The Eldorado Icefield - An Intro to Mountaineering

Phil and Kellen signed up for Pro Guiding Service's Intro to Mountaineering in the North Cascades.  I know I'm biased, but I think this is the best-value trip of its kind offered.  This year, I started exploring a zone I'm calling the Eldorado Icefield, where the Eldorado, Inspiration, Klawatti, and McAllister Glaciers all meet to form one of the largest glacial areas not located on one of the Cascade volcanoes.  I think it offers it all - thought-provoking glacial travel and rock routes from 3rd to 5th Class, all wrapped up in a 5-day itinerary.  Plus, once you get past Eldorado Peak you can usually count the number of other climbers on one hand.

Hiking up to the Eldorado Glacier is steep, and typically take most of the day.

This time I opted for a steep-snow variation to the summit of Eldorado Peak.

The West Ridge of Eldorado Peak is a good introduction to alpinism, with low technical difficulties,
a lot of physical difficulties, and fantastic views - like this sunset from camp.

Traversing across the Inspiration Glacier.  That's Glacier Peak on the left horizon, and Eldorado Peak on the right.  We stopped just a few minutes later to spend 1/2 a day practicing crevasse rescue.

Downclimbing the Klawatti Notch on our way to Austera Peak.

On the summit of Austera, with the 3rd/4th class ridge we had to
traverse in view over his right shoulder.  That's also Forbidden Peak in
the background - check out the weather photos coming up.

A cool surprise was finding a 47 year-old register from a traverse team,
presumably on skis.  We found this on the gendarme next to the true summit.

There were for sheets of paper and a pencil.  But it was late in the day, so we
didn't have time to reverse the last 70' of climbing to place the register on the
summit.

Funny how it looks different traveling in the opposite direction, eh?  Climbing
back up the Klawatti Notch on our way to camp.

Sunset.  Our camp is just off-frame left and about 10 minutes awa

Our last day out - we tried to get on the North, and then the Southeast, Ridges of Klawatti Peak.  But big overhanging moats between the Klawatti Glacier and the rock had us stumped.  We settled for four pitches on a lower ridge tower and a fun glacial circumnavigation.

That evening we watched the weather roll in.

The dark wall was heading for us, and the thunderstorm hit right at sunset.

Crystal clear skies in the morning as we left.  That's Klawatti Peak in the background.

We descended into a marine layer just as we exited the glacier, and then 45 minutes from the car:

Trips like this are available almost anytime.  Want to spend less time on snow?  Then we'll head over to Boston Basin.  Want to increase the rock climbing difficulty - we'll climb Triad Peak, the Dorado Needle, Early Morning Spire, or the West Arete on Eldorado instead.  Our Cascade summers typically last until the end of September, so grab a few friends and email me or contact Pro Guiding Service to book a trip.

Mt Baker up the Easton Glacier

Spent an awesome three-day weekend with Ron and his daughters Maia, Milan, and Capri climbing Mt Baker.  

Hiking up through wildflowers and heather.

Looking into the crater on our summit day.

Signing the register.

That glacier is gnarly!

Hiking out on the Railroad Grade.

The Big B.

Trips like this are typically custom bookings.  The weather (and the route) are going to be great well into September - so grab a few of your friends and email me or contact Pro Guiding Service to book a Mt Baker trip for yourselves!

Smash & Grab #10

Weather report:  Its clear and sunny for the foreseeable future - as far out as anyone dares.  Leavenworth and Mazama is forecasted to reach the 90's (ouch!), but the passes are 20-degrees cooler (low 70's), and the high mountains even cooler.

So what's good:  Why drive farther than you have to?  First, tick off the Snoqualmie Pass alpine classics like the West Ridge of Chair Peak (5.7, 8 pitches), the East Face of the Tooth (5.8, 5 pitches) or the Improbable Traverse on Guye (5.8, 7 pitches).  If you've already been there, consider a road trip to Washington Pass.  Spontaneity Arete (5.7, 8 pitches), the South Buttress of Cutthroat Peak (5.8, 12 pitches), and the Southwest Rib of South Early Winter Spire (5.8, 10 pitches).

Here in the Pacific Northwest, often times knowing what the weather is forecasted to be determines where the best climbing or skiing is.  Smash & Grab is an almost-weekly heads up, hopefully inspiring a last-minute rally to get out and do something.

Chair Peak Basin

This was my lunch view while taking on a steep snow climb with Roger M. in Chair Peak Basin:

Not so bad, eh?

