been there: I learned to climb on a 25 foot sandstone cliff in Michigan where everything was exclusively top-roped and I went pretty much directly from there to the Tetons where I had to lead and there was mountain weather to worry about. Though I had been backpacking for many years and I had some prior experience with an ice axe, multipitch climbs were entirely new. I did some routes with my brother who had learned to climb in a college outing club, but initially I learned the most by reading "The Freedom of the Hills" and then going out with friends who were no more knowledgeable than I was and trying not to get killed. My comments here were not intended to suggest that one who is intimidated is not worthy but were intended to suggest that one need not let that intimidation prevent them from going out and trying new things.

-Matt

[Norman_Clyde]

That is my point also: a 5.11 one-pitch leader might be unaccustomed to the exposure and weather considerations, but if he/she's got reasonably good judgment, he'll be an alpine climber soon enough. How are you gonna keep 'em down in Texas after they've seen the Cascades?

[nolanr]

There's some more technical routes on Sperry, I've never done them, just a 3rd classy kind of brushy scramble up from the saddle between Vesper and Sperry. Makes for a nice day tagging both. Vesper gets way more traffic. I climbed Sperry in '96 and then again in '00 or so, and it was still the same summit register on top! That's a cool lake basin up there and nice slabs at the headwall of the basin.

[Dennis_Harmon]

philh, That's a good little route but heavily traveled and there is some loose rock up there. I'd HIGHLY recommend that you not follow another party on it. Do it during the week. I grew up in central Texas and now live in Wenatchee. When you get up here give me a call. Dennis

[Cpt.Caveman]

You'll be fine if you beat the mountaineers mobs. You can easily solo this route. Rock is fun.