[TR] Mount Stuart--Sherpa Peak - NW Buttress--West Ridge (Not in a Day) 9/3/2010

[Kyle_Flick]

Trip: Mount Stuart--Sherpa Peak - NW Buttress--West Ridge (Not in a Day)

 

Date: 9/3/2010

 

Trip Report:

Favorable forecast and scarcity of climbing buds, I find myself climbing solo, Fri. the day before Labor Day weekend when the forecast won't be so good. Other than an irritating bee sting near the trailhead at 5:00 am (what are they doing up so early?), the approach goes smoothly enough past Stuart Lake to the gully that delivers you directly to the base of the Buttress. Snow hadn't melted off the northside ledges from the prior week's cold weather, but I didn't need to break out the ice ax or crampons. The exit move off the NW Buttress onto the upper west ridge was slippery, but overall I only encountered 3rd and 4th class scrambling with a couple of 5th class moves tossed in. The upper west ridge was mostly dry except where the route briefly crosses onto the north flank.

The day's climbing seemed to divide into intervals of two: NW Buttress--2 hours, Upper West Ridge--2 hours, summit at 2:00 pm, 2 hours to the base of the West Ridge of Sherpa. Half an hour and you're at the top of Sherpa. The descent off Sherpa to the east and down to Sherpa Pass/Sherpa-Argonaut Col was slow, but there was more than adequate daylight to make it to the pass and avoid a dry bivy by dropping north to the basin below and the headwater of the south fork of Mountaineer Creek.

To save weight I brought only a bivy sack, down vest for the upper body and garbage sack for the legs. I broke out the rope for the first time to use it as ground insulation. At 2:00 am I awoke shivering because my legs and feet were damp. Apparently even your legs and feet give out heat which converts to sweat inside a nonbreathable garment. Lesson: Don't use a garbage sack if you want to sleep dry.

The next morning's hike consisted of boulder hopping, minor brush beating before locating the relatively well defined path at the confluence of the north and south forks of mountaineer creek and out to the Stuart Lake trail. It still took me 5 hours from camp to car. While it would be brutal, a strong party could make the various climbs on the northside of Stuart and still traverse to the east to Sherpa Pass and return to the car at the Stuart Lake trailhead in a day. All I can say to that is...Ugh.

 

Gear Notes:

Ice ax and crampons might be needed shortly if it snows some more.

 

Approach Notes:

Northside approach is still dry. Descent from Sherpa Pass--snow remnant at the top is easily bypassed.

[mountainsloth]

sounds like a nice outing. good on you!

[pu]

Thanks Kyle for checking out this option. I have often thought about the traverse over sherpa as a descent for the complete NR of stuart in late season. Good Work!

[ryanl]

sounds like a full trip Kyle. Nice link-up