[TR] Eldorado - West Arete 9/24/2012

[JasonG]

Trip: Eldorado - West Arete

 

Date: 9/24/2012

 

Trip Report:

For those that have suffered through enough of my TRs, you know that writing isn't my strong point. I'm not eloquent, poetic, or even very funny. Thankfully, I can be brief. I don't climb to find the "answer" or to prove anything. Mainly I'm in it for the view, the personal challenge, and the camaraderie. On a recent climb of Eldorado, I got all three...and then some.

 

Oh, and I like to take pictures.

 

Trent and I were looking for a way to end the summer with a bang, and after our recent uneventful (and sub Beckey) climb of the Northwest Face of Forbidden we were feeling probably a bit on the cocky side. We both had the West Arete on our lists and a plan was made to give it a go over 2.5 days. There are several ways you can go about approaching this thing, and we opted for the standard Eldo approach with a camp at the base of the east ridge. I think it took us about 4.5 hours to camp or so, with breaks.

 

The next morning we were up at 5 in the dark and off in the dim around 6. Wind and light rain dampened our enthusiasm, but we decided we should at least go over and take a look. Worst case we could always go for the regular route on Dorado Needle or Klawatti. A couple hours of easy glacier travel and snowfields brought us around and down, down, to the intimidating start. By this point the weather had cleared, so we were left without an excuse. Trent gamely took the sharp end and led runout slabs to a dirty, wet gully where I took over and simuled a ways up to the crest and upwards. We were making good time at this point (about the first 1000' vert.) and thought Beckey's "Grade III, 9 hrs" was going to be spot on. Then we hit the middle 1000' of vert., and the sun started to speed up its transit across the sky. We didn't feel comfortable simuling the large amount of looseish 5.6-7 between 5.8ish bits (wasn't this supposed to be easier than the NW face of Forbidden??), so pitched it out. And, for being an arete, the way wasn't always as obvious as we had thought. Tick, Tick, Tick.

 

But what a position!! The climbing in this section was often good (esp. around the gendarmes), and always spectacular. The Marble Creek Cirque is a special place and this was the last of the "select" climbs that I had to do in there. By evening, there was no question (at least for me) that I had saved the most challenging for last. We ended up running out of daylight about 1000' vert. from the top near the end of difficulties. Rather than push on into the unknown with headlamps, Trent wisely advocated to stay put on an OK ledge and get ready to shiver. Luckily I had thrown in a space blanket at the last minute and this proved to make it merely unpleasant rather than miserable. I should have brought long johns though, nylon pants don't cut it in September! But the weather was warm for the date, and calm, which helped tremendously. I ran out of water though, which made the night (and a "dinner" of bars) a bit on the dry side. We stayed tied in.

 

Tick, Tick, Tick. The night dragged on (no snaffles though!), but eventually light came to the eastern sky and we shook off the chill and got ready to roll. The rest of the climb was mostly 4th class (with bits of low fifth), but careful routefinding was still needed to keep it at that grade. Trent had made the right call. Luckily we were planning on another night back at our camp after the climb so nobody was thinking we were overdue.

 

The summit views were grand as usual, but maybe more so considering the work that it had taken to reach the top this time. The smoke from the various fires added a dreamy texture to the views as well. In the North Cascades, I'm always reminded that we live in an amazing part of the world! Luckily we arrived back (~10am) to find our camp all in one piece, with our food unmolested. We immediately started to eat and drink as much as we possibly could, while packing to get down reasonably fast. In the end, I think it took us something like 13 hours on route, thus managing to turn a Grade III into a V. I think we are reasonably competent (but maybe not?), so if you are a fellow weekend warrior this might be a climb best reserved for the longer days of summer. That said, I think it certainly deserves to be left in the "select" category (Why did Nelson pull it from the second edition?), loose rock and all. It is a grand adventure that you won't soon forget.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

The full kit: single rope, full rack, crampons, ice axe, etc. Space blanket may be key if you end up pitching much of the middle out. Bring 3L of water, not 2 like me.

 

Approach Notes:

We went via the standard Eldo approach, with a camp at the base of the east ridge. Free water, and a crapper, what could be better? ~2 hours to the base of the route from this camp. We started on the SW side of the toe on some slabby, wet junk for a couple of pitches of easy 5th.

[OlegV]

Very nice, Jason. You are a good writer. Also, you guys look very fine on that ledge. Those cold nights make you appreciate life and beer taste! Well done!

 

BTW, Beckey always underestimates his grades

[sepultura]

Good times guys! Looks like fun, and Trent knows how to bivy! Hope you brought Irish Whisky...

But what do you mean...."end the Summer"? I just got home, its just beginning right?

[G-spotter]

In Eldorado town there lives a great bullfighter. His eyes are screaming blue, his hair is red as blood.

[mhux]

Awesome pictures! Love that first one, so pnw!

[Trent]

More photos, not up to Jason's standards though!

 

 

 

 

 

For those interested, we saw an alternate approach. Rappel the col between the East Ridge on Eldorado and Dean's Spire to the glacier on the north side of Eldorado. Follow the glacier northwest past the NW Couloir until you are able to climb a dirty chimney to reach the West Arete below the gendarmes. This approach is shorter and will eliminate the lower 1000 feet of the Arete, and will preserve the best climbing around the gendarmes. The climbing to get from the glacier to the arete looked dirty but low fifth class.

[caleb ng]

Fantastic shots Jason! Do you bring an SLR with you??? Wow

[skykilo]

Such a beautiful area there at the head of Marble Creek Cirque.

[JasonG]

Caleb- No, those were all taken with my cheapo Powershot 300HS. Of course, Lightroom always helps!

[mountainsloth]

killer position. rock quality looks good, no?

 

[JasonG]

It actually was much better than I was expecting (I had heard stories....), but it is no West Ridge of Forbidden. The hardest climbing (around the gendarmes) tends to have quite good rock, with a bit of junk above and below it. The top 1000' of 4th/low fifth actually has some pretty good scrambling/climbing and was a lot more fun than I was expecting (even after an unplanned night out).

 

Overall, this route is quite an adventure given its position and length, and I would recommend it for the Cascade Connoisseur. In the words of Bruce Fairley though, "don't expect to be back for tea."

[wayne]

I really enjoyed it, waaay back. Thanks for bring back some great memories!