[TR] Mount Challenger - Challenger Gl, via Easy Ridge/Imperfect Impasse 7/29/2014

[peter_mcb]

Trip: Mount Challenger - Challenger Gl, via Easy Ridge/Imperfect Impasse

 

Date: 7/29/2014

 

Trip Report:

Having long benefitted from viewing other climbers' TRs, I finally felt compelled to post one myself. While I believe this is a pretty standard line of approach for this summit, the combination of the length of the trip, together with this peak's penchant for turning back capable parties at any of several cruxes, left me desiring to describe and illustrate some of those crux points better than we found in our own pre-trip homework. (Kudos to my climbing partner, Keith, for supplying the photography, as I cleverly managed to leave my camera at home.)

 

Following record-shattering rainfall two days earlier, Keith & I set out in perfect weather for Hannegan Pass on July 25th, trusting the upper Chilliwack would be flashy enough to be down to a reasonable ford again. My first route-finding question was finding the old lookout trail departing the maintained Hannegan trail, and leading to the ford. Turns out this was no issue; the advice to watch for the side trail "5 minutes after first seeing the Chilliwack through the trees" works well; with that heads-up the junction with the old trail was quite obvious. (If in doubt, watch for old sawn logs confirming that the tread was once a maintained trail.) This spur quickly leads down to the river, and what we found to be a refreshing, calf-deep ford. Camping feasible on forest bench just before river, or on gravel bar across.

 

Chilliwack ford looking upriver, with tread onward just visible on left side of photo, next to small cairn:

 

This ford is about 50 yards downstream of the confluence with Easy Creek, and the trail onward roughly parallels the latter initially. This is the most brush-encroached section of the old lookout trail, but there was only one spot--at a large treefall amid brush--where there was any ambiguity (cross rightward over treefall before continuing upward). Soon the trail begins climbing strongly through older forest; tread is narrow and deteriorating, with occasional down logs to cross--but remarkably obvious/functional for a trail unmaintained for decades(?). No water from river till the trail crests the ridge at ~5190', where forest opens to parkland and several shallow pools are soon found. Follow tread through delightful heather meadows and over granitic slabs. Occasional cairns mark the route over latter, but as the line basically follows the wide crest south through open country, precise routefinding is not essential. The only navigational challenge here is the worthy distraction of the ever-expanding panorama. After a short scrabbly section, the trail tops the high crest, soon reaching the old lookout site; currently residual cornices on the lee (north) side of ridge provide some snowmelt water on the otherwise dry crest.

 

"Great Wall of China" cornicing on Easy Ridge crest:

 

Enjoy this section, with sweeping views from Blum to Slesse to Redoubt, to--of course--the Northern Pickets ahead. For such an unapologetic pair of summit-chasers, Keith and I each had to admit that Easy Ridge is a grand backpacking destination in itself.

 

Finally there is a view ahead framing the objective and its main milestones: Whatcom Peak, with its SW buttress descending to the Impasse; Perfect Pass; and beyond it, the Challenger Glacier leading to the summit pinnacle.

 

Descend the 1000' from the ridgecrest to the toe of the buttress, and meet the long-awaited Impasse. After so much anticipation we were not disappointed (view S down Impasse):

 

While the Impasse is a little less deep and steep above this point, it still looks pretty unappetizing from here. Apparently in some seasons/snowpacks a "useful snowbridge" eases this crossing - see Steph Abegg's excellent material here:

http://www.stephabegg.com/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/pickets#section3n

 

That was in mid-August of 2012; about 3 weeks earlier this season the snowbridge was completely gone. This is my re-creation of her image for comparison:

Unfortunately, between the red entry and exit arrows, that useful snowbridge is now replaced by a less-useful and ugly 30' chasm. We weren't keen on rapping with full packs down into a slot ravine we weren't sure we could climb back out of. Fortunately, before we resigned ourselves to the bonus 1000' descent/1000' bushwack re-ascent, we tried and found the rumored upper crossing (beyond yellow arrow in image above); here's a view of the same from above:

Note the red arrows at lower left, showing the relative location of the snowbridge crossing (when present).

 

Yes, this post-snow crossing involves some exposure, but nowhere near as wicked as it is a bit lower, and there are reasonable holds throughout. We took our time crossing unroped, traversing the rim, then working down where the going was easiest. The climb up/out on the east side of the ravine was slabbier, but sufficient holds could be found. On return we elected to set an anchor and rap down over these slabs rather than downclimb; if needed, watch for a single, red 9/16" sling threaded around a small/capped boulder set into slope.

