Al filo Posted May 12, 2012 Posted May 12, 2012 (edited) Trip: Mount Baker - North Ridge Date: 5/6/2012 Trip Report: We did on 6th of May the North Ridge in the Mt. Baker, with killer snow conditions. [img:center]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/504/medium/IMG_24331.JPG[/img] Our first full weekend, in Cascade Mountains, with a beautiful day. The weather was fantastic, but the clear night form Saturday to Sunday was not enough to freeze the snow and all the climb we were with the snow almost to our knees. The road to Heliotrope is still blocked and it is necessary to walk 2.5 extra miles to access. [img:center]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/504/medium/IMG_2369.JPG[/img] Saturday we acceded to the Heliotrope Ridge, at about 6250 feet, were we camp. The first setback was that one of our team was not fully recovered from his knee, as he thought and he had to renounce to climb next day. The second was the snow conditions which delayed a lot our climb. We got up early in the morning, but not enough….. we were too optimistic and to cross the Coleman glacier was a long way, fortunately many of the crevasses were covered, although we had to work in route finding (as were not any tracks) and to cross several crevasses , partially hidden and prepared to wolf down. [img:center]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/504/medium/IMG_3530.JPG[/img] [img:center]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/504/medium/IMG_2393.JPG[/img] We finished crossing the glacier when the sun started to get up and we were also too optimistic thinking that the snow conditions in the mountain would improve… In the ramp below the ice wall, the snow was not much better, very arduous job. We took the ice ridge, by the left arête and we enjoyed the two ice pitches, with acceptable conditions (the ice a bit brittle), but the view and the ridge fantastic, with beautiful day. [img:center]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/504/medium/IMG_35401.JPG[/img] [img:center]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/504/medium/IMG_3543.JPG[/img] The access to the summit crater also arduous and we finished very, very late….a very long day with a very long way down in a beautiful full moon night. [img:center]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/504/medium/IMG_24122.JPG[/img] [img:center]http://cascadeclimbers.com/plab/data/504/medium/IMG_24161.JPG[/img] Neither of us knew the route before, but as the weather was great we enjoyed a perfect day in the mountains. Edited May 12, 2012 by jon Quote
spionin Posted May 12, 2012 Posted May 12, 2012 great report, and looks like you cruised the route despite all the little "setbacks"! well done! Quote
Dan_Miller Posted May 12, 2012 Posted May 12, 2012 Thanks for a fine TR on what has always for me been a great route on a big snowy/icy mountain, even if it was somewhat of a wallow-fest. Quote
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