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[TR] ADAMS - Stormy Monday Couloir - standard 7/18/2010


YocumRidge

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Trip: ADAMS - Stormy Monday Couloir - standard

 

Date: 7/18/2010

 

Trip Report:

After summitting Rainier via Kautz 6 days before this trip, I wanted to climb something mellow for a change, to recover. Phil (LowLife on here) was recovering too, from the Liberty Ridge, when we bumped into each other on the summit.

 

The recovery took place on Adams. Mount Adams is known to be a major tourist attraction with the most outstanding dog routes in the Pacific Northwest. We choose a much less visited NW side of the mountain that is accessible via Killen Creek TH from Randle. Getting to the said TH for individuals like myself with the routefinding skills which leave much to be desired was challenging and obviously took longer than expected.

 

After 6 mile approach through the beautiful Killen creek alpine meadows, we find a sweet camping spot at 8000’ on the lower Adams glacier:

4811006930_e6f6bee8fd.jpg

 

 

The upper Adams glacier looks like another dog route transplanted from the south side and is currently in great shape:

4810380333_d03fd0a853_b.jpg

 

 

But we are not dogs and so we pick up a different line - “Stormy Monday Couloir” - to the left of the Adams glacier HW. Books define it as one of the hardest routes on Adams with “rock/ice/steep snow to 60 deg” for 4000’.

At this point we don’t see much water ice on it though.

 

Stormy Monday Couloir:

4814098891_c394740a8e_b.jpg

 

Next morning, after my usual struggle with getting my ass out of the tent early, we reach the base of the climb only at 5 a.m. The expected war zone is right there on the glacier but rockfall is not very distracting.

 

Adams' Mordor and a war zone:

4810387565_5e009fcb90.jpg

 

At the base of the climb:

4811009998_3571fc4771.jpg4814075041_fdf279f017.jpg

 

 

After passing the shrund on the left, we head up straight to the notch and the rock band. Snow/ice are solid and we quickly simul solo the couloir.

 

The rock band (at about 11000’) has a not very inviting rotten ice runnel that we go through next. The best thing was in order to get on the runnel, one needs to jump across the icy moat with the tools ready to hook on ice or volcanic rock and to be really hoping they will stick.

It is when we got to explore a new fascinating sport of wet-tooling on verglassed rock without pro for 30’ or so.

 

The CRUX - Running runnel in action which we soloed:

4811017464_c41d5f7fe1_b.jpg

 

The icy moat at base of the runnel:

4811016414_e522f7e034.jpg

 

Phil topping out on the easy ground after the crux. Do you hear water running?

[video:vimeo]13477433

 

The rest is two-tooling through the sustained 50-60 deg couloir all way to the crater rim and that goes well.

 

Higher up in the couloir:

4810403503_65993a477b_b.jpg

 

3000' exposure:

4814075737_db5b381258_b.jpg

 

Almost on the crater rim:

4814076743_5c353e757a_b.jpg

 

 

We eat and take a casual walk along the summit ridge. The smell of sulfur on the west side is unbearable and we feel great.

 

Phil notices a steep serac (on the opposite side of the dog route) and suggests we take a harder variation of reaching the summit. When we finally top out on the summit, everyone wonders where did we come from and take us for some weirdos with metal tubes (screws):

4810409127_d6f510451e_b.jpg

 

On the summit with Rainier on the horizon:

4810409905_1a5cf1f597_b.jpg

 

 

We take North ridge to descent back to the camp and those 4000’ took forever and turned out to be the worst sufferfest I ever had.

 

North Ridge Bitch:

4811034754_66e2475b88.jpg

 

 

Gear Notes:

Screws, pickets, nuts - none used

 

Approach Notes:

Killen Creek TH

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