[TR] Chair Peak - NE Buttress 10/17/2010

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Trip: Chair Peak - NE Buttress

 

Date: 10/17/2010

 

Trip Report:

The weather was too nice to stay home all weekend so I pinged my friend IW for interest in a close-by scramble or climb. We opted for Chair Peak.

 

 

IW had a concert to go to tonight, so we had to start early. We got to Alpental before sunrise and my car said it was 27 degrees outside. WTF, it was barely colder than this when I climbed Chair last February!

 

The hike up was easy. Trail was frozen with lots of hoar frost. In the bowl below the E face of Chair, we opted to scramble up the ridge just past the "Thumb Tack" and run the ridge to the base of the route. This appeared more appealing. In general it worked great, although there is some fresh snow and ice on the N side of the divide, which slowed us down. Man this place looks so different, bare ass naked with no snow.

 

IW led the first two pitches, getting us to a tree belay above the exit to the S-shaped gully. The start of the gully has some ice already, mostly at desirable foot and handholds.

 

View up first pitch:

 

Some pretty verglas:

 

We unroped at a flat spot and scrambled to the two bolts below the now-dry waterfall. I led up and left to the scragly tree. I then led up to the false summit simulclimbing.

 

IW belaying from the bolts:

 

After basking in the golden sunshine, we downclimbed back to the scragly tree sans rope to save time. We did a single rope rappel, then downclimbed to the flat spot, and did two more single-rope raps back to our packs. All was peachy and cool. Next part - not so much. Downclimbing down to the talus from the base of the route (we did not run the ridge on the way down), and walking down the talus blew goats. From the basin to the cars went much smoother.

 

The pic IW says his girlfriend is not allowed to see:

 

Summit pron:

 

Note: I have heard that the rock fall on this route is horrendous. The only rock fall that we had issues with was scrambling down from the base of the route to the talus in the bowl.

 

Gear Notes:

Small rack. Helmets.

[danhelmstadter]

sweet! looks like fun

[DPS]

Would you characterize the route itself as loose, somewhat loose, mostly solid or very solid?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Would you characterize the route itself as loose, somewhat loose, mostly solid or very solid?

 

I would say that the pitches are mostly solid. The scrambling parts near the top are somewhat loose.

 

[Alex]

so interesting how the stuff looks so different without mounds of snow on it.

[Phil K]

Dont'cha think all the looseness would have been frozen into place?

[pms]

could be different with a group of 4-8 newbies

[Gaucho Argentino]

Cool, KK...

 

Did IW make it to the concert?!

[TyClimber]

I did this yesterday. Not really sure what everyone is talking about with loose rock. I was expecting a horror show, but it really wasn't any worse than what you find on lots of other routes in the cascades. It was also completely verglas free as of yesterday, although I imagine the coming weather should change that.

 

And yes, the descent down the talus field seriously blew.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I did this yesterday. Not really sure what everyone is talking about with loose rock. I was expecting a horror show, but it really wasn't any worse than what you find on lots of other routes in the cascades. It was also completely verglas free as of yesterday, although I imagine the coming weather should change that.

 

And yes, the descent down the talus field seriously blew.

 

Hey, cool :-)

[summitchaserCJB]

It's worse when you solo it. The mind plays dirty tricks.

[TyClimber]

I was up there alone, but didn't feel like it was so bad. The gully at the start was a bit damp and mossy and that messed with my head more than the occasional loose rock up higher.

 

I wasn't looking that closely, but it didn't really seem like there was that much oportunity for pro anyway other than the belay stations. Guess its nice for the second, but the leader might as well be soloing it.

[summitchaserCJB]

Ya I suppose. But all it takes is one loose rock to end your day. That was enough to make me vigilant.

[TyClimber]

True enough!

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

I wasn't looking that closely, but it didn't really seem like there was that much oportunity for pro anyway other than the belay stations. Guess its nice for the second, but the leader might as well be soloing it.

 

The route takes pro here and there, but yeah, it's not like you can zip it up (not like that's needed). :-)