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anyone who has done both the traverse on the west side (perfect pass to pickett pass to picket pass) and the east side traverse (challenger arm, down to luna lake, over the southeast peak of fury to pickett pass) which side is a nicer route?
the beckey guide mentions steep heather slope traversing for the west route, (miserable).
it looks like if needed the southwest peak of fury could be skirted by dropping down a gully to the west of the SW peak and east peak ridgeline, meeting up with the west side traverse and contoring back up to picket pass. is the SW peak from the north sketchy enough to warrant this?

I should have guessed,
anyone who's done it once definitely would not be doing it again.

has anyone done the west side route?

You should ask on cascadeclimbers.com, there are many more "picketeers" over there. I don't have an answer for you, but can mention that I've been in via the Wiley Lakes to Challenger Arm (some bushwhacking but quite tolerable), and then into the cirque below Fury. We climbed straight over Fury then down to Picket Pass, then up and over Mount Terror to reach the south side. So my experience is too much along a north south corridor to be of direct help. Good luck!

Thanks Tazz! I added your links to the Picket Range page here on SP...

And, here's another one. Looks like they did it north to south. Good photos.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/65853175@N ... 290957528/

I would say from a travel standpoint that the west side is slightly easier because it is less alpine. I havent gone over pickell pass but that is the only place with difficulties. If you want summits(challenger Luna) and alpine splendor it would be better do do east side

it looks like a lot of heather traversing, west side looks more aesthetic and give a chance of climbing fury (and the angels sing ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.........)

If you do do the east side, traversing from E. Fury to W. Fury is fairly easy and straightforward 4th class.

Enjoy in any case. Yes, I did Big Beaver Creek to Wiley to Challenger to Luna cirque to Luna to Fury to Pickett pass then got stormed on so didn't do Terror went over ottohorn-himmelhorn col. Gotta go back to get Wild hair Crack! Not a great place to be in the rain though... Its a slot 10-15 feet wide bowling alley. =) Then went out Crescent creek and TError Creek/Goodell Creek. Quite nice and easy.

Brian

kiwiw wrote:it looks like a lot of heather traversing, west side looks more aesthetic and give a chance of climbing fury (and the angels sing ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.........)

Wastral wrote:If you do do the east side, traversing from E. Fury to W. Fury is fairly easy and straightforward 4th class.

...Gotta go back to get Wild hair Crack!

I remember the Beckey Bible warning that the traverse from E. Fury to West was a long day (there and back), is that overstated?

Wild Hair Crack...if you climb it be sure to tell this guy on the right:

I have never found the times in Becky's Bible to ever be on the long side. Sandbagged times, purposefully stated short, but never long. It really depends on conditions and route finding ability.

Lots of ribs and gullies E. to W. Fury. Read: Semi Loose rock as well which makes it more dicey. Lots of "false" summits. Keep thinking this is the peak... and... DANGIT, its still a ways away. =-)

Nice weather? Takes as long as you want to take in the views. If you just go at it, 4 hours each way or less possibly. That is going from top of E. Fury to W. Fury. Few more hours to Picket pass of course. If there is lots of snow, much shorter times. If it is scree... Add a LOT of hours since below SE fury is HORRIBLE scree. Far faster to drop down below the scree and then run back up to picket pass on snow patches. The scree is epic bad below SE fury on the W. Side. Walk 1 step forward and slip 8-12" downhill every damned step.

Never went over SE Fury to get to Picket pass, but read folks who said it took forever due to loose rock VERY steep ICY gullies that MUST be belayed and route finding fun of course.

Brian

[Quote:]I remember the Beckey Bible warning that the traverse from E. Fury to West was a long day (there and back), is that overstated?

I would love to climb all those peaks. it's just the unstable weather that is the limiting factor. The guy I'm going with doesn't want to climb anything, he just wants to get through. like I said before, he's been in multiple times to both the north and south side, and just gotten hammered by the weather every time. he bought a GPS and learned how to use it, so that will be his secret weapon this summer against whiteouts and bad weather.

When did he go? He must have epic bad luck if what he says is true! Skunked multiple times... OUCH!

Better luck next time. Bring a rabbits foot and then release a black cat and see which way it runs...

Different partner?

kiwiw wrote:I would love to climb all those peaks. it's just the unstable weather that is the limiting factor. The guy I'm going with doesn't want to climb anything, he just wants to get through. like I said before, he's been in multiple times to both the north and south side, and just gotten hammered by the weather every time. he bought a GPS and learned how to use it, so that will be his secret weapon this summer against whiteouts and bad weather.

WHen are you guys going? I have been through before and could probably get "through" in about 3 days if I had to. Go through all those beautiful peaks and climb none of them? OUCH!

Luna cirque on the e. side is beautiful and should not be missed along with Luna Peak itself!

Don't be like some folks over at Nwhikers, who shall go nameless, who climbed up to the "moat" on E. Fury and turned away from the peak even though all they had to do was walk E. a ways and cross on scree and ascend to the summit 300 feet higher... Someone in that party seriously needed to wipe their glasses clean that is all I gotta say.

W. Side of SE Fury isn't bad if you drop down W. Side of E. Fury and then keep dropping down to bottom of scree field. We tried to stay high and UGGGGG! Its a drop of only 300 feet, do it and you will save yourself a LOT of AGONY. On SE fury W. Side there is an epic slot about 40 feet deep and 40 feet wide with SHEER walls on it. We crossed on a snow bridge at begining of august. Would not have been there much longer. 500 feet lower one could also cross it as it is not as deep(Had Snow). If you are already dropped to avoid nasty scree not a problem. Then again from were we were looking it looked like one might have to drop WAY down to get across the next possible crossing of said slot.

From Picket pass you can go anywhere. I recommend staying high then dropping to the mustard glacier and then dropping down to terror lake or going over himmelhorn-ottohorn col.

Brian
Want a 3rd? Probably will be in Waddington area at the time you are going though and it would kill me to go back there and not hit the peaks. Not to mention you have to practically walk over Challenger, Luna, Fury to do the traverse.

Wastral wrote:When did he go? He must have epic bad luck if what he says is true! Skunked multiple times... OUCH!

Better luck next time. Bring a rabbits foot and then release a black cat and see which way it runs...

Different partner?

kiwiw wrote:I would love to climb all those peaks. it's just the unstable weather that is the limiting factor. The guy I'm going with doesn't want to climb anything, he just wants to get through. like I said before, he's been in multiple times to both the north and south side, and just gotten hammered by the weather every time. he bought a GPS and learned how to use it, so that will be his secret weapon this summer against whiteouts and bad weather.

we're going in around August 12, planning for a 6 day traverse bringing food for 9. going in hanegan pass/easy ridge.

Wastral wrote:Want a 3rd? Probably will be in Waddington area at the time you are going though and it would kill me to go back there and not hit the peaks. Not to mention you have to practically walk over Challenger, Luna, Fury to do the traverse.

maybe, you've done the traverse before it sounds like. our group as of right now is 5, me, my dad, my friend, and 2 guys I've never met who've done it before. it'd be nice to have 3 ropeteams of 2.

keenan