[TR] Mount Baker - North Ridge (w/pics + helmet cam view of route) 7/23/2011

[CamelJockey]

Trip: Mount Baker - North Ridge (w/pics + helmet cam view of route)

 

Date: 7/23/2011

 

Trip Report:

Here is another trip report from your friendly BOEALPS’ers. Monica, Sean, Matt, and I climbed the North Ridge of Baker this past weekend (July 23/24). The forecast was looking really awesome, which is nice given the less-than-awesome weather we have been having. We left the th 10:15AM with the plan to climb as a carryover with all our gear, camp as close to the bergschrund @ 8000’, climb the direct apron above the schrund, get on some ice, summit, and of course descend the standard Coleman-Deming route.

 

The trail is typical fashion – great shape with so many people on it every weekend. There is one interesting creek crossing with a snow bridge that is on its last limb and a downed tree or two, but besides that, it’s fine. It was amazing to see that the first giant creek crossing 2 min out the gate – the one with the huge bridge – was completely covered in snow. We hit patches of snow here and there but for the most part, it was bare.

 

We approached the Coleman Glacier via the Glacier Vista cutoff/ moraine trail alongside the lower Coleman where everyone crags.

 

 

View from the moraine

 

Zoomed in view of the route + Coleman Headwall

 

Shortly up the moraine, we got onto snow and kicked some nice steps to the glacier. The creek crossing up high was non-existent --- all snow. Some water is flowing on the rocks so this is a good place to get some if you need it. We roped up on the glacier and began our traverse. I took the lead, partially since I had climbed the route a year prior and had been up the Coleman Headwall last October as well so I was a bit more familiar with the terrain. We expected the glacier crossing to be simple given Mitochondria’s recent and awesome TR, but it wasn’t as straightforward as we expected and was more broken up. It took a couple hours and a bit of zigzagging to get across, but we never hit a dead-end. It’s always fun to traverse the upper Coleman Glacier – feels like a maze. This can still certainly be done at nighttime if you don’t want to carryover gear – just budget some time.

 

Upper Coleman Glacier

 

We got to about 8000’ and below the bergschrund and set up camp. The schrund looked in good shape. There were several options to cross on the left. One could cross on the right too, but I wasn’t keen on this because of the ginormous schrund that one can slide into. In addition, while eating dinner, we saw some rockfall on a rockband above the right side of the schrund, and a small slide on the apron. Nothing huge, but did make us partially question around camping location and certainly solidified our decision to cross left.

 

Schrund - left

 

Schrund - right

 

Sunset over Coleman and San Juan Islands

 

Woke up at 1:45AM, broke camp, and climbing again at 3:30AM. I led out. We crossed a solid snow bridge around 100’ below the schrund and were on the left of it heading straight up 40 deg neve. We eventually did a traverse hard right below a rock band to gain the apron. I protected the snow bridge and the traverse with some pickets. The snow was firm but steps could be kicked. Nonetheless, caning with an ice tool and having a ginormous schrund below warrants some pro in my eyes. Once on the apron proper and out of pickets, I set my axe for pro and belayed the team in.

 

Matt was cleaning on the back of the rope so he immediately took lead up the apron, setting some pickets. Steep 40 deg neve, some of which could be step-kicked and some of which required some French/American technique. Last year there was a beaten path with switchbacks that was easier, but not many have been up the route this year due to weather and conditions.

 

The Apron

 

Gained the top of the apron as the sun was rising over the east and we could see the North Ridge now.

 

Sunrise - looking east

 

Sunrise looking west with shadow of Baker = RAD

 

I took lead to the base of The North Ridge, setting some pickets here and there around crevasses, but everything was solid. The party’s steps from 2 weeks ago (Mitochondria and team) were now evident so we mostly followed them.

