Mt Stuart West Ridge question

[aikidjoe]

I'm planning on heading to Mt Stuart West Ridge this weekend. I've climbed it once by what I suppose is the standard route, where you traverse on ledges on the south side to reach the last 2 pitches below the summit after the north side traverse.

 

I have heard that, instead, you can just head straight up the ridge after the north side traverse, and it never gets above 5.6, which sounds much more fun. Can anyone confirm if that's true? Is there anything I should watch out for if we were to head that way? I'm taking my cousin, who is somewhat new to climbing, so I don't want to get into terrain that is tougher than that...

 

Thanks in advance!

[DPS]

I'm planning on heading to Mt Stuart West Ridge this weekend. I've climbed it once by what I suppose is the standard route, where you traverse on ledges on the south side to reach the last 2 pitches below the summit after the north side traverse.

 

I have heard that, instead, you can just head straight up the ridge after the north side traverse, and it never gets above 5.6, which sounds much more fun. Can anyone confirm if that's true?

 

If this is the variation I am thinking of, then Juan Sharp and JasonG climbed it. They reported difficulties significantly harder than 5.6, but maybe theirs was a different variation. Here is what Juan wrote specifically about it: "The way that Jason and I took for the first of the two summit block pitches was an ugly grunt"

[twz]

Is there any snow left on this route, or on the cascadian couloir descent?

[Devin27]

On July 11 there was only a small field of snow left near the false summit on the descent. I would be surprised if any is left at this point.

[trees4me]

Did the W ridge a couple years ago and this is what I remember:

all pitches were ~30 +/-10m

 

p1: From the notch, headed out on the north side and up a chimney-ish thing to gain the ridge again (5.easy)

p2: short up and over along the ridge, just south of the ridge crest (my crux? 5.6 I was doing some silly frictiony stuff and not looking for the easiest line)

 

then we scrambled (or belayed?) down easy blocks to sandy ledges on south side (go down and right).

 

p3: looked around from ledges and wandered a bit trying to decide... finally chose a middle line between some small ridges

p4: went left and up a bit to get back onto the main N/S ridgeline

p5/6: After gaining the ridge it was easy (could've unroped, but we had them on so just ran it out). Stayed on north side and followed easy class 3-5.easy terrain to summit.

 

 

Apparently I didn't do a TR for that climb... weird. If it's not on the internet it never happened!

 

[Drederek]

Is there any snow left on this route, or on the cascadian couloir descent?

yes

[JasonG]

If this is the variation I am thinking of, then Juan Sharp and JasonG climbed it. They reported difficulties significantly harder than 5.6, but maybe theirs was a different variation. Here is what Juan wrote specifically about it: "The way that Jason and I took for the first of the two summit block pitches was an ugly grunt"

 

I think those pitches were on the south side of the west ridge, but then again I can make 5.6 look like 5.9!

[pms]

a somewhat unprotected traverse left it's the way I've been. This is south of the crest, and leads to the small notch accessible via the north side option. about 5.7

 

Anyone know if there has been a rockfall on the last pitch in the last several years? The pitch leading to the summit, from the ledge on the south side.