Steel Cliffs ramp

Steel Cliffs ramp

Route we took up the ramp illustrated (yellow dots show areas hidden in photo). The lower yellow-dotted part was up through a rok chimney and then near-vertical snow for a bit. After that pretty straight forward but crappy conditions this day. The upper brown part on the ramp was a rock field with a few inches of ice/snow above the rock so that I had to chop through it or step on it and fall a foot or two into it. Made for very slow going.
Brian Jenkins
on Feb 15, 2006 2:50 am
Image Type(s): Alpine Climbing
Image ID: 172299

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Martin Cash

Martin Cash - Feb 15, 2006 4:11 pm - Voted 10/10

Sweet

Nice job on your climb Brian. How did you like the route?

Brian Jenkins

Brian Jenkins - Feb 15, 2006 7:52 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Sweet

Might be a nice route if very cold conditions. I'm writing up a trip report now on it. Moving vertical mud, moats, snow that wouldn't hold a picket, it was a mess. We completed the Steel Cliffs part of it but bailed off the Wy'East route since it was so late. It would take the exact right conditions to get me up on this one again. Wy'East might be nice though. Still want to do Leuthold too. Then there is the North Face.................

Dow Williams

Dow Williams - Feb 15, 2006 4:49 pm - Voted 10/10

Beta,,,

love beta shots, need more of them at SP.

Brian Jenkins

Brian Jenkins - Feb 15, 2006 7:52 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Beta,,,

Thanks!

dshearer - Feb 16, 2006 9:42 am - Hasn't voted

Flora and Fauna

Nice photo...

In the UK, it is usual to back off if the the turf/mud are not completely frozen underneath. It damages the environment, often removing rare alpine plants etc. Is this not the case in the U.S.?

leave no trace!

darinchadwick

darinchadwick - Feb 16, 2006 2:35 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Flora and Fauna

The mud on Mt. Hood at that elevation has no visible life forms in it. It isn't organic mud, just volcanic mud. Doubt that much could survive in that....
Darin.

dshearer - Feb 16, 2006 6:04 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Flora and Fauna

Thanks for clarifying that for me. In the UK the elevations are much lower and the mud is organic rather than volcanic. Therefore delicate alpine flower and plants which lie dormant under the snow during winter are very susceptible to pon and axe attacks! When the ground is frozen it is ok as damage to the route is limited!


Maluco

Maluco - Feb 16, 2006 11:52 am - Hasn't voted

leave no trace?

Every time that you climb you are leaving trace,... driving your car to the mountain area,... you are leaving a trace, ...getting a fligth to your favorite mountain,...what are you going to do? stay at home seeing TV?

dshearer - Feb 16, 2006 12:17 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: leave no trace?

Granted.. you can take it to that level and then we would never do anything. However, a little consideration about the environment means that other can enjoy it too. Mountains aren't only for climbers!! All i'm saying is that where possible we minimise the impact on the mountain. The mountains aren't going anywhere, so instead of scrabbling around in mud, and turfing up the plants, wait till conditions are right! It's simply a matter of ethics...If we don't look after the mountain environment then we can't expect others to!

Brian Jenkins

Brian Jenkins - Feb 17, 2006 1:08 am - Hasn't voted

Re: leave no trace?

Agreed dshearer. I do try to stay off any plants, animals, etc. Stayed off the moss at the top of these cliffs, avoided plants/soil on the Palmer on the descent. I actually try not to disturb rocks if possible. These heaps are eroding so much they don't need any help from us.

Maluco

Maluco - Feb 24, 2006 5:04 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: leave no trace?

Usually when new routes are open, you need to clean cracks in order to protect, right?...Let's not be utopic with a subject that is clear! Human impact in moutains is a reality! Preservation is impossible, that is how nature mantains itselft, building, eroding and building back again. it is called geologic evolution! The ultimate question is this: Do you want to leave no ecological footprint? If the answer is yes, change your way of leaving, specially everything related with energy consuption!
Green house effect destroys much more and much rapidly our enviorment than climbs in Mountains. The problem is thatyou cannot see the green house efect , but that doesnt means that is not a reality!

Viewing: 1-11 of 11