 

Approaching the North Ridge

 

We split up into two rope teams – Monica/me and Matt/Sean. There was another team of 3 approaching the route, too. The plan was to climb the more moderate left-side, gain the ridge, and climb away. Since I had the most ice experience, I led out with the plan being that if the ice was crappy, Monica would follow but not clean gear so Matt can clip into pieces and effectively sportclimb it. I got onto the first short section on the left – about 20 feet of vertical and slightly overhanging ice. It took pro ok but was rotten on the surface. Then I gained the ridge, looked at it, played with the “ice,” and recommended that Matt use my pro because the ice was horrendously rotten. I dug and chipped with my adze at least 8” to try to find good ice, but still couldn’t. I cursed, but that didn’t change anything, so I asked God to please preserve my life, and I climbed on. The 8” surface was rotten snow cone ice cream and the stuff below was no better than a frozen turd. Not enough snow for a picket and not enough ice for a screw – snice at its best. I set a screw into this lower-lifeform-than-a-frozen-turd and moved on. I finally started thinking that last year, I was able to find better ice to protect on the right (north facing) side of the ridge and this made sense since it gets less sun. So I looked there and managed to get a couple decent placements, but overall, crummy climbing and crummier protecting. After about 45 meters, I got to what was the only blue ice I found on the ridge-proper, so I fired in my 22cm and 19cm screws and set a belay. Monica followed nicely and like a trooper, hacking away into snow and commenting that she couldn’t find placements and was swinging into the abyss. Yup – welcome to the jungle my friend. Matt then came up, and at that point we reset the anchor because the sun was melting those screws quickly. Sean followed Matt after. The other 3 people climbed a route more on the right side of the North Ridge/Face and said the ice was solid, and of course steeper. This allowed them to gain the ridge-proper close to where we were belaying, but then they still had to contend with the ridge. Choose your own adventure, I suppose.

 

I wore my helmet cam up pitch 1 so here is a first-hand account of the conditions. It's not Hollywood quality (hey, neither is Vertical Limit but people watch that) but hopefully it will give you an idea of the conditions on the pitch 1 + the first half of pitch 2.

 

 

I led out on pitch 2, more on sketchy snice. Finally when I gained the face, I was able to more easily frontpoint and even American-technique up some firm neve. I chipped away 4” of firm snow and got to really nice ice. Score! I fired in some screws. I moved up quite quickly up this face until I was at 60m. I am sure the team was happy to see the rope being paid out so quickly because that meant conditions were better. At this point, the surface was turning from ice to snow. I managed to hammer in two bomber pickets – surely with the last bit hitting ice – and strong enough to hold a VW Beetle. I belayed Monica up. Matt and Sean followed.

 

I led out pitch 3 with pickets (ice too deep for screws) and Monica and I switched to simul-climbing as the terrain and conditions eased and became more forgiving. At the end of that pitch and when out of pro, I belayed Monica up. Matt and Sean soon joined and we combined forces back to a 4-person single rope team.

 

I led up through the “Secret Passage” which was in great shape, setting a couple pickets, and we then headed towards the group of people on the summit. Summit at noon.

 

Looking up towards "Secret Passage"

 

"Secret Passage"

 

 

 

Summit shot - Monica's first time up Baker!

 

We put away the screws and pickets, had lunch, and at 12:30PM slogged across the summit plateau, walked down the Roman Wall (with some postholing), and slogged out the glacier. Very few crevasses on the way out making the route very direct but less interesting to those ascending via the Coleman-Deming route because it’s always fun to walk over/around giant crevasses. We got off the glacier, unroped, and plunge-stepped/glissaded down quite a ways to finally intersect the trail. We managed to make it from summit->car in 4 hours (back at cars at 4:30PM).

 

Having done this route before and other ice routes, I can say that the ice was at best “not pleasant” and at worst “slightly horrifying (in spots)." Fortunately the angle of the terrain can be forgiving so by being careful, it was doable, but not at the caliber I personally know the route can be at and will be at soon enough. One can take a further right line up the face to gain the ridge proper, like Mitochondria did as well as the team of 3 we met, and get better ice but more sustained. But you will still need to contend with some sketch on the ridge no matter what. I bet it is in far better shape in a couple weeks when the crud melts away. If you do it soon, leave the shorties at home and bring some extra 19s and 22s. A tool with an adze is very helpful to chip away at the crud. Still a very fun time out. Great views, good experience, and another weekend of mental clarity.