Condition Report - its 99% snow from snow lake divide, making for a fast approach over the talus fields.  And the NE Buttress on Chair Peak (4th class or low 5th) is completely melted out, and I think a direct line up the buttress edge would make for a fun 5th-class outing.  An awesome day out in Pro Guiding Service's home terrain.

Smash & Grab Special Edition!

Issue 8.1 - Special Edition!

CASCADE RIVER ROAD IS OPEN!!  The access road to Eldorado Peak, Boston Basin, and the Ptarmigan Traverse opened earlier this week.  There is still a huge blanket of winter snow at the upper elevations, making travel above tree-line and on the glaciers really straight forward.  The classic steep snow lines in Boston Basin will be gone in a month.  Right now is the time to grab them!

For the climbers:
Mt Buckner North Face, 40-45 degree snow.  3 days.
Mt Torment Northwest Glacier, 40 degree snow.  3 days.
Johannesberg Mountain, CJ Couloir and East Ridge, 3500' of 35-40 degree snow and 1500' of 4th class rock.  This is an advanced climb!  3 days.

The Massive Johannesberg Mountain, June 2012.  30 minutes from the car, the CJ Couloir is the long left-leaning snow line to the deep notch in photo center.  The East Ridge climbs up photo right to the summit.  That is a long 4000' climb!

For the skiers:
Sahale Peak Express.  1 big day.
Sahale Peak, Quien Sabe Glacier, Intermediate.  2 days.
Sahale Peak, West Face, Advanced.  2 days.
Ptarmigan Traverse.  Demands a full skill set, and be prepared for the hike out at the end!  5-7 days, depending on variations.

Sahale Peak, June 2012.  The Quien Sabe Glacier runs down the broad slopes on the photo left.  The West Face is the headwall in the center.  Look close, and you can see the ski tracks down the West Face.

I provide all of these opportunities with Pro Guiding Service.

Hope to see you in the mountains soon! - Chris

June's Smash & Grab

Below is an excerpt from my latest newsletter - Smash & Grab, which comes out monthly (more or less).  If you're interested in joining the cool kids' club, follow this LINK.  Come on, everyone else is doing it! I do know that there are some glaring contradictions between the newsletter and the website, but nothing that keeps us getting outside, so let's ignore those inconsistencies and get going, hmmm?

| sma-sh; and; grab | phrase. 1. A distinct form of burglary. It involves smashing a barrier, grabbing valuables, and making a quick getaway.

Issue 8 - We're back!!
On the first week of May, my plane landed in Sea-Tac on a late, late, drizzly night. I had an incredible trip to Europe - my first time on that side of the Pond. I skied the Haute Route and Mont Blanc, and road tripped to central Italy and back to Switzerland. I hope to go back next spring - want to join me? Since then, I've skied Mt Daniel (near Cle Elum off of I-90) and Mt Shuksan. My Shuksan descent of the White Salmon was likely the last one of the year - it featured steep bushwacking for 1000' from Chair 8 to the valley floor - oy! I've also started rock climbing again and during the rainy days trail running.

 One access note - Glacier Creek Road, which is used to access the northwest side of Mt Baker, is washed out at mile post 3. This adds a 7-mile hike or mountain bike ride up the road. If you want to climb the north ridge in solitude, this is the year to do it but be prepared to earn it!

What's happening next.
So much is starting to happen this month. Smash and Grab is going to turn into a monthly occurrence - I hope to send one out by the 10th of each month (I realize that this conflicts with the notice at the top of website - expect the S&G to come out again on the 20th to a much, much bigger audience! -Chris) It will also be posted on my website. The website is also going through a serious redesign. I'm working with the folks at Squarespace to launch something a little glossier, little less blog-y. I'll still be posting stuff up, but it will be more thoughtful, informational, and less trip reports but still lots of photos.

 I'm working on the logistics for trips to China, Chile, and Antarctica. I hope to have material on the website next month.

What's good?
Its June - the snow is still up high, but the rock has dried out down low. So this month is the best time for some of the big tours and high mountain descents for ski mountaineering, and taking advantage of the sunny days to warm up your rock climbing skills. Here's what I recommend.

For Ski Mountaineering

• Mt Adams, Southwest Chutes - 2 days or "The Express", an extremely long day. 
• Mt Baker, Easton Glacier - 2 days or "The Express", an extremely long day. 
• Mt Baker Circumnavigation - 5 days. Features an ascent of the mountain from the east side via the Boulder-Park Glacier, and a ski descent of the Park Glacier from the summit. Not for the weak of heart! 
• Ptarmigan Traverse - 5-7 days. A tour through the heart of the Cascades, from Cascade Pass to the Suiattle River. Several side day tours possible if we bring a little bit of extra food and fuel. 

