[TR] Mt. Baker - North Ridge 5/12/2012

[Riley81]

Trip: Mt. Baker - North Ridge

 

Date: 5/12/2012

 

Trip Report:

Benmurphy and I climbed the North Ridge of Mt. Baker May 11-12 in stellar weather and conditions.

 

North ridge.

 

We Started out from the car at around 10:00 AM on friday and had a leisurly pace to camp at ~5800 at the end of the moraine. We Set up camp at around 4:30 PM, relaxed drank some wine and melted snow for the following day.

Sunset was beautiful with great views in all directions.

 

Wake up time was 1:45 AM, we got headed out at 3:00 AM. Traversing the Coleman glacier was farily straight forward as there was very few open crevasses. We strated at 6000 ft making an oblique left traverese to around 6500 then headed more up hill to the base of the rock traveresing directly under to the base of the ridge proper. We hit the base just about 6:00 AM with the rising sun.

 

Approaching the base of the ridge.

 

Sunrise at the start of the steep snow.

 

Conditions were good all the way up the lower portion of the ridge with ankle deep snow that was firm. A couple of old avalanches were visible just below the ice cap, but where the snow had slide was easier traveling.

 

 

Looking up at the ice cap.

More Ice Cap please.

We got to the Ice cap at about 10:30 AM. I choose to head up just right of the end of the cap at a spot that looked good. In hindsight it would have been easier to go up further to the left, or even to traverse around to the other side of the cap and head up there.

Setting up the anchor just below the ice bulge.

 

We headed straight up from there and over to the lower angle side. I definetly bite of a little more than i could chew with my route choice, but found good screws that made me feel a little safer.

5 screws for about 35 feet of 80-90 deg. ice. Maybe a little overkill, but it made me feel better and we had plenty of screws.

After finishing the vertical section I climbed about 35 feet higher to a nice little snowy alcove that is probably a calving piece of ice later in the year.

 

Second anchor. The angle dropped to about 65-70 deg. and the ice was easier to climb.

We continued up one more pitch until the ice began to be covered with snow. I set up one more anchor with a picket, snow stake and 1 ice screw.

BenMurphy following the last pitch of steep ice.

 

We did one more "mental" pitch of steep snow that was mostly unprotectable, but got us on to slightly mellower terrain. We continued up the upper portion of the ridge unroped to the upper ice cap.

Another oblique left traverse along the top of the roosevelt glacier had us heading toward the summit.

Traveresed under the ice blocks.

Looking back at the ridge.

From here was the difficult slog to the summit which seemed to drag on for along time as the slope seemed to continue up and up.

We hit the summit at about 1:45 PM hung out for about 10 minutes and headed back down the CD route. We hit camp at about 4:15 and headed for the car.

 

This was definetly one of the most strenuous climbs I have done even in the good conditions. Of course it was one of the most spectacular climbs I have done as well and am glad for all the suffering, including all the skin I lost off my big toe, that will help me remember it.

 

Gear Notes:

70m 8.9mm rope

10 ice screws

3 pickets, one home made and a snow stake

2 tools, crampons, and an ice axe

 

Approach Notes:

~2.5 miles of hard packed road snow and a well beaten trail. Head downstream at grouse creek to cross the trail.

[Gaucho Argentino]

Hi, Dan!

Good job, Pal! At least you did not have to "walk" a #6 cam up the ice in here!!

Nice climb, Dudes :-)

[JasonG]

I have a picture of one of you guys on the second ice pitch, I'll post it up here when I get a few minutes. We were over on the ridge above the Park Gl. It was cool to see some folks on it!

[Tyson.g]

Nice one boys.

We missed you in l-town and were wondering how it was panning out for you two.

Good on ya!

[Riley81]

I remember seeing two guys on the ridge above the cockscomb. Would love to see a picture of our position.

[Riley81]

Amazingly I feel safer walkinga #6 cam 30 feet then standing on crampons in ice. Guess it's just experience though. We will have to get out again this year.

[wetslide]

10 ice screws is ridiculous for this route.

[Riley81]

Wow Summitchasercjb thanks for the positive feedback. I would have to say your 10 minute long video of AK47 was pretty fucking stupid as well. How about you never reply to any of my posts again and don't get started on what's ridicuilous. I have never Ice climbed before so I think I did pretty well. Shit like this is why people don't post post trip reports on this site any more. Have you ever heard of being tactful with your opinion. I guess not you dick.

[BirdDog]

Nice. Great pics and stellar weather.

[DPS]

10 ice screws is ridiculous for this route.