 

 

Gear notes (per 2-person team so everything x2 for the collective team):

60m double rope

3 pickets

9 ice screws + screamers/draws

Each person had a set of technical tools

Gummy worms

 

What would I change? More long screws and gummy worms.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 27, 2011 by CamelJockey

[jordansahls]

Awesome! Great report. I'm hopeing to climb the N. Ridge this upcoming weekend. I know it's a shot in the dark, but how long do you figure until the ice becomes a bit more solid? Your description of crappy ice is making me think it might be more prudent to wait a few more weeks to climb this route.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Awesome! Great report. I'm hopeing to climb the N. Ridge this upcoming weekend. I know it's a shot in the dark, but how long do you figure until the ice becomes a bit more solid? Your description of crappy ice is making me think it might be more prudent to wait a few more weeks to climb this route.

 

ditto. :-/

[CamelJockey]

Hey guys,

 

Well, this past weekend we climbed it was pretty warm and this week is looking warm too so that should melt off the crud. And that side gets a lot of morning sun. I bet it will be better the weekend after this. This all said, who knows if the weather will be ok then. This nice week will likely make the route improve quite a bit, even for this weekend. I'm no expert, but I'd say if you are looking for nice ice, wait another 10 days, but if this weekend works better for you and you are comfortable in your abilities, you should be able to find better conditions than we did and probably be ok.

 

Rick

[jordansahls]

Hey, thanks for the answer. I realise it's a subjective question. I have been looking at the N. ridge route for a while now. Maybe I'm being too picky, but I really want to hit it in "classic" conditions. Still, mountains and conditions change, so "classic" is also subjective. whatever, thanks again for the info and congrats on a great climb!

[CamelJockey]

Anytime. I hear you on "classic" conditions - I'm generally of the same mentality. I'd say wait another week or two and I bet you'll get those conditions. Actually, much of August should provide those conditions so you should have some great options. It's certainly a much more enjoyable climb with those nice ice conditions.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

I just watched the video... why not climb a few feet to the right on the face in the shade, where placements appeared to be much better?

[CamelJockey]

I assume you mean climb on the right on the face while I was on the ridge-proper, right? If so, the ice angles are tough to see on the video, but while on the ridge that right (north) face drops down vertically so you can't really just jump on that side of the ridge - you'd be traversing a vertical ice face. The angle on the south side of the ridge (left) is more gradual. So basically once on the ridge-proper, you have to either climb the ridge or left of it - can't go right but can certainly protect right. Like I said though, one could climb the right side of the north face itself to gain the ridge. This would expose you to better ice, albeit more sustained, but you will still end up on the ridge-proper at some point and need to contend with some crud.

[YocumRidge]

Thanks for the detailed TR and amazing pics!

 

For what its worth, there is also a mixed variation of getting on the NR without enduring the pleasure of being a rotten ice clearing machine on the ridge per se: through the middle rock band (but dont count on much rock though!) and WI2 step and then up the AI2 pitch or two to the immediate start of the summit plateau.

 

[BootsandPants]

Sweet write up and pics Rick! I'd like to get this one done once class is over and the conditions are better. Here's hoping!

We've got some cool pictures of you guys climbing from our vantage point an the Roosevelt/Coleman too.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I assume you mean climb on the right on the face while I was on the ridge-proper, right? If so, the ice angles are tough to see on the video, but while on the ridge that right (north) face drops down vertically so you can't really just jump on that side of the ridge - you'd be traversing a vertical ice face. The angle on the south side of the ridge (left) is more gradual. So basically once on the ridge-proper, you have to either climb the ridge or left of it - can't go right but can certainly protect right. Like I said though, one could climb the right side of the north face itself to gain the ridge. This would expose you to better ice, albeit more sustained, but you will still end up on the ridge-proper at some point and need to contend with some crud.

 

Thanks, man. Your TR and comments have convinced me to wait a couple of weeks.

 

 

[ryanl]

[Whatcomboy]

I liked the helmet video. Thanks for leaving out the annoying music.