[TR] Chair Peak - North Face. 2/18/2010

[summitchaserCJB]

Trip: Chair Peak - North Face.

 

Date: 2/18/2010

 

Trip Report:

Tood, Peter and I headed up to Chair today to hit up the North Face because we heard it was fat and wanted some nice alpine ice. The going was tough up there and we regretted leaving our snowshoes in the car. After post holing a million times we made it up to the notch where we geared up.

I took the first pitch. Nice stuff. I set up the belay and got the guys up. We saw some other guys to our left at this point. Todd decided to take the next pitch of alpine ice and snow up to some trees. He pounded up there and belayed us up pretty quickly as a soloist came up behind us. We sorted out our ropes and I swung onto the third pitch. I consider this one the crux. Nice sustained water ice, good pro, pretty exposed for me but it was solid.

I ran that pitch a full 200 feet so the guys had to simulclimb while I set the belay (I found this out later). I pounded a pin because I wasn't gonna trust the no-body-weight pickets, and belayed the guys up. Todd led out and hand belayed us up to the summit after sorting out the rope.

After hanging out on the summit we headed down to the left of the false summit to the rappel. From here it was a slog down to the lake and out.

 

Gear Notes:

Screws, mostly short. 2 pickets are nice for belays. A couple flat pins are nice. Nuts? Probably no. Slings.

 

Approach Notes:

Bring flotation.

Edited February 19, 2010 by summitchaserCJB

[sneaky_steve]

Way to rock the umbilicals! Nice TR!

[Ed_Hobbick]

Strong work men.

I'm heading up there tomorrow. Your beta is greatly appreciated.

[summitchaserCJB]

Right on.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

how many screws did you need?

[summitchaserCJB]

I think 4 or 5 but we brought 7.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I think 4 or 5 but we brought 7.

 

how short? i'm thinking of headed up there but only have a bunch of 16cm screws

[summitchaserCJB]

I think the 16 works, but not everywhere. I think it was the 19 or 22 I had to rack and grab a 16. I just like the shorter ones on ambiguous ice because I can place them without worrying.

[toddtsuyoshi]

16's would be just fine... the ice is fat up there right now!

[alpinebumm]

Did you guys head up the north face or the ne buttress? Is the decent route the same for both? Do you need twins for the rap or does one 60 work halfed over? Off a tree, deadman or thread?

[summitchaserCJB]

We did the North face (See title). Ya the decent route is the same- you are coming from the summit no matter what. One 60 would work. You could actually down-climb the rap gully if need be. It is off 3 equalized pins.

Edited February 19, 2010 by summitchaserCJB

[LostCamKenny]

su-weeeeeeeeeeeeeet! had some nice weather, too.

[112]

Nice TR!

 

Seriously, only 1 tool deployed and no crampons??? Wow!

 

 

I wonder if he made it to the summit like that?

[cbcbd]

Did you guys head up the north face or the ne buttress? Is the decent route the same for both? Do you need twins for the rap or does one 60 work halfed over? Off a tree, deadman or thread?

AB - the descent is the same and you can do it with one 60m.

 

Do not use the gully that descends from the notch right below the summit cone - the notch where you come out onto from the NF route. If you do the NF, head SE from the notch, up and down the smaller "false summit". You will see another gully on your right, South, with some trees about 20' down it (you might see some slings around the trees). Downclimb or rap this gully for about 170' and this will take you to the flat area where the narrow E rappel gully starts skier's left. Look around for anchors on the N facing rock and start rappelling. I think I have seen as many as 6 anchors along the length of the E gully and one 60m is plenty.

If you do the NE Butt you will pass the descent gully on your left before ascending the small false summit.

 

[summitchaserCJB]

Will, Andrew, Todd and I went up to Chair, again. I didn't want to add a new TR but I wanted to add some photos.

I also got hit by a rock on the shoulder after rapping down the gully. It was probably a fluke, but something to keep in mind. The conditions were good, but that should be changing with the snow. Snowshoes aren't currently required.