Who Climbed What This Weekend?

[slaphappy]

I'm finding all the waiting around for "mountaineers" stuff kinda funny. When my comfort level wasn't near what it is now, I was frequently passed. I always watched with envy hoping I would someday be that proficient. I never even considered refusing passage to a faster party! Why should they wait while my bumbly ass figures out what to do or flails around like an idiot? I always thought that was the correct etiquette. Since my speed and abilities have increased, I have noticed myself being caught behind slower parties, and until recently have never been refused passage, on the contrary have been met with smiles and kind words. I was stunned when on a recent trip this occurred. I waited over an hour and a half and finally said fuck him and climbed around/over the prick. They bailed shortly after. The mountain wasn't his or mine and I don't feel anyone has the right to make you wait unreasonable amounts of time for any reason, especially when they are "teaching" rappeling or belaying, that should be done at the crags. If they want to descend in the dark that's fine but no one else should be forced to do the same. I have been caught for a few short spells behind Mountaineers or other similar organizations and I found that if you keep moving by without asking for permission they usually step out of the way without confrontation. (Of course keeping safety in mind!) If descending, look for an alternate "loose block" or "sketchy tree" to rap off of, there are usually other options on routes of that grade. If I am wrong and it is customary to wait ridiculous amounts of time while peolple learn how to climb, I apologize to those I have passed.

[hasbeen]

I climbed the 200 feet from the trailhead to the Big Four ice caves with my 5 year old and 9 year old. We then pulled hard on some rad boulders at end of the trail and we skated around on the ice at the toe of the snowfield. They were suitably impressed with the sound of a big chunk of ice falling to the floor of one of the caves. I only hope we have one more weekend of good weather becasue I have one more alpine trip planned before the snow flies.

[philfort]

Waited for one and a half hours at the rap station on Kangaroo Temple for a group of Mountaineers to do their rappel. We asked politely, but they wouldn't let us use their rope to zip by while they taught the students how to rappel.

Then they got their ropes stuck while pulling them. One of them climbed up to retrieve the stuck rope, and we let him use our rappel line to get back down.

 

[Kyle]

I climbed onto the beach at Ocean Shores, & enjoyed a rare non-climbing weekend with my wife. Very relaxing... just gotta do it once in a while.

[willstrickland]

Saturday: Climbed into a chair and took the GRE...for the second and last time, once three years ago for the my Master's program , this time for admission to a doctoral program.

Sunday:Beacon Rock

Blownout direct to Blownout

Seagull

Winter Delight or Spring somethingorother

Last pitch of blownout is stellar...maybe 130' of crack in a dihedral with "save the best for last" finger crack through two bulges at the end.

Seagull is the most calf and ass burning stemming pitch that I can ever remember climbing. About halfway up the pitch I felt like I'd been doing squats for an hour.

That last climb...something with Spring in the name I believe, it was the easier of the two adjacent "season" climbs...anyway, a little out of character for Beacon, primarily edging with just a tad of stemming and jamming...fun pitch.

[fishstick]

Climbed seracs on the lower Coleman at Baker Saturday. The ice is starting to come in good. You still have to be selective about where to pull hard, but another week or two of cool nights should put it in excellent shape. There's a great selection of problems this year.

GB

 

[chris_w]

I did a 1 day ascent of chiwawa via the Lyman Glacier. Started at 3:30am and returned at 10:30pm. 18 miles, 5000 foot gain and 3 pitches of ice. One of my first ice climbs and it was a blast, until I hear and felt the cracking of the ice I was standing on. Never new I could run so fast with crampons on.

Then headed up to do chair on sunday, but got a late start because we were WAY to tired. Made it to source lake, ate lunch, got a suntan and headed down.

A perfect weekend.

[Gerg]

West Ridge of Stuart, 23hrs car to car, with bcollins. Met a couple other groups on the descent. Banding together as a group of 8 made the headlamp trek down the Cascadian Colouir more bearable. FYI, the Colouir is now as dry as a bone.

[Matt_Anderson]

Freeway, up at Squamish. There were FIVE parties on it (and we were the first - poor other guys, I don't climb so fast . . .)

The were a number of seaps on the pitches below the cab overhang. Dry above.

We did the Express Lanes finish. Rather run out. Not what I was looking for. If anyone decides to do it, be aware that you've got ankle breaker and/or reaaaally long fall potential on 5.10 climbing. I bitched and moaned, but the pitches below made it all worthwhile. Not a bad pitch on the route(run outs aside . . .).

The two hard pitches were AWESOME.

matt

[willstrickland]

Easy solution to waiting around:

Brush up on your German, French, or Italian. When you reach the "hold-up" party, just give 'em the 'ol "Vee chust rappell now, OK bye bye, see u later jaahh!"

[terrible_ted]

What the hell is a chest rappell?

[Dru]

It's like a Chest Rockwell only it don't have no Dirk Diggler for a partner.

[Otto]

On Friday, did Exfoliation Dome via Dark Rhythm with chucK.

[tobytortorelli]

laid down some tele turns in euro-bowl!

