[TR] Mt. Stuart - Upper North Ridge w/Great Gendarme 9/4/2012

[The Cascade Kid]

Trip: Mt. Stuart - Upper North Ridge w/Great Gendarme

 

Date: 9/4/2012

 

Trip Report:

 

[img:center]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7964687736_d682221be7_c.jpg[/img]

 

Pinky and the Brain headed to the upper north ridge of Mt Stuart a bit over a week ago.

 

We approached via the South Side, which is a big bite of hiking, but for a fit party traveling with reasonable weight, it's entirely reasonable to plan to bivy on the ridge by sundown.

 

[img:center]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7948037420_32a4948aba_z.jpg[/img]

 

Pretty psyched to have bivied and climbed behind Joel and Trevor...our pleasure gentlemen. And Allister and John (?) hope that you had a good climb, whatever your Plab B turned out to be.

 

Small bits of beta:

1.The trail from Ingal's lake to Stuart Pass is faint. Have faith and it delivers.

2. Getting down from the moraine and onto the Stuart Glacier is nontrivial. Choose between steep and loose moraine junk or downclimbing stiff snow (probably ok if you actually brought boots, but in approach shoes+crampons, it's a less-than-ideal option)

3. There was water available below the big nunatak on the Stuart Glacier, even at 5pm

4. The transition from snow back onto rock in the 4th glass gully is steep, exposed water ice for a few feet.

5. IMO the climbing in the gully has a few steps of true 4th class.

6. No snow or water on the ridge.

7. On the descent, there's a lot of funny beta about getting around the false summit. Ignore becky, and head to the notch in the ridge that looks like the most obvious way. Go across the ridge above the humongous boulder and the passage goes at 3rd class.

8. Be on the lookout soon after that for the CC on your left for the descent.

9. Water was available in the CC at the top and near the bottom, should continue to be this way until the snow comes.

 

For more photos, check out das flickr

 

For a more subjective take on the climb see

Mountain Lessons

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

Double rack 0.5"-3", 1 #4, single rack of nuts, no need for microcams/C3s, plenty o'slings, microtraxion for pack hauling / unapproved simul climbing protection.

[matt_warfield]

It's only one of the 50 classic climbs of North America. Good work. And the gendarme should not be missed by those capable.

[The Cascade Kid]

(Stuart)

 

 

(Sunrise on the bivy perch)

 

(Night falls above the Stuart glacier)

 

(approaching the route on the Stuart Glacier)

 

(The first crux pitch of the great gendarme)