For Rock Climbing

• North Bend / Exits 32 & 38 - 1 day. The best thing about the Exits are their convenience to Seattle, and ease of access. Its a great way to spend a day or an afternoon warming up for the season. 
• Index - 1 day. A little bit of a farther drive, but trad climbing and a great intro to multi-pitch climbing. 
• Leavenworth / Icicle Creek - 2 days. The climbing at Icicle Creek is some of the best in the Pacific Northwest. Everything from single pitch to multi-pitch outings are possible. Really, to make the most of the time you should book two days, and either stay in Leavenworth or camp out on the Icicle. 
• What to work on? What do you want to learn? We can have instructional days based on anchor building and top-rope site management, full "what-if" rock rescue clinics, and pushing into lead climbing. 

For Alpine Climbing

• Snoqualmie Pass - 1 day. The Tooth and Chair Peak are dry, and snow coverage allows for quick approaches. 
• Colchuck Peak - 1-2 days. 
• Washington Pass - Early Winter Spires, Le Petite Cheval, Cutthroat Peak. These are awesome day climbs, right now with a thick blanket of snow that makes the approaches really easy. Stay down in Mazama or Winthrop in the evenings!
• Boston Basin and Eldorado Peak - there is still a lot of snow, adding two miles to the approach into Boston Basin. Doesn't mean it can't be done - but you're going to earn every bit of it!

Interested?  Questions?  Email me at chris@chrissimmonsguiding.com.  Hope to see you again in the mountains!

The Mazamas

Last Saturday I was invited to spend an afternoon and evening with the Mazamas, one of the oldest climbing clubs on the west coast, at their lodge near Mt Hood.  It was a cool experience to sit with 60 recreational instructors, talking about climbing techniques and group management skills.  I certainly hope to come back.

Classic Climbing at Snoqualmie Pass: The Tooth's South Face

JR called me Wednesday night while I was half-packed for our climb in the morning.  "Chris, I'm really sorry," he launched into it without warning, "Dude, there's a s#!t-storm at work and I'm not going to be able to play hooky like I planned.  I'm sure you'll have a good time with Chuck - he's strong."

So this Trip Report is dedicated to JR.

The solo drive up to the pass gave me time to think about the past summer, the past month, and writing about this post.  Before highway 2 was opened over Stevens Pass, and highway 20 was pushed through the North Cascades, Snoqualmie Pass was Seattle's alpine training ground.  Access up the Middle Fork and into the Lemah's was actually easier than it is today, with maintained roads making both of these areas reasonable weekend objectives.  Even now, there is classic climbing to be had from the Alpental parking lot, taking only 6-12 hours car-to-car.

The South Face of The Tooth is one of those classics.  Only 400' long, Beckey calls it "low-5th class", and it certainly meets my definition of old-school 4th class or new-school 5.4.  Speed solo alpinists have been known to run in, climb and down climb, and run out in an evening.  Earlier in the summer, the approach demands ice axes and crampons to cross the snowfields in Alpental Valley and Pineapple Basin.  By this time of the year its a fantastic approach-shoe climb.

After a stop at George's Bakery in North Bend for a donut breakfast and a ham-and-cheese croissant for lunch, I met Chuck in the Alpental Parking lot and we were hiking by 9am.  Along the way we saw the unbelievable - a mountain goat in Alpental Valley!  I've seen them further to the north and east, but never here in the valley itself, and there one was, climbing up the Chair Basin avalanche path/talus fields, perhaps 500' above us.  Amazing.

The mountain goat is visible immediately below
the talus field in the middle of the photo.

The smoke from the east-side fires made for some incredible light, but is also completely wrecking the views that I've come to expect to the east and north into the Enchantments.  It makes me wish for the rains to come and help the firefighters out.  That'll happen soon enough (rain is in the forecast for the end of next week).

At the base of the climb we met three teams from the Mountaineers, led by Cebe, who was king enough to let us pass by.  3-2-1 Liftoff!

Pitch 1.

Pitch 4.

Summit photo - where's JR?

The South Face, as I climb it, is 2 pitches of 5.4, a third pitch of 4th class, and another final 5.4 pitch to the summit.  Chuck was awesome, following smoothly and even able to pull out a stopper that I was sure I had placed to well, joining the ranks of a ton of fixed cams littering the last pitch.  We were standing on the summit at noon.

The Tooth - the South Face is the sunlit aspect.

