keenwesh Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 Jacob, if you can climb Fearful Symmetry you can probably climb any of the most technical portions of Torre Egger. Getting to the point where you can climb 6 pitches of WI6 with another pitch or two of easier mixed ground is probably more mental than anything else. Quote
Jacob Smith Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 When I wrote that one down I thought I might regret it. It is the most fun and interesting ice climb I have ever done, but it was in easy WI5 condition and I didn't lead it. Why I'll never climb Torre Egger isn't about the grade. Jim Donini called it either the most difficult summit in South America or the most difficult in the Americas, I can't remember, and it's got to have the lowest success rate of the Torres. Plus light and fast technical alpine climbing freaks the hell out of me. Quote
DPS Posted February 9, 2015 Posted February 9, 2015 ) Name 3 to 5 climbs that you have climbed. Mt. Shuksan, Price Glacier Colchuck Peak, NE Buttress Mt. Stuart, Ice Cliff Arete Mt. Hunter, SW Buttress J'Berg, NE Buttress in winter (to the snow arête) 2) Name 3 to 5 climbs that you could potentially climb but have not yet done so. Mooses Tooth, Ham and Eggs (got stormed off) Mt Huntington, West Face Couloir (Nettle-Quirk) Ptarmigan Traverse (the whole enchilada) Alpamayo, Ferrari Route Mt Rainier, Curtis Ridge (got stormed off) 3) Name 3 to 5 climbs that you admire but will probably never climb for whatever reason. Everything farther than a one day drive from Seattle Quote
JasonG Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 J'Berg, NE Buttress in winter (to the snow arête) Wait, you descended from the snow arete in the winter? Yikes. You should write that TR up! Quote
YocumRidge Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 1. Hung Jury - Valdez, AK Cleopatra Needle - Hyalite, MT Price Gl. - Shuksan Ice Cliff Arete - Stuie Goldrush - Eureka, CO 2. Yocum Ridge - Hood Polar Circus - Mt. Cirrus North Ridge - Mt. Columbia North Buttress - Bear Mt. Epinephrine - Black Velvet 3. Spray ice Niagara falls Quote
DPS Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 J'Berg, NE Buttress in winter (to the snow arête) Wait, you descended from the snow arete in the winter? Yikes. You should write that TR up! I wrote it up in bombastic style in a post titled 'Sport Climbing for the New Millenium'. That was in the winter of 2000. We got to the snow arête and bivied. My partner brought the stove, which was a butane canister model. It was about 8 degrees out and the stove did not work all that well. Realizing we had two more long days ahead of us without a functioning stove we bailed the next morning, down climbing and rappelling with a single 60 meter rope. Afterwards, I told Colin what a great route it was and he and Mark Bunker sent the whole rig the next winter during the worst possible weather window. Quote
ivan Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 those tr's revved me up enuff to get me own wick wet! pretty similiar bail experience too Quote
Buckaroo Posted February 10, 2015 Author Posted February 10, 2015 3) Name 3 to 5 climbs that you admire but will probably never climb for whatever reason. Everything farther than a one day drive from Seattle 3. Spray ice You guys aren't doing this right, name CLIMBS in the 3rd category. Not grades, types, or descriptions of climbs. For some hard to fathom reason the 3rd category personally seems the most interesting. And also for some reason it seems the one category that many people aren't answering specifically. Quote
sepultura Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Almost seems like we need a fourth category for best(worst?) suffer fest and/or climbs that we have failed at(is it possible for one of your favorite climbs to be one that you didn't complete?). This is getting complicated! I like! Quote
Buckaroo Posted February 10, 2015 Author Posted February 10, 2015 This is too much fun so will go again: Yeah, maybe should have made it 10 in each category. Okay, will go again also, after reading all these it tripped some memories. 1)Have climbed Whitney, East Buttress El Cap, East Buttress Serenity Crack--Sons of Yesterday Weeping Wall, Rt side Edith Cavell, E Ridge solo Shuksan, N Face winter solo (epic bivy) Drury Falls Outer Space, Orbit link up Orbit, free solo. Snow Creek Wall ice climb 2)Want to Climb N Pickets Traverse Mongo Ridge Temple Crag, Dark Star Liberty Ridge, Rainier Steck Salathe, Sentinel East Ridge, Temple S Howser, Becky-Chounaird NE Buttress of Slesse in winter Eve Dearborn, N Peak Index 3)Will never climb Lhotse, South Face K2, The Polish Line Nanga Parbat, Rupal Face, Anderson/House (4100m--13,450ft) Cerro Torre Traverse El Cap, Salathe, all free Quote
Buckaroo Posted February 10, 2015 Author Posted February 10, 2015 Almost seems like we need a fourth category for best(worst?) suffer fest and/or climbs that we have failed at(is it possible for one of your favorite climbs to be one that you didn't complete?). This is getting complicated! I like! Excellent addition! "50 Most Unclimbed Climbs of North America" I'll go 4)Climbs you have epic'd, failed on one or more times, and/or don't recommend. Sunset Ridge on Rainier in Winter (4x DNS), longest approach on Rainier and rarely in condition Japanese Route, Alberta. (4x DNS)(choss fest, bad weather) Even Colin says it's bad. Quote
Pete_H Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Yup. I descended the Japanese route after climbing the NE ridge. Both routes were bad but the Japanese route was horrendous. Quote
JasonG Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Why is Sunset ridge on Rainier in condition less often than most other routes on the mountain? That surprises me. Quote
Kimmo Posted February 10, 2015 Posted February 10, 2015 Orbit, free solo. Nice, how did that go? Years ago I accidentally free soloed Orbit, onsite. Shook me up pretty good! Quote
