[TR] Mount Challenger - Challenger Glacier 7/9/2011

[Le Piston]

Trip: Mount Challenger - Challenger Glacier

 

Date: 7/9/2011

 

Trip Report:

My friend Rod offered to climb Mt. Challenger again with me...a gesture of true friendship considering the tales of wicked bushwhacking and long miles he told me about from his last Pickets climb. On Saturday we took the water taxi from Ross Lake Resort to Big Beaver and started hiking up to Beaver Pass, where we'd spend our first night. Sunday morning we began the bushwhack up Eiley-Wiley ridge. Thank goodness the devils club isn't full grown. By staying in the more timbered areas, the going was steep, but not too bad. We opted for the high traverse of the ridge, and regretted it...a lot of steep up and down that just wasted energy. But all the hard work rewarded us with a great camp above Wiley Lake. We had time to spare after setting up camp, so we decided to try and climb Challenger. We didn't reckon on the toll the approach took on our bodies, so it ended up as a recon of the best way down to the Challenger Glacier. The views of Luna, Fury, and the Northern Pickets were amazing.The next morning we made an early start and climbed over Point 7374, over the col and down a steep snow gully to the Challenger Glacier.The glacier was in great shape, firm snow and not much crevasse action. The final snow arete leading to the rocky summit was exposed, but again the snow was perfect. We dropped packs and crampons in a small moat and made the scramble to the base of the rock. There were plenty of rock horns and fixed pins to protect the 50 foot exposed rock. I still added a #9 Rock and .75 Camalot on the route. The crux is mid 5th class (basically one move), and I'm glad I didn't have an audience...my lead was not pretty, but got me up. I belayed Rod up to the true summit, and we enjoyed our Ritter Sports and the spectacular views. We got down to the glacier about 11:00 and decided to go for Whatcom Peak, but alas the weather started getting ugly and we decided to head back to camp. This time we contoured around the west side of Point 7374 and up to our tracks from the previous day. In hindsight, a camp on the northern Challenger Glacier to the southwest of Point 7374 would have made more sense, but the views at our camp were hard to beat. Mt. Challenger is a lot of work to get to, but worth every scratch, bruise, ache and mile of carrying a heavy pack to get to. We awoke Tuesday to lowering clouds and showers, so beat it all the way down to Big Beaver and sweet camping by Ross Lake. We opted to hike out about 6 miles to the resort (saved a couple hours and $50) and payed $2 to get ferried across the lake and begin the hike up to the car. We were tired, but had experienced a great climb in one of the most beautiful parts of Washington.

 

Gear Notes:

Pack light. Helmet,picket, glacier gear. If you are a better rock climber in mountaineering boots than me you can get away without any rock pro and just bring slings and biners. Bug juice...there's lots of mosquitos. Sturdy gloves for the bushwhacking.

 

Approach Notes:

The Big Beaver trail is in great shape. Some snow around Beaver Pass, but we slept on dry ground. The bushwhack up Eiley-Wiley ridge isn't too bad right now. My advice is take the lower traverse, contouring just about 6200 feet. The snow was in great shape. I'd rather traverse steep snow gullies than wet downsloping heather!

[Moonshiner]

Good stuff, glad to see you've been getting after it! I really wanna climb Challenger later this month/next month, thanks for the beta.

[Le Piston]

Thanks! If you need any more specifics, just PM me.

[wayne]

Eiley Wiley=pain. What made you decide to go in that way?

[Rad]

Wonderful. I'm hoping to head up there too but via Easy Pass.

 

 

 

[Le Piston]

We went that way based on my friend's past experience. I thought the Hannegan Pass might be easier, but was told a lot longer and more up and down. Maybe I'll go back that way to get Whatcom next time.

[Whatcomboy]

Nice going and great tr. It took us 3 trips to finally summit Challenger last year and worth it.

[silence]

sweet .. nice work .. looks beautiful up there ...

[Le Piston]

It is by far one of the best views I've experienced from a summit. Thank you for the kind words.