[Charlie]

Will- went to beacon for the first time last weekend. Did you lead seagull? I TR 'ed it on the way down from the route to the right- 5.7 to 5.9 to 10.a? You end up on a big pillar whatever it is. Seagull was a calve pumper, the pro looked kinda thin. The locals said the routes were sandbags- I thought just the opposite(by lworth and index standards) That place is cool, but I dont think I would go out of my way to get there again. It was pretty funny walking down the tourist trail with rack and rope, after topping out- got some pretty funny comments from the tourists!

[Fairweather]

Glacier Peak....Sunday and Monday. Sitkum Glacier. 6 1/2 hrs to foot of Sitkum Glacier. 3hrs 45 min to summit. Hiked out same day. Great weather!

[willstrickland]

quote:

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Originally posted by Charlie:

Will- went to beacon for the first time last weekend. Did you lead seagull? Seagull was a calve pumper, the pro looked kinda thin. The locals said the routes were sandbags- I thought just the opposite(by lworth and index standards)

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I was following on that pitch, pro sucks until about 20' up, everything that looks promising from below is flared and bottoms out, my calves are still sore. I don't think the routes there are sandbags by any means, definitely not by Yosemite or Josh standards. Seemed about right-on to me. That's an odd assesment from the locals, because the only thing that would make Beacon routes seem stiff would be the extent of stemming technique required (especially on stuff like Seagull or Tennessee Walker)...something the locals should have in spades.

[jtflyfisher]

Southwest Rib of South Early Winter Spire Sunday then Beckey route Tues.

Two things:

One: Goddamn am I fat and slow! Fuck!

Two: The gully into the Beckey Route can kiss my ass. You'll have to have a large hand gun to get me there again.

[summitseeker]

Boston Peak. Really up there to climb the N. Face of Buckner, but it wasn't in. So enjoyed a scramble to the summit of Boston with absolutely awesome views. Watched a forest fire light up the Stehekin Drainage -- the whole valley was orange -- and picked out more constellations that I have seen in a long time.

[philfort]

Wonder if that fire was the same one we could see from Kangaroo on Sunday. In the morning, the view over to Mt Goode was clear. It got hazier and hazier due to building smoke (maybe from winds?), and by afternoon, Mt Goode was almost completely invisible. You could also smell it. The smoke, not Mt Goode.

[Alex]

Although the smell of Goode as been known to whip young whippersnappers into a frenzy!

Tried to climb NF Big Four on Saturday. On the Brush Scale, a nice solid 3! We bailed, I would be more interested when the thing is buried in snow. Found a few different sets of rap anchors, all in pretty scary condition.

Alex

[David_Parker]

Hey summitseeker, just thought you should be aware N. Face of Buckner is VERY IN! I know because I did it only 2 weeks ago and it will only be better now. I'm curious to know what makes you say it isn't. I don't think it is prudent to report things like this because someone reading your post might cancel a trip there and later regret your false beta. Just something for you to consider. Dave

[philfort]

But really - take any beta with a grain of salt. You thought it was in, he thought it wasn't. That doesn't make his beta false, anymore than it makes your beta false, in his mind.

Also, perhaps you're not clear on this, but these kinds of glaciated/snow faces generally tend to deteriorate as the year goes on. So if you were there 2 weeks ago, and he was there last weekend, there could be a difference. I don't know what would make you think it would be better now.

Or perhaps you are hinting/spraying about how you must be a better climber, since you were able to climb it and he wasn't.

[This message has been edited by philfort (edited 09-14-2001).]

[David_Parker]

Phil, You are right, different beta from different folks, but I'm definitely not spraying. Who you believe is up to you but if I was looking for beta, I'd go with the person who was there, on the climb. If I had questions, I'd email him. I don't think summitseeker even made it to the base of the route. In another post I think he mentioned they looked at it through binocs from Boston peak. Not exactly a straight on view. They also expressed concern about having to end run a bunch of huge crevasses on the Boston Glacier, so they didn't even start across.

The Boston glacier was not even close to being problamatic 2 weeks ago. My assessment is I could go the same way again and that was actually a high route just below ripsaw ridge. There weren't even "marginal bridges." Yes the last week has been warm, but this is a north face. On the N.face proper there was a place where the snow hour-glassed down, but it still looked continuous and passable to me. We did the couloir and once on it, i can say emphatically there were no places that would be melted down to impassable rock. Not even close. The snow was hard but easy to one kick and "punch" in the picks of our tools while holding them at the top of the shaft. Much of our foot work was pied troisieme. Only a few short sections had turned to alpine ice that required swinging and front pointing. I wish there had been more. This is why I say it could be better now...to me more ice and less snow is better. I realize for some this may be pushing their skills and I take that into consideration when posting. This is a long route because you have to (should?) go over and down the other side. Personally I can't fathom trying this in a day from Boston Basin. How the hell do you get back? Maybe this is the conclusion (mistake) they realized and so they bailed. It makes them feel better to say it wasn't in shape. I think my partner would confirm all this. Dave

[erik]

i'll spray for dave!!! he rocks! plus he is bad ass! phil you might need to be wrong once in awhile. it's okay bro! and i'll spray again centerfold...centerfold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!