[TR] Johannesberg - NE Rib 1951 8/26/2016

[Matt_Alford]

Trip: Johannesberg - NE Rib 1951

 

Date: 8/26/2016

 

Trip Report:

Eric Murphy and I continued to peck away at the North Cascades Blue Collar tour, climbing the 1951 Rib on the NE aspect of Johannesberg over two days on August 26th and 27th.

 

We found the climbing both physically and mentally engaging with plenty of "don't f**K-up terrain. We belayed about 4 pitches on the route and descended using a combination of extensive down climbing and several rappels (mostly due to the rain/cloud that enveloped us on the descent.) Information from Steph Abegg's site regarding the route and descent is really valuable if you are considering this route. http://www.stephabegg.com/home/tripreports/washington/northcascades/johannesburg

 

It has been almost 20 years since I first gazed at JBerg across the Cascade River Valley from Boston Basin and wondered if I would ever have the gumption to attempt to climb it. Definitely a route that I am glad to have climbed, but not super anxious to repeat.

 

 

Crossing the CJ avalanche cone on the short approach. Our route took the slabs left of the waterfalls and crossed back right into the wooded rib.

 

 

Easy scrambling across the waterfalls before the 1000 feet of vertical bushwacking.

 

Pictures from the route are few. Ours hands stayed pretty busy gripping heather, small cedar trees and mediocre rock.

 

Million dollar bivy. Might just be the best part of the climb ;-)

 

Pretty good North Cascade Sunset

 

Old men.

 

Gear Notes:

60 meters of 8 mm rope (essential), handful of nuts and hexes, 8 shoulder slings and a couple doubles.

 

A couple thin pins could be really useful in the descent.

 

Approach Notes:

Up.

Edited September 11, 2016 by Matt_Alford

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Blue collar is right. It feels like a different route every time I climb it.

 

Is the summit register still up there?

[Matt_Alford]

Still up there Tom...with all 4 of your ascents....nut job;-)

 

[lunger]

Nice, looks fun. Still need to climb this one.

[JasonG]

A piece of cake for you Eric. From the bivy upwards is pretty stellar.

 

The lower buttress is certainly blue collar though! For most aspirants I think you nailed it Matt- happy to have climbed it but not anxious to repeat. Nice work, any north side route is an accomplishment on one of the "fearsome foursome"!

[Tom_Sjolseth]

Lunger, I'd climb it again.

[Matt_Alford]

Agreed, the upper glacier climb and summit block is the best climbing on the route and a really classy finish the mountain.

[dougd]

First time I saw it I sure wanted to climb it. Not sure I have enough left in the tank to actually do it, but at least I can check in here once in a while and share in the joy of it in a small way.

 

Nice work fellas, and thanks for sharing.

 

d

[ivan]

my favorite n cascade climb - is there any another with a 15 minute approach?

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Ahhh sounds fun, someday I'll get around to this.

[dberdinka]

Nice work Matt. Now does anyone ever climb one of the NE Face routes? Don't think I've ever seen a TR for it. Based on the Beckey guide it almost seemed popular BITD.

[tbunch]

Definitely a route that I am glad to have climbed, but not super anxious to repeat.

 

Sounds like the very definition of a classic climb. I believe it was the well know dirtbag climber Mark Twain who said, "A classic is something that everybody wants to have climbed and nobody wants to climb.", was it not?

[DPS]

Nice work Matt. Now does anyone ever climb one of the NE Face routes? Don't think I've ever seen a TR for it. Based on the Beckey guide it almost seemed popular BITD.

 

I've chatted with some notable climbers interested in doing some winter routes on it, but I've not heard of any actual ascents winter or summer lately.

[dougd]

my favorite n cascade climb - is there any another with a 15 minute approach?

 

must not fall in love...

 

again...

[ivan]

yet j'berg ultimately pales in comparision to the index traverse - that was a step up in the kick-in-the-bawls department - you boys done it yet?

[Matt_Alford]

On the list Ivan...just gotta fill my good luck bucket back up. Might take a couple years.

 

 

[Juan Sharp]

Well done. That route leaves a mark. What's the status of the Ti pin that Big Jim Nelson placed on our July 1999 ascent? Assume you went left to the rock rather than rapping at that point? The gully must be mostly if not entirely melted out now.

 

Also, did you happen to see Big Jim's empty can of Grape Fanta on the rib itself? It was misplaced.

[Matt_Alford]

Juan-

 

To tell you the truth, I never even saw the the pin (or looked for it). We stayed left on the 51 rib to it's terminus with the glacier. The climbing felt mostly 3rd and 4th class with a couple short sections that could have been fifth. We encountered no snow between the avalanche cone and the upper sill glacier.

 

No Fanta can either mate...sorry to dissapoint.

[Juan Sharp]

Got it. We did the 1957 variation as written up in Jim and Peter's Vol. II. Keep up the good work.

[JasonG]

yet j'berg ultimately pales in comparision to the index traverse - that was a step up in the kick-in-the-bawls department - you boys done it yet?

 

Wasn't that mainly due to dehydration? I found the Index traverse to be actually pretty fun without the extensive blue collar aspects so sustained on J-berg.

[ivan]

yeah, the heat was a big problem for us - plus getting lost in whiteout trying to exit back down to the lake

 

guess i gotta do the traverse sometime when it's not venusian...

[kukuzka1]

I did the left most route on the NE face 1963? or 65? route and the upper section was really superb rock, climbing and position. the lower section wasn't bad either. really deserves more attention. also there is no imitating a gorilla!! as no trees

Edited September 24, 2016 by kukuzka1

[Lowell_Skoog]

Nice work Matt. Now does anyone ever climb one of the NE Face routes? Don't think I've ever seen a TR for it. Based on the Beckey guide it almost seemed popular BITD.

 

My brother Gordy and I climbed the 1963 NE Face route in August 1983. Took about 12 hours round trip. No brush, but my notes record some steep brittle rock high on the face before we reached the crest of the NE Rib. That part was a bit nervous but most of the climb was not too bad.

 

The C-J couloir was probably in much better shape back then than it is now. We backed down the couloir in a couple hours. I think getting onto the rock during the ascent would probably also be harder now than it was then.

 

[Jens]

Gotta Love Jberg! Did seven routes on the thing.

 

instagram @jensklub

[kukuzka1]

IMO this is an is real route for ascending it in winter if the conditions are right.