[TR] Eldorado - West Arete 7/24/2010

[RichardKorry]

Trip: Eldorado - West Arete

 

Date: 7/24/2010

 

Trip Report:

Chris and I have been climbing together since the early 1980s in the Gunks and later in the Cascades after both of moved to Seattle at different times. We used to do lots of trips in lots of places (Canada, Wyoming, Washington) but after we both had kids (he has two and I have three) and life gets busier it was harder to get out. But we have managed an annual mountaineering trip for the last 10 years or so and did some nice routes. One route we've talked about doing over the years was the West Arete of Eldorado. When we were doing lots of climbing I think both of us weren't that psyched to do the route (only 5.7 after all). But after doing it Sunday 7/25 we both have a lot more respect for the route and those that do it.

 

We approached via Hidden Lakes Peak trail head and the Triad traverse. We used Nelson, Beckey and a TR from SummitPost as our beta on the approach and route. The trailhead was full of cars on Sat. as we headed out in the blazing sun. The shade of the woods was welcome but then we broke out into the avalanche gully and hit the humidity of the brush that made it feel really hot.

 

We left the trail as per Nelson and hiked up snow slopes to Sibley Creek Pass. There we headed north up the climber's trail and climbed onto the ridge for some really enjoyable ridge walking that felt like Sound of Music. We followed the ridge keeping an eye out for the correct col to descend. Both Nelson and Beckey were very adamant about finding the easternmost gully. We poke around at various spots trying to decide which was the right one and finally the correct was obvious with a small cairn. It was a mix of loose 3rd class and snow as we dropped down a few hundred feet. We continued traversing around and eventually went up at the end of the ridge. We followed it to the top of the ridge and then wound our way down into the terrain below the Triad. We negotiated another ridge and then made our way toward Triad Col. We were on snow about 80% of the time during the traverse. We found a great flat rock that made a wonderful camp spot at 6120' maybe 1/2 mile south of Triad Col.

 

Sibley Creek Pass looking towards the Triad and our traverse

 

Looking back towards Sibley Creek pass and two other climbers on the traverse

 

West Arete of Eldorado is the second ridge that reaches to the top. The gendarme towers are visible on the lower 1/3

The snow route is visible as a tiny narrow snow arrow 2/3 up pointing to 8 o'clock

 

Moon rise over Cascade Pass

 

 

We headed out Sunday morning at 5:15 hoping to make good time on the route. We ended up roping up for the col as the spot we selected to cross had a few 5th class moves. There are probably easier routes. The snow reached the col on the other side so getting onto the Triad Glacier was trivial. The glacier is starting to shed snow and crevasses are showing but Chris was masterful as usual selecting the correct line. We were at the base of the West Arete around 8:15am.

 

Triad Glacier

 

 

Nelson and the SummitPost beta talk of climbing the SW (or closest) of the two toes of the Arete. Nelson's picture shows the route on the other toe. We did the north side of the SW toe which we 4th classed up a pitch before bringing out the rope. Chris led up and we slowly progressed up the Arete. There's about 2800' of vertical to get to the summit and this was rated grade III by Nelson and IV by Beckey. However, the SummitPost TR bivied at 7800' and others in CC.com have bivied as well. So we kept expecting to be able to start simul-climbing but we never did. The rock was adequate in general but there's loose stuff around so had to climb thoughtfully.

 

Low down on the ridge

 

The first gendarme looms above

 

We continued to make slow progress as the day wore on. The gendarmes were still far above but the climbing we did was often mid-5th with flatter sections mixed in that one could make quicker progress. We swung pitches for awhile and then switched to having Chris do the leads for expediency. The sun hit us and we peeled our fleece and rationed our water as the temps climbed. It was 90 in Seattle and damn hot for us on the ridge. Multiple times Chris headed off one direction only to come down and try a different tack. Perhaps there were easier sections that we missed so we ended up doing a lot more 5th class climbing that others.

 

Closing in on the first gendarme

 

The signature chimney photo

 

Around 2pm we hit the famous chimney pitch that everyone, including us, takes a photo. Finally we know where we are! Thoughts of a unplanned bivy kept creeping in my mind but we kept moving. We found snow on a ledge and filled our water bottles with it and temporarily quenched our thirst. More climbing up the second gendarme and the two steps above. The rock is solid here and the climbing fun but I was very concerned about the time, our pace and the amount of climbing remaining. I kept expecting the difficulty to suddenly drop off and we'd be off to the races but it remained stiff enough that we continued to pitch it out. Finally we reached the end of a rock ridge and needed to drop onto a snow field. We left a sling as the rock overhung the steep snow. We remained roped as we moved up along the snow to rock again. Finally the steepness began to relent as the sun dropped below the horizon.

 

Chris leading the second step

 

Looking down as we start on snow

 

Looking back at our route on the snow

 

I switched out of sun glasses and felt like I bought an extra 30 minutes of daylight. We did another pitch or two more before finally feeling like we hit the last 500' of fourth class climbing. I was tired, thirsty and had been on the go for 16 hours. So I really focused and tried to climb very deliberately so as not to blow it right below the summit. We scrambled over big blocks and narrow towers as darkness fell and the holds became harder to discern. Then finally we hit the snow summit at around 10pm and I knew we were going to sleep in our tent that night.

