[TR] Mt Stuart - NW Buttress 24-26 May 2014

[dave schultz]

Trip: Mt Stuart - NW Buttress

 

Date: 5/24/2014 - 5/26/2014

 

Trip Report:

This past weekend Haireball and I climbed the NW Buttress on Stuart to the Upper West Ridge. Left trailhead around noon Saturday, topped out Sunday mid-afternoon, and back to the car early Monday afternoon.

 

Conditions on the Buttress were great, not very much loose rock, gulleys all filled with snow, surprisingly simple and straightforward route finding. Fairly common and consistent rap tat and should be considered a viable descent option for N Ridge parties approaching from the north.

 

Upper West Ridge were also pretty good, not too much snow. Fun blocky rock climbing in boots and crampons. Weather significantly deteriorated once we reached the ridge, and climbed most of it with very low visibility with blowing snow and wind.

 

Descent over to the Sherpa Glacier was easy, conditions on the descent were also good. Shrund is opening up, but still easily passable on climbers right.

 

Get out there and get some alpine rock this weekend!

 

Sunrise from our first bivy.

 

Typical gulley. It would usually be a long section of simul climbing, ending near a technical section. This is looking down near the completion of a simul climb stretch.

 

Stuart's Lower N Ridge - go get it!

 

 

Gear Notes:

We had a moderate alpine rack and never needed much of it.

[Val Zephyr]

Cool bivy spot. We were watching your headlamps on Saturday night and trying to figure out which route you were on. Nice job on the west ridge in the deteriorating weather, the north side was nicely protected, but as soon as we crested the ridge it was windy!

[montypiton]

poor Dave - I sold him on the idea of traversing Stuart-Sherpa-Argonaut-Colchuck -- and he was probably strong enough to do it, but this crippled-up-old-fart was most definitely not. Getting up and over Stuart was plenty -- lotsa rock-climbing in crampons meant moving slowly, and belaying ground that most would not in summer conditions -- still - FULL VAlUE!, and judging from my romp up Argonaut on Saturday, conditions are only improving - get it while its good!