[TR] Sahale Peak - East Ridge 10/17/2010

[RaisedByPikas]

Trip: Sahale Peak - East Ridge

 

Date: 10/17/2010

 

Trip Report:

Having done a few glacier/snow climbs, my wife and I decided to get our hands on some alpine rock for the first time. We spent Saturday night at the camp and hit the peak in the morning.

 

The route above the camp went up the climbers left side of the glacier to avoid some crevasses and then traversed over to the east ridge where the scrambling began.

 

Being that my wife isn't comfortable with exposed scrambling (and neither of us with exposed down climbing) We broke out the rope when the 4th class started. The route we took went towards the right side of the first prominent step up to a large ledge, maybe twice the size of a large dining room table. From here it was up a slightly bigger than fist sized crack for maybe 20ft and then an easy 20ft to the summit rappel anchor. Above the large ledge I slung a chock stone in the crack and then a horn for protection and didn't feel that pro was necessary below the large ledge.

 

Spent about 20 windless sunny min on the summit looking at the other peaks, eating and drinking then set up to rappel. Our 60m rope got us to within a 20ft fairly easy down climb to the snow where we traversed back over to the rocks to scramble down to our ice axes and crampons. I never saw a second set of rappel anchors but I was probably too far to climbers right.

 

The rappel anchors looked to be in good shape with a quick link and thin aluminum ring. If you plan on supplementing them you will probably need 15-20ft of webbing or chord to get around the large boulder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe, crampons, a few slings to sling horns, a 60m twin rope would be ideal if you need a rope.

 

Approach Notes:

Via Sahale Arm. Saw a bear on the way down.

Edited October 23, 2010 by RaisedByPikas

[sneaky_steve]

Nice TR, I always enjoy the Sahale area.

[Tyson.g]

That looks sweet!

This is the best time of year I think.

[curtveld]

Beautiful! Looks like there has been enough fresh snow up there that all the summer tracks are buried.

[RaisedByPikas]

Yeah, it had snowed a few inches on Thursday night so it made the glacier look nice and fresh. There was one set of climbers that soloed it on Saturday. The storm also left a nice pile of fresh snow to melt against the rock walls of the campsites, couldn't ask for better conditions. It looks like the winter snow pack may be starting this weekend so any climbing will be more difficult.

[Gaucho Argentino]

Cool pics !

Funny, I was the same w/e on the other side of Sahale, Horseshoe Basin, and there was no snow at all, almost completely dry except for a few old snow patches... This w/e things will change, though...

[RaisedByPikas]

An older gentleman hiking up to Cascade Pass Sunday evening talked to someone else that said they spent the night on Sahale. We were alone up there as far as I could tell so maybe he was talking about you?

[RaisedByPikas]

Putting Pictures Back...

[Off_White]

Nice pics to put back too, thanks for hosting them here.