rat Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 Yup. I descended the Japanese route after climbing the NE ridge. Both routes were bad but the Japanese route was horrendous. ne ridge is a classic for the rockies. your risk tolerance was on the wane. the japanese route might actually be safer in winter. Quote
Pete_H Posted February 11, 2015 Posted February 11, 2015 I didn't feel it was particularly risky, just not exactly solid. I remember thinking that about the J route (that it would be better in winter conditions) and heard it echoed from a few other parties I've talked to who have climbed or descended it. Quote
Buckaroo Posted February 11, 2015 Author Posted February 11, 2015 Why is Sunset ridge on Rainier in condition less often than most other routes on the mountain? That surprises me. Maybe not more than other routes, but worse in winter as opposed to summer. Three out of four times the snow was not consolidated and the one time it was there were ice chunks coming down the face before the ridge. The one time I did get pretty high there was a 60mph wind at the ridge and what looked like 100mph at the summit. Orbit, free solo. Nice, how did that go? Years ago I accidentally free soloed Orbit, onsite. Shook me up pretty good! The crux for me was the chimmney, didn't feel secure and couldn't really figure it out to do it smoothly, ended up just scruffing up it. After that the rest was positive and a mind game more than physical, but had done it about a month before with the intent to eventually solo. No way I could have onsited it, especially "accidently", that's burly. the japanese route might actually be safer in winter. Mt Alberta didn't get a winter ascent (by any route) until 2003 and that was by the easiest route (The Japanese). Probably because the snow rarely consolidates, or gets to non-avi conditions. You almost have to live up there to wait it out and be ready to climb on a moments notice. Sort of like Eve Dearborn here. That said the late winter (just out of calender winter?) ascents of N Twin and N face of Alberta are sort of visionary, making it a mixed climb with no rockfall cuz it's frozen. Quote
John Frieh Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 Climbs I loved (in no particular order) 1. French Ridge of Huntington (FWA) 2. NE Face of Mt Dickey (FA) 3. NW Face of Mt Burkett (FA) 4. West Ridge of Burkett Needle (FA) 5. NE Face of Three Fingers (FA) Climbs I’d love to do (in no particular order) 1. More stuff in Alaska 2. Anything in the Yosemite (never been) 3. Anything in the Needles (never been) 4. Anything in Chamonix (never been) 5. Anything in Patagonia (never been) 6. Verdon Gorge with my kids when they are older Climbs that impress the hell out of me (in no particular order) 1. I-TO 2. Torre Traverse 3. Fitz Roy Traverse 4. Siguniang Southwest Ridge 5. North Face Mt Johnson 6. Blood from the Stone Quote
BootsandPants Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 "there is a simple reason why the same climbs show up on many lists on this thread. A person writing their list after reading the previous posts are affected by those previous posts. Those climbs get "remembered" while the slew of other great climbs are neglected." I think there might be a little of that going with the constant repetition of the Beckey-Chouinard but I know I would have listed it anyways... Most likely. However in regards to the the Beckey-Chouinard; it really is quite the fantastic climb. I'll always remember that one and am not surprised that it's mentioned as often as it has been. Question for the masses; I've seen LFT and the Cirque on a few "Will not climb" lists. Just wondering why? It's not technically that difficult of a route; just long and remote. Is it just the logistics? I'm interested as I'm heading up there this summer. Quote
glassgowkiss Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 Lotus Flower Tower is the only reasonably easy route in the area. There are basically 3 or 4 routes, with LFT being accessible for the masses. It's friggin expensive to spend 2-3 weeks and probably 4-5K to climb one multi- pitch 5.10. I was told by a very well accomplished alpinist that if you dug all the moss and dirt out of crack systems, the area would be a mecca, like the Bugs. But you would have to spend years on excavation. So in short- it's expensive to get there, the weather can suck and there is for most folks only one route to do, so during a good weather window it can get extremely crowded (have heard 5 parties on route in one day). Quote
Peter_Puget Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 1 - Nabisco Wall West face elcap Wolf Crack Corregation corner honorable mention 2- left side split pillar Crucifix Latest rage 3- too many to mention But some never repeats because they weren't so fun are Regular NW face half dome Ne butt slesse Grand wall Quote
Pete_H Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 Funny that those last routes you mentioned are on many people's fav climbs, including mine. I though the Grand Wall was excellent. Quote
Pete_H Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 Here's an obscure one to put on the fav list: S Face Flathead Spire, Blodgett Canyon, Bitterroots Range, Montana; 5.10, IV. Quote
Peter_Puget Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 It's great until the top of the sword. After that I remember the pitches as not being so classic. The Ronan chimneys are ok but a different route and the traverse escape is better than the few pitches of the grand itself. I am not saying it sucks it's just not a top fav. Quote
AlpineK Posted February 12, 2015 Posted February 12, 2015 Blodgett Canyon is cool. I did one 5.8 spire, but there's a ton of spires and or routes there. Quote
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