[TR] Mt Stuart - SGC 5/15/2014

[tbrugh]

Trip: Mt Stuart - SGC

 

Date: 5/15/2014

 

Trip Report:

In the spirit of giving back to the great community of cc.com, where I constantly gather conditions info and rarely give back my share, see below for a conditions/brief TR for the SGC from this past Saturday.

 

Mike and I set off at 3am, and were fortunate to follow behind a friendly pair of climbers from Portland who established a nice boot pack all the way up through Stuart Lake and across to the couloir entrance.

 

 

The bergschrund crossing was no problem:

 

 

The couloir is in great condition, with enough water ice at the constrictions that I was able to place solid 13 cm screws at each step.

 

 

The West Ridge was mostly snow free, with some exceptions particularly the pitch that ventures out onto the North Face, and the shaded offwidth crack pitch up higher.

 

We came out in 16 hours car-2-car.

 

 

Gear Notes:

30m rope, nuts, pins, cams, 2 screws, 2 tools, 2 crampons, 1 block of cheese, 1 bag of pepperoni.

 

Approach Notes:

Approach via Stuart Lake, descended Mountaineers creek.

Edited May 21, 2014 by tbrugh

[Woodcutter]

Excellent report.

 

Was everything frozen. It was very hot last thursday & I'm curious to know if the snow was firm up there or if you had issues with soft snow?

[bonathanjarrett]

We were the other party that the original poster referred to. By the way, many thanks to those guys for helping to navigate out. I always manage to foul up going out Mountaineer Creek and appreciated the assistance in making it less painful.

 

I regards to your question, there was a breakable crust on the way in that was exhausting and aggrevating from Stuart Lake up to near the 'scrund, and we postholed--sometimes up to our thighs--on the descent.

 

(What's up with pictures posting sideways???)

The first ice step

 

Approaching the West Ridge

 

Stepping down off the West Ridge notch on to the first pitch of the route

[drocka]

Thanks for posting, tbrugh. bonathanjarret and I were the other party. Here are a few pics of the constriction, and the snow field above, leading to the West Ridge.

 

We solo'd to the ice step at the start of the constriction and hoped to pitch it out in 60m, but didn't quite make it. We swung a quick lead to get into the upper snow field and simul'd up to the notch.

 

All I have is pics of the SGC, but as you said, the upper West Ridge was mostly dry. That slab and off-width was interesting to say the least.

 

Deep wet snow on the descent, meandering deproach of Mountaineer's creek and fun log crossing to complete the day.