[TR] Mount Sefrit - Bloody Head Couloir - SE Ridge 8/16/2015

[peter_mcb]

Trip: Mount Sefrit - Bloody Head Couloir - SE Ridge

 

Date: 8/16/2015

 

Trip Report:

"Bloody-Minded Couloir" - the cautionary tale

 

Mount Sefrit is one of those objectives, right in my backyard, that somehow I've neglected for nigh on 20 years--though not for lack of intent or interest on my part. Problem is, I've had it pigeonholed as an "early-season climb when snow conditions are just right"--and year after year that right combination of weather, snow, and my availability never seemed to co-align. A decade wandered by... I was beginning to feel a bit obstinate in my early-season fixation.

 

So, when our big August trip fell through, and Keith suggested Sefrit as an alternate, I was out of objections. "Sure, why not?" What follows may serve to answer my rhetorical question--and to invite others to weigh in on the optimal season for Sefrit's NE flank.

 

Keith, Paul, and I set out early on August 16 for the short drive to the Hannegen Pass trailhead. About half an hour up the trail, a large rocky streambed offers a brush-free route down to Ruth Creek -- and a great view of the route across the valley (red arrows=our line):

 

If nothing else, it was the perfect year/season for an easy ford (or hop-across) of Ruth Creek. On the far side, there was a token bushwack before quickly emerging into the open rubblefield of the opposing gully, which provides a rapid avenue up to the notorious defile.

 

In the shady Couloir travel is also quick

 

save for a few spots where the stream-wettened rock is a bit treacherous.

 

 

Before long we reached the crux waterfall (more on this at end), and after quickly reviewing its prospects, opted to try a different line a couple hundred feet back down the ravine, where the lower-angled south wall seemed to offer possibilities. We scrabbled up the ravine's flank, first over loose, saturated sediments

 

then up mossy, wet rock, clinging to sedges and miner's lettuce, praying for a stunted alder or two. It was pretty ugly class 4 climbing; I could scarcely sling the occasional shrub or dubious horn, and the belays weren't much better. Finally we worked out around, then up a rocky rib, where it almost felt like climbing.

 

View back down into Slimageddon

From here it appeared that a short scramble further might top out and exit the Couloir altogether, but we opted for a descending contour back into the ravine above the waterfall.

From here it was steady progress up standard, loose gully-rubble to the head of the Couloir,

and a short distance further to the awaited snowfields. Given the strikingly glaciocidal summer we experienced this year, we were hardly surprised that the first "snowfield" we met was ablated down to solid ice, and even crampons may have been rather sporty.

 

So we opted to angle up and right, across some grand and thankfully dry slabs.

 

And were lucky to find the western snowfield still held a skim of softened and boot-worthy snow.

Beyond that, one tedium of rotten rock rubble later we finally gained the ridgecrest...

 

and enjoyed the views south across the NF Nooksack valley into Shuksan's magnificent northern facade:

 

and northwest up the ridgecrest to Sefrit's summit.

 

Enjoyable ridgecrest scrambling

 

Near the summit, one can cross the face of this fin via a higher class-4 line with sharply-cleft holds, or lower by a class 3 route.

 

After bypassing the first knob or two, the route stays very near the ridgecrest to the infrequented summit,

where only about one party signs the register each year.

 

 

 

Descent: On the summit we discussed several descent options, and decided to look for an established rap station next to the waterfall (the overall crux of the climb in present conditions). Once there, amid scrubby alders just above (east of) the waterfall, we found half-buried vintage webbing slung from the base of some prostrate alders.

After backing up this exhumed anchor with a fresh sling, we did a single-strand 70' rappel to the base of the falls, leaving our short rope fixed in place where it may be of use to future parties. (FYI: lightly-used 1998 9mm glacier rope).

With hindsight, the slot-chimney to Keith's left here must be Beckey's "narrow gully, class 4"; even rapping we found its smooth left face quite slippery. (Of course, everything here is slick with waterfall spray.) The more featured face over Keith's right shoulder appeared more promising, and must be that climbed ("maybe 5.0") by a party in June:

http://www.summitpost.org/sefrit-via-bloody-head-couloir/900205

 

though I found the lower section [perhaps snow-covered in June?] disconcertingly mud-laden and crumbly, as well as out-sloping. Thus, our choice of the not-necessarily-any-better Slimageddon route on ascent.

 

Thoughts?

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe. Crampons carried but not needed on W snowfield; would have been essential on remnant glacier to E.

 

Harness, and rope for 70' rappel. (9mm rope fixed in place for single-strand rap, Aug 2015).

Carried light rack, but only found ltd natural pro to sling.

[JasonG]

Way to survive Peter! And thanks for reminding me why I have this on my list for the winter or spring.

[Trent]

Nice job sticking with it and making it happen! A true Cascade connoisseur's peak!

Edited October 16, 2015 by Trent

[curtveld]

Well the TR deserves 5 stars even if the route doesn't!

 

Isn't there another couloir route on the NW side? Heard good things about that one.

[peter_mcb]

Jason -- as you can tell, I'm pleased to finally get after and up this long-awaited peak in my backyard... though the experience only reinforced my notion that it's an early-season route. I'd say you're wise to target it when stable snowpack may ease that ugly crux in the upper Couloir.

 

Curt -- the "Northwest Glacier Route" in red Fred sounds like the one you have in mind. I've also heard it's a good route when the snow is right. (Obviously you want very stable conditions in that bowling alley.) We opted for the NE side and higher starting elevation/less gain to keep it a more reasonable day trip--and as it turned out, we just regained the trail in last twilight.

[geosean]

I think the general consensus of an early season climb is a good idea. I wrote the trip report on summitpost that you referenced; we climbed on June 8 of a dry year and it was about the last good week. May would be a good time probably, given good avy conditions naturally.

 

We found the gully to be very pleasant and fast, basically all the way to the ridge was good fast travel except for the short bit at the waterfall. Your picture of the rap where you speculate on the section we climbed was exactly right. The falls melt out first.

 

Also in early season the creek is covered in snow.