 

I declare this post to be ridiculous.

[selkirk]

Good on ya for getting after it!

 

 

10 ice screws is ridiculous for this route.

 

Jackass. Did your mother ever teach that if you don't have anything nice to say you should STFU.

[Tyson.g]

10 ice screws is ridiculous for this route.

 

Insightful and well developed as usual.

 

[Tyson.g]

Wow Shit like this is why people don't post post trip reports on this site any more.

 

I don't see anything wrong with a bit of discussion regarding peoples TR's, giving it be done in a civil manner and maybe more than just throwing out a childish insult.

But I have to agree you are 100% correct in your assesment.

It is dissapointing to say the least.

[benmurphy]

Considering 4 screws are tied up in anchors, that leaves 6 screws for a pitch of climbing, which seemed reasonable to us...not sure why that's ridiculous??

[DPS]

Considering 4 screws are tied up in anchors, that leaves 6 screws for a pitch of climbing, which seemed reasonable to us...not sure why that's ridiculous??

It is not ridiculous. Wetslide is at that stage of development where he feels the need to denigrate other peoples' accomplishments to boost his low self esteem.

[Riley81]

I agree discussion is definetly a big part of posting trip reports. I made sure to include details of the trip such as how much gear we brought, and how we went about it so people could think about how they would do it. But approaching the discussion in a civil manner is important. If all wetslide aka summitchasercjb aka isolatedsonsomething wants to do is belittle me then he should say nothing. Amazingly in the end I agree, the climb can easily be done with less ice screws and a 70m rope was unessecary as well. But we all make choices in the alpine environment, speed vs. saftey, run it out vs protect the hell out of it, two tools vs. one. and a lot of that has to do with the amount of experience and comfort level in the situation. I hope to learn from my experience and that of others. I even posted the picture of my over protected ice pitch even though I know full well that is not the usual style in which ice climbing is done, but it let's other people know that sometimes climbing is scary and there is nothing wrong with protecting from falls, since they can kill you and stuff.

[wetslide]

Haha sorry man that came off wrong. Just trying to let people know this route can go with much less gear.

I applaud you for your efforts. I did that route as well when I was progressing and learned from asshole comments like the one I just made. Didn't know the air was so thick around here. I apologize for my comment, but not necessarily for everything I've ever done on this board. There's kind of an us verses them mentality here that is bullshit and pretentious and doesn't exist when you share a rope with someone. I can't name one person I've climbed with who would't rope up with me for personal or other reasons. Can YOU say the same thing? Let's PM if you want to talk.

[Riley81]

You've made your bed but now it seems like you don't want to lie in it. I would forgive if you didn't have such a history of stupidity on this site. You say you're sorry but follow it up with the caveat of how everyone you climbed with loves you, and question my social integrity. How is that an apology.

When i lurked on many threads you posted it seemed like you might have been a descent person who was just misunderstood, but now I see you meerly make asanine comments, backpedal with half hearted apologies, then change your username and hope it all blows over. You have your head up your ass so far all you can smell is your own nasty colon and you think it smells like gum drops and rainbows. I can say right now that I would never want to share a rope with you, not because I wouldn't feel safe, but because you're a jerk and 90% of climbing is who you climb with not what you climb, that is what I have learned as I have "progressed". And I don't know if you realize it, but you are the pretentious one.

[Sol]

10 ice screws is ridiculous for this route.

 

I declare this post to be ridiculous.

 

Agreed. Poor form wetslide.

 

When I climbed the N Ridge years ago with 4 screws I would have been psyched to have 10. Lots of different conditions for that route depending on snowpack and time of year. With 4 tied up for anchors and 6 left for the pitch it seems just about perfect for folks uping their alpine ice game.

 

Well done gentlemen.

[JasonG]

Whatever happened to keeping the TR's spray free? Here is a not too terrific photo of one of you guys (the black speck) on the NR. Since we were carrying over I left the tele at home...

 

[lukeh]

Nice - thanks for posting this.

 

Are snowshoes still required on the approach? Trying this weekend. Was out there on the ridge 5/6 later in the day and it would've sucked w/o them, but maybe it's consolidated enough by now?

[telemarker]

Crampons are absurd overkill for this route. My buddy and I fired this route in Crocs last week.

[CaleHoopes]

Crocs are overkill. Open toe sandals or nothing. Don't forget the swim shorts too.

[benmurphy]

We didn't take snowshoes...the only time they would have been useful was the slog out, as the snow got real soft as it warmed up on Saturday.

[Riley81]

That is an awesome photo. Thanks for posting it.