 

There had been lots of traffic on the East Ridge and the old steps were icy. The full moon negated a need for head lamps as we each made our way down the ridge and onto flatter terrain. Being on a glacier we re-roped and headed back around Eldorado to our camp. We pulled in around 11:40pm. We celebrated with some Highland Park single malt and a quick dinner to drop to a dead sleep at 1am.

 

The sun baked us out of our tent by 6:30 and we slowly packed up, had breakfast and retraced our steps back to the now empty trail head. I drank a lot of liquids for the next two days.

 

Overall an awesome if long trip. I'm glad I did it and I'd recommend it. We still don't understand if we needed to be climbing at a much higher level so that the mid-5th is either soloed or simul-climbed so as to be rated grade III or IV.

 

 

Edited August 1, 2010 by RichardKorry

[Juan Sharp]

Richard aren't you a little old to be doing this shit?

 

Sharp

[RichardKorry]

I guess so. It never occurred to me until around 6pm and we still had lots more climbing to do. Then it was, "hmm, I guess I'm not still 45 anymore..." Especially since this was basically my first outing this year. Chris skied Baker and Rainier this spring with his family (wife, 14 yo and 12 yo) so he was his normal rocking self. He kindly waited for me even more than usual.

[Le Piston]

Beautiful route and pics! I also have 3 kids and totally relate. You aren't too old to enjoy trips like this...it's what keeps us alive. Being slower just gives you more time to take it all in. Keep on rockin'!

[genepires]

very cool that you have a friend to climb with after 30 years. GReat TR!

 

The route sounds good. Why was it taken out of the Selected classics of cascades? (between 1st and 2nd editions)

[jverschuyl]

Nice TR! on the sibley traverse did you guys drop to the north of the ridge or to the south once you saw the cairn? Thanks!

[Juan Sharp]

Fabulous pictures. Looks like a solid route Richard and Chris. Not 45 anymore indeed! You are still years away from the "Scooter Store."

[rat]

nice job.

 

its position, combination of gendarmes and snow arete and length make it an all time classic.

[goatboy]

Nice job, inspiring TR!

 

Only Nelson can answer why it was removed from the book. I've not climbed the route, though I've heard people say that the rock quality detracts from its classic status. I know a handful of folks who have climbed the route, but I can't name anyone that has repeated it. Anyone out there climb it more than once?

[kukuzka1]

last pic is awsome, looks like a hoot.

[RichardKorry]

Nice TR! on the sibley traverse did you guys drop to the north of the ridge or to the south once you saw the cairn? Thanks!

 

We eventually dropped off the ridge onto snow on the north side to make our way to the col. The cairn was a verification we were at the right one. We descended south and then traversed under the south slopes of the Triad. The trick is to stay on top of the ridge following the path but then drop down to the snow on the north side between two small bumps at 6640' and traverse under ridge line of the 6840' feature to the col - perhaps 1/3 of a mile. We stayed on the ridge itself too long and did more up and down than we needed to before switching to snow. We fixed that on our return and did more snow traversing before ascending back to the ridge. Once back on the ridge we put away axes until we descended the snow slopes from Sibley Creek Pass.

 

 

[RichardKorry]

Nice job, inspiring TR!

 

Only Nelson can answer why it was removed from the book. I've not climbed the route, though I've heard people say that the rock quality detracts from its classic status. I know a handful of folks who have climbed the route, but I can't name anyone that has repeated it. Anyone out there climb it more than once?

 

I ran into Bill Pilling at a memorial celebration for a mutual friend that died from brain tumor recently. Bill has lots of winter FA in the Cascades and is living down in Bishop CA now. I talked to him about the route and he did it twice in mountain boots and enjoyed it. We did it in rock shoes which meant more on our backs but the climbing felt more secure. We were happy to switch back to boots for the snow and the subsequent 4th classing above.

 

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Nice! I think this is probably the best must-do-once route I've done. I dont have a huge desire to repeat it, but it is an awesome experience. It is such a cool location, and the climbing keeps coming. For some reason I recalled it getting a grade II somewhere, but maybe I was just thinking of the grade III in old Nelson. Longest III I've done.

[Mattski]

It is a stellar route. I asked Jim why he took it out and he mentioned the rock quality for the first part of the ridge made him think twice about keeping it the book. The gendarmes are some the most interesting climbing on the route and in that area of the Cascades. Definitely a sandbag grade III.

[Taluscat]

It is a excellent route possessing all alpine qualities and mediums-loose rock,good rock,interesting route finding an abseil or two,steep snow -long and committing...

given theres routes throughout the range that are shorter in elevation gain and hold a higher overall grade it fair to say its a grade IV-IV+ with Aprx. 3000' of terrain and a lot of that time consuming traverses and transitions... Scott M and I managed it 2 days ago in 8 hours camp to camp and had a fabulous time ..good job to to you guys for finishing this elegant line...