Slesse NEB- avoiding pocket glacier death

[dberdinka]

If you want to climb a big route on Slesse consider the North Rib over the Northeast Buttress. It is a far superior climb with a much, much safer approach particularly for a heavy snow year like this one when the pocket glacier might never fully eject.

[Tyson.g]

Slesse North Rib - dberdinka TR

 

 

[bush-in-sky]

Yea, just finished reading that TR. Looks like a really good alternative to the NEB. Why do you think the North Rib sees so much less traffic? Just that more people climb the northeast buttress and write about it, so other people then climb it as well?

[G-spotter]

The NEB is a historic Beckey route. The N rib is a Lowe route and the story of the FA is much less dramatic.

 

The NEB is a more visually appealing line from a distance. The North Rib is pretty ill-defined from most angles, and the NEB is this huge fucking prow.

 

The N Rib is a rock climb on a north face which means shady, cold and often wet. Takes longer to come into condition.

 

Finally the north rib has the escape a couple pitches from the summit when it crests below the final summit tower. Whereas NEB goes straight to the summit, no weasel-out.

 

 

[bstach]

Yea, just finished reading that TR. Looks like a really good alternative to the NEB. Why do you think the North Rib sees so much less traffic? Just that more people climb the northeast buttress and write about it, so other people then climb it as well?

 

Perhaps its the "1200’ of unprotected 5.8 slab on somewhat dirty compact granite".

[jmace]

I found the beginning of the N Rib to be thin but nothing a pin or two wouldnt make a little more reasonable. Way less of a gamble than the death glacier.

 

You just wander out of the forest, which is your descent trail, and onto the route...pretty casual. You could bivy at the base of the route and pick your kit up on the way down. Makes for a pretty chill day trip.

 

At the notch either bail onto the descent trail or leave the packs and pick off the summit.