 

About halfway on toward Perfect Pass, there was one more section that warrants comment. From the top of a snowfield we saw options on slabs on either side of a scrubby conifer area; the slabs to climber's right were lower angle but braided with streams, so we opted for the higher-angle but drier slabs to the left (red trace):

These progressively steepened until we were carrying our full packs up cracks and ribs at a rather jaunty angle for ascent, but not so sporty a prospect for the return. Fortunately, on descent we picked up the tread and found a standard route (yellow) snaking down, mostly along the east edge of the scrub-thicket and the somewhat wet slabs beneath:

 

Perfect Pass has plenty of water and enough dry bivy spots if you look above the saddle to either side:

 

We arrived at Perfect Pass almost simultaneously with another pair of climbers returning from their own summit bid on Challenger. This was very fortunate as Erin and Rachel enthusiastically provided us enough fresh route beta and ideas to all but climb the peak for us.(They had a rather more adventurous outing than our own, heading straight out into the tempest we'd ducked two days earlier: TR >?)

 

The route up/out of PP was very straightforward, and other than crossing an initial rock rib

 

was all snow until summit block:

 

The glacier was in fine condition, and a surprisingly quick and direct crossing line required very little crevasse-skirting before reaching the bergschrund. Perhaps only a single snowbridge crossing was necessary:

and although it spans an impressively deep ice chasm, the bridge appears pretty deep-seated, and should last a few more weeks--longer than other parts of our route?

 

Near the east margin of the glacier we ascended and soon could see--as E & R had forewarned--that the bergschrund was gaping open all the way east to the rock rib. They found the climbing prospect there daunting, and above the rock section we could see that the transition back onto snow would be quite steep with immediate runout onto the rib. So we took their suggestion that traversing west under (and downclimbing some) the bergschrund might go, and it did. Fortunately the steepening snow here remained in great shape (other than a semi-icy section nearing the 'schrund); it was 45degr in the traverse, and 50degr ascending beyond the 'schrund:

 

Despite the distant appearance that the bergschrund would be slightly open here, we crossed on uninterrupted snow--though this will not last long, as near below it reopens into a welter of crevasses:

 

A more promising and direct line might (blue trace) be that described by Beckey (CAG3): ascending after passing below a small nunatak to go above the next/larger rock rib. We had close views of either end of this route, where there was minimal and easily negotiable crevassing; of the middle section we only had a distant view (per image above), but it also appeared uninterrupted. The steepest section (Beckey's "another steep slope") has the darker cast of icier snow, so it may be necessary to push higher for a less-direct if lower-angle line.

 

The nunatak:

 

Only on the uppermost snowfield did we meet any extent of icy snow; crampon points here provided some purchase where we could kick in no steps, and belay or arrest prospects were dubious. Once off the steeper NW face, the snow on the final crest was again soft, easing the transition onto rock.

 

View of summit pinnacles from upper snowfield:

 

The final rock pitch is more enjoyable than truly challenging; no need for rock shoes, nor probably additional pro; clipping into the 4 pitons present may suffice. The crux move (5.5-5.6?, just right of photo center), over/around a boulder midway, is at least protected by 2-3 FPs below:

 

The panoramic views were outstanding, to say the least, but perhaps what will most mark this summit for me was the unguarded enthusiasm of the perennially-laconic Keith.

 

Well won view over Northern Pickets and upper Luna Basin

 

Perfect sunrise

 

Easy Ridge wind cirque

 

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe, crampons, glacier rope; pickets and light rack carried but not really needed.

 

Approach Notes:

On this date the Chilliwack ford was no issue, the Easy Ridge trail still easy to find/follow, the Impasse passable high, the Challenger Glacier in good condition, and the bergschrund still passable, at least to west.

Edited August 24, 2014 by peter_mcb

[JasonG]

Nice work Peter! Glad you had success, I seem to remember that this has been on your list for some time.

[wayne]

Nice outing and descriptions! The upper impasse is how I did it the last couple of outings. Much easier.

[peter_mcb]

Spot-on, Jason! I think it's because this one was so long in coming I was extra aware of the cost of coming up short.. hence my motivation to find/share good beta.

 

Agreed, Wayne. We were two minutes from dropping the extra 1000'... simply for not having clear info about this option.

Edited August 25, 2014 by peter_mcb

[curtveld]

Congrats Peter and Keith! Way to keep trying until all the variables had lined up.

[scottwesh]

WE were up there two weeks later in August and could not get around the schrund. We saw what looked like a feint line of tracks where your route went but it was open around the schrund where it gets steep and you crossed and it was steeper than what your photo shows. We only had a short skinny rope and one picket. It was my 3rd time in to climb that beast. next time we will go in June or early July so we can get across the schrund. It was 20 ft high and wide. 4 years ago it was a walk across in early August but a storm blew in and we turned around. Glad to here you made it up. We came up Wylie- Eylie ridge. Cheers Scott

[JasonG]

Oh man, that's terrible Scott. As you are painfully aware, such a long haul in there!