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| Page Type: Trip Report Location: Washington, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 47.47530°N / 120.901°W Date Climbed/Hiked: Jul 29, 2004 | Page By: setrent Created/Edited: Dec 22, 2005 / Object ID: 170715 Hits: 513 Loading... Page Score: 0% - 0 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Mount Stuart – North Ridge
As usual with difficult climbs, Steve spoke of the prospect with a glimmer in his eye and ceaseless gung-ho spirit. He’s of the Border Collie tribe and fetches summits like his dogs (Border Collies) fetch sticks. My demeanor was more that of someone feeling talked into joining someone else’s foolhardy plan, not at all sure he was a willing accomplice. But I didn’t want to disappoint a good buddy and so let the wave carry me in, well over my head.
We had included the classic North Ridge route of Mt. Stuart on our Christmas wish lists for a couple of years and the hope became a reality at the end of July this summer. The weather was perfect, we were in good climbing shape, and the days were long. Two other friends of Steve’s, Ryan and Scott, had also wanted to climb this route for a long time and we became a merry foursome. Scott’s resume includes numerous Cascade and Aleutian Islands peaks, a penchant for strange ideas (such as killer pikas), and an endless desire each Autumn for a few more summits before returning to the islands for another long fishing season. Ryan had only a few weeks left to tick off some dearly wanted classic climbs prior to leg surgery (to remove a steel rod) and moving to Las Vegas at the end of August. Warm, clear weather was expected for several days throughout the entire northwest, as it had been for at least the previous week. So, the climb was on. Nothing but killer carnivorous pikas could stop us.
A late 11:30 am Sunday start from Mount Vernon was due in part to laziness but also because Steve and Scott climbed four peaks in the Pyramid/Colonial vicinity the previous day. An important stop was made at North Bend for protein/carbo-loading on fast food. Our hike began at 3:30 p.m. on the Ingalls Lake trail and we pushed hard to make camp on the N. Ridge above the couloir before nightfall (some trip reports called for up to 7 hours for the approach but we didn’t believe them). About the time we filled up with 5-6 liters of water at the north end of Ingalls Lake we began noticing strong rumbling and realized it was likely associated with the thunderclouds just north and east of Mt. Stuart. Also, they seemed to be heading directly for our planned bivy site. Stuart Pass provided even more discouraging views of the thunderclouds, but we labored on with troubled yet hopeful thoughts anyway. Upon reaching Goat pass at about 8:00, it seemed that the thunder and lightning had nearly stopped and we decided to go for the bivy site on the ridge as planned. The descent to and crossing of the Stuart Glacier slipped by without incident (two of us crossed in running shoes without crampons), but a 15-foot transition section between the glacier and the loose, dry couloir was tricky. By now darkness was approaching and we ascended the 3rd-4th class (some definite 5th class moves according to my rating system) gully 200-300 vertical feet to the bivy sites, arriving at 9:00 pm. A team of two climbers who had reached the spot earlier in the day greeted us as they tucked in for bed. Ryan had the best bivy-perch, with a 270-degree view, however he had to don his harness and anchor into surrounding cracks due to the narrow and aerie position of his bivy site.
Light emerged as a jagged orange line on the rugged horizon at the absurdly early time of 4:45 am. Mountains are undoubtedly best viewed from an elevated position amongst them during dawn and dusk. We solemnly rose at 5:15, and began climbing at 6:00. The other team was about one pitch ahead on the route and we caught up with them in a couple of pitches. The ridge from the camp to the base of the Great Gendarme is mostly low 5th and some 4th class climbing on solid granite, best done simul-climbing most of the way. After dropping a precious cam to a ledge 15 feet below, Steve lowered me for a successful retrieval and during the process I found an old but good Therm-a-Rest and two wired nuts. I actually considered leaving the obviously good Therm-a-Rest out of the desire to stay as light and fast as possible, but greed won this time. While seconding the next pitch I saw a chock pick in a crack 12 feet below the route and told Scott about the booty. At the time I didn’t know he had lost his own chock pick a few pitches below and he gladly accepted the booty.
At the base of the Great Gendarme Steve and I again caught the other party. They opted for the standard route down to the right and then up lower quality rock. Finally seeing the Great Gendarme up close, my desire wavered about ascending it for the greater challenge and aesthetic benefit of three solid 5.9 pitches on excellent granite. The standard route seemed plenty challenging and I don’t much for aesthetics when life and limb are at stake. Ishmail would have been more willing to go whale watching than I was to climb the gendarme, but Steve was so positively eager I couldn’t rob him of the prize when it was literally within our grasp. I did the next best thing; I went along with the plan but gave him the most difficult pitch.
