[TR] Forbidden - West Ridge 9/16/2012

[dugdaled]

Trip: Forbidden - West Ridge

 

Date: 9/16/2012

 

Trip Report:

Phil and I went to Forbidden last weekend for a try at the West Ridge. It was an amazing climb—and this is mainly a conditions update and some beta we have not seen addressed in other reports. Sorry but I cannot figure out how to upload photos with this trip report.

 

The approach to the glacier was straightforward. Due to short days, we decided to bivy at the West Ridge notch. We could not see the entire couloir, but it looked very broken up and we decided against spending time trying it. The best looking way off the glacier to climber’s right has collapsed recently, so we looked for alternatives. Fortunately, we were able to go to and then get into the moat at the top of the snowfield. Phil devised a way to bridge in the moat between glacier and rock 20 feet laterally to a gully that led up via scrambling to the start of the first main gully to climber’s left of the couloir. This involved 3 pitches of 4th and low 5th climbing. Unlike the West Ridge, which has a similar grade, this gully has lots of loose rock, lots of rounded edges, and not many protection opportunities. At times, this part of the climb felt dangerous and unpleasant, unlike the near ideal climbing conditions of the ridge itself. It made us wonder if we should have tried the couloir first.

 

 

From the top of this, it is a scramble to the notch, where there are bivy spots for at least 4 people. There was plenty of snow for water just north of the notch. It was quite a place to spend the night! We did see 1 party on the East Ridge Direct route as well—they now have a post on cc.com. Their bivy spot was even more spectacular than ours!

 

We left the notch at 7 AM the next day (cold and windy), and summited just after 9 AM. The rock is fabulous, and we did a mixture of scrambling, belayed climbing, and running belays. There was new snow scattered on the north side, but this was not an impediment. We encountered the East Ridge party on the summit—congratulations OlegV and YcoumRidge. Coming down was slower than going up, with a combination of down climbing and rappelling. We were back to the notch by 12:30 PM.

 

Then began the somewhat nerve-wracking descent of the gully we had ascended. It seems likely that some have descended the gully just to the descending climber’s right of the gully we climbed, but we opted for the certainty of the gully we had ascended. After scrambling down some loose 3rd and 4th class terrain, we did 4 single rope (60 m) rappels to the bench just above the glacier.

 

Then 100 feet of down scrambling led us to the final rappel station from which we got to the glacier right where we had left it the day before. This was a much better moat crossing than on the way up, and our 60 m rope made it with a few meters to spare. From there it was a long descent back to the car—but the great views helped pass the time.

 

Gear notes: Ice axe, crampons, medium rack to 2 inches

 

Approach notes: Boston Basin trail, then trail to upper camping areas. Glacial slabs up to glacier, then snow to 30 degrees takes you to the upper moat crossing.