| NW Ice Couloir, Second Ascent Trip Report |
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| NW Ice Couloir, Second Ascent   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: Washington, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 48.53780°N / 121.1331°W Date Climbed/Hiked: Nov 1, 2002 | Page By: bighurtbob Created/Edited: Jan 29, 2003 / Object ID: 168804 Hits: 587 Loading... Page Score: 84.02% - 2 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
I know a number of parties had been vying for the second ascent of this route, myself included. I attempted it the previous year but turned back due to deep unconsolidated snow. A number of attempts had been made this season with the parties reporting ‘the route is not in shape’. I had good information from friends that the route was indeed in shape, but thin and mixed. Sounded like fun.
We hiked up in beautiful weather enjoying the approach every step of the way. Many people claim this approach to be difficult, but these are merely the opinions of dilettantes. Experienced Cascades climbers acknowledge it for what it is, direct. Soon enough we ran into other parties who upon hearing our plans firmly announced that the route was ‘out of shape’. We smiled and nodded and went on our way, eventually establishing a camp at the base of the East Ridge.
We awoke the next morning and made the approach, occasionally having to reverse our course, eventually following bear tracks through the correct pass down to the glacier. We made a near circumnavigation of the mountain to arrive at the base of the route. It looked thin and mixed. My partner was chopping at the bit so he led the first pitch through a rock band, around a serac, establishing a belay below a very narrow and steep step. I headed off up vertical ice, barely squeezing my shoulders through the slot. Easier climbing ran to the belay. We continued on, running up the 60 degree, thin ice, slowing down at vertical mixed steps. As it would happen the hardest bits ended up on my partner’s leads.
Near disaster struck when 1200 feet up my partner lost a crampon following a pitch. I led the next pitch but he insisted on swinging the lead through to final half pitch to the flat spot below the summit. We climbed the final knife-edge to the summit, then hurried back to the tent, packed up and raced to the car against fading daylight. We lost the race and got lost in the talus. My partner eventually found the easy trail and we were motoring home that night.
We felt lucky as a storm moved in. News spread of our ascent and dozens of climbers climbed the route, in much fatter conditions than what we found, including the first solo ascent by my friend Colin. My partner liked the route so much he was back for more, climbing it a second time in as many weeks.
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