For these 3 pitches we climbed without our the 15-20 lb. packs and worked as a team of 4, leaving one tough lead for 3 different climbers to save energy, decrease the potential for leader falls (three difficult leads instead of 6) and therefore increase our chance of success. My alpine lead comfort level is about 5.7, so I chose the first 5.9 pitch because I was still fresh and it matched my climbing strength better than the other two leads. A mental image of old Dallas swiftly moving up the rock while talking fast and chewing gum industriously gave me fortitude. This first pitch is a consistent vertical lie-back crack, broken up only once at 20 feet by a narrow ledge that can be stood on. Because the crack is vertical, the lie back is strenuous and it requires the climber to smear both feet on the left side of the dihedral for most of the pitch. I felt strong on those first 20 and the respite at the ledge was great. Two equalized pieces of pro were easy to install while at the ledge. I was uncertain whether I would add to them any more solid pieces in the next 40 feet. I thought I had a 50/50 chance of climbing the rest of the pitch without falling or at least hanging on a piece of pro. Ten feet above the ledge I placed a marginal piece of pro and was tiring quickly due to pulling back on one arm to install most of the protection so far. In about another 15 feet, with perhaps 15 feet to top out, I was in a quandary; do I spend the time and energy placing a marginal piece of pro, or do I save the energy and go for it? I like sewing up routes and this one was by know means “sewn up” yet! So, while lying back, I judged the crack width with my fingertips (my head was about the length of my arms to the right of the crack so I could not visually inspect it), guessed at the proper cam on the rack with my eyes, blindly slotted it, clipped the rope directly to the short cam quick-draw, and pulled back for the rest of the climb without stopping. I must have been awake in a high-school health class 15 years ago because I remembered and use the Lamaze breathing techniques normally only practiced by women during childbirth (I recommend it for climbers!). I held onto the thank-God holds about 12-inches over the top on the belay ledge for what seemed a long period of time, letting my feet dangle below. I hauled up two packs and tiredly belayed Steve to the ledge. He congratulated me on the lead and with a big grin I wished him luck on the next one. There isn’t much room at this belay spot, so we planned on having Steve climb the next pitch, haul the two packs up, and I would bring Ryan up to my ledge. Then Ryan would be belayed up by Steve and get prepared for the next 5.9 pitch while Steve belayed Scott, the last two packs, and me up. So, Steve led out on the second hairy and much more exposed pitch. He climbed well until the crux stumped him in the middle of the 60-foot pitch. After a few minutes of grunting, growling, grumbling, and discussions with himself (he occasionally gave me updates as to how the discussion was going), Steve decided he wanted to add Ryan’s 3.5” Camalot and #11 Hex to his arsenal of pro. I lowered him back to my cozy ledge and then belayed Ryan up. Steve gratefully received the extra “confidence” gear and climbed back out while Ryan hauled up the other two packs and Scott. As usual, he didn’t seem fazed one little bit. Steve reached the crux quickly on top-rope, discussed the route with himself further (he provided updates again). He slowly proceeded through the crux with a combination of arm-bars, knee-bars, foot-jams, and aid moves employing a #11 Hex, two 3.5 cams, and some unhappy climber’s 4” cam stuck fully collapsed in the off-width. We tried without success to retrieve this exceptional booty find.
Soon we were all tucked into the belay spot for what we thought was the beginning of the 3rd 5.9 pitch. Ryan led up and left, above the overhang, and up to another belay spot 30 feet above. We then realized that this pitch was probably not necessary and that from the belay spot at the top of the second 5.9 pitch you can traverse/climb 150 feet right on ledges to a loose gully. We made a short traverse, rappelled 30 feet, and ascended a loose-rock gully and the blocks above it to reach the base of the last 5.9 pitch. Ryan led the 45-foot pitch gracefully. Scott seconded the pitch with his pack on since he did not get a hard lead. We then split into two our original simul-climbing rope teams again and within 45 minutes ascended to the summit on wonderful, low 5th and some 4th class rock. Our 30 minutes of resting and re-packing on the summit in calm, clear, warm weather was not was not spoiled the infamous gigantic pack rats spoken endearingly of by Harold and Derek (an old climbing buddy of Eric Sandbo’s who took our mountaineering class with his daughter last spring)
We followed Steve off summit to descend via the Cascadian Couloir (he had ascended and descended this route about 12 years ago). After descending 700 feet in elevation, we checked the book descriptions of the descent and realized that we were likely 300 feet to low and west (skier’s right). We climbed back up and found the correct location to gain the Cascadian Couloir, descended the loose rock and dirt, and lost sight of the climbers footpath at about 7700’ (300 feet below the sloping shoulder described in the guidebooks). To Ryan’s dismay (I was too tired and may have been more concerned also if I had the energy to think clearly), we began traversing west (skier’s right) to look for a better descent route to the darkening valley where Ingalls Creek trail awaited us. Scott and Steve lead us on the bushwhack, finding a good steep gully to descend further. We occasionally followed game trails and finally arrived at the Ingalls Creek trail at dark. Quickly we donned headlamps and hiked onward, hoping to find the climbers’ path to Longs Pass in about half a mile. Our anxiety was released upon finding the climbers’ path, having completed the last routefinding problem of the outing (so we thought). Then we proceeded to lose the path a couple of times because of washouts, each time regaining it in quiet, solemn relief.
The hike up to Longs Pass was grueling for me, but the darkness was beautifully overwhelmed by a half-moon and star-lit sky. At the pass a man greeted us warmly and poured out questions and information for 5 minutes before we could ask for directions to the Longs Pass trail down to Ingalls Lake trail. We arrive back at the car at 11:30 p.m. Some unlucky fellow had chosen to bivy next to my van had his sleep rudely interrupted during our 20 minutes of naked dancing (changing clothes while teetering on tired legs) and snack scarfing.
Nothing was open in Cle Elum after midnight, so we filled our hungry bellies at the North Bend McDonald’s again and shared driving duties back to Mount Vernon, arriving sometime around 3:15 a.m. I was at work by 8:00 a.m. and more than one coworker commented on my poor appearance. The other 3 guys slept in late and were couch potatoes the rest of the day.
*** The three 5.9 pitches took us about 5 hours and the other team of two ascended the standard route to the right of the gendarme in about 1 hour (we lost sight of them while I was belaying Steve on the first try of the second pitch). With better organization and keeping our rope from snagging badly at the first belay spot way may have been able to shave an hour off these pitches.
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Ultra-prominence Peaks of the 48 States