This route gets so much traffic, there are four perfectly spaced rappel stations for the descent.  We made sure to thank the Moutaineers as we passed them on pitch 3.  Back at the packs we ate and drank again, waved good by to the 6 teams that were now on the route, and headed back to the cars.  Mission complete at 4pm.

Statistics:  Pro Guiding Service.  The Tooth (5604ft), South Face (II 5.4, 400', 4p).  27 September with Chuck C.

Guides' Day Off on Day Tooth

I've been meaning to climb with Kurt all summer, so I was psyched when our schedules finally worked out.  We only had a day, and we were both feeling a bit on the low end of the fuel gauge.  Kurt had a great idea - checking out the East Face of the The Tooth, a route that sees practically no traffic compared to the South Face.

This route was a lot longer than we expected:
P1 - 200', low 5th - this pitch could be broken into two, and probably should to protect the belayer from rock fall
P2 - 80', 5.6
P3 - 200', 4th class slab
P4 - 80' 150', 5.6 with 3rd class schrubbery
P5 - 80', 5.8
P6 - 140' 180', 5.8

Our big observation - the rock itself was super solid and compact.  It was only the amount of loose rocks sitting on ledges and sills that detracted from the climbing.  This is a route that deserves a bit of time to sweep and clear the looseness off.  And the compact nature of the rock meant that the protection was sparse, especially on the lower grade pitches.  It will never be as classic as the South Face, but that can be a plus too - on a weekday we rappeled past three teams making their way up the South Face in a slow fashion.

I was home 12 hours after leaving the house.

Statistics:  The Tooth (5604'), East Face (III 5.8, 775', 7 pitches).  12 September with Kurt Hicks.

Classic Mt Shuksan

Karen and Dave were back at it - again! - last weekend.  We met Friday morning and climbed the Sulfide Glacier and SE Rib on Mt Shuksan.  The trip, in Dave's words, was "classically Cascadian."  A heavily wooded approach with blue berries and salmon berries to the Sulfide Glacier.  Camp in a snowy saddle with views of Mt Baker, Glacier Peak, the Picket Range, and the summit pyramid towering above us.  A summit day of glacier travel, technical rock climbing, and a long hike back out.

He's absolutely right - the pictures prove it.

Entering the alpine and leaving the treeline at 5100'.

High camp at 6500'.

Sunset behind Mt Baker.

The Picket Range to the east.

An early morning start crossing and climbing the Sulfide Glacier.

Amazing rock.  Arguably classic 4th class or new-
school 5.4 on the SE Rib.

One last photo on the descent.  The SE Rib climbs the right skyline
from the notch 1/4th of the way up.

Statistics:  Pro Guiding Service, Mt Shuksan (9131'), Sulfide Glacier with SE Rib (III 5.4 snow, glacier).   7-8 June, with Dave and Karen N.

Guye Peak

Everyone who has driven east over Snoqualmie Pass has seen Guye Peak.  Its West Face guards the entrance to Alpental Valley, towering over the community's cabins and roads.  Six routes criss-cross the face, but the most classic is the Improbable Traverse - a 900'-long route that climbs the biggest feature of the face, right up the center, on some remarkably good rock.

After last weekend's dose, Dave wanted to see a bit more, so we left Seattle early.  We were a bit worried when we arrived to Snoqualmie Pass in a cloud bank, completely obliterating the view, but we trusted the posted forecast and sure enough, we were having lunch in the sun, part-way up the face.  The Improbable Traverse pitches went past quickly, and by early afternoon we were on the summit, enjoying the view.  After clearing the summits we were able to put away the rope, and follow the steep scrambler's trail back to the Alpental Valley.

Low clouds completely obscured the mountain, and we certainly
slowed down - I wanted to make sure we didn't miss the entrance
couloir to the route.

The view above made the initial route finding difficult.
This is the first pitch.

300' and three pitches later, the clouds had burned
off and this was the view of Snoqualmie Pass.

Trying to look back down at pitches 1-3.

Dave taking a moment to relax at the Lunch Ledge, half way
up the pitches.

Looking across the 150' Improbable Traverse.

The traverse is broken into two pitches for rope drag.  Dave's
belaying me from the Lunch Ledge (top of p3) - I'm at the anchor of p4.

The last two pitches are low 5th and 4th class.

A few hundred feet of 3rd and 4th class climbing lead to the summit.

On the hike back to the car, we finally got the view of the face.
The Improbable Traverse climbs the big corner immediately left of the
white rock in the center of the face, and leads straight to the summit.

Statistics:  Guye Peak (5168'), West Face, Improbable Traverse (III 5.8, 9 pitches/900').  31 August with Dave N.