Red Rocks and Road Trips

Red Rocks, Nevada, is some of the best beginner and moderate multi-pitch climbing in the United States. Now combine that with cheap and easy airfare to Las Vegas, a multitude of lodging options from hotels to camping, and you have a true climbing destination.
Interested in checking it out for yourself? I've got the weekend of 10-13 October available, and we can start even sooner than that if you'd like a longer trip.  $360/day for 1:1, or $215/per person/day for two guests. Offer ends 15 September!


Other Road Trips:
Washington Pass, North Cascades. Possibly my favorite local destination, Washington Pass and Mazama has an incredible concentration of easy-to-access moderate alpine rock climbs.  Lodging options cover the whole spectrum. Awesome destination for a weekend from Seattle.

City of Rocks, Idaho.  An insane number of single-pitch routes under 5.10, this destination lives up to its name.  Camping amongst the towers and trees.  Better for a long (4 days) weekend to a week.
Smith Rock, Oregon.  The birthplace of American sport climbing, Smith also has some great trad climbing in the lower gorge and some classic multi-pitch rock routes.  Lodging can vary from hotels just 30 minutes south in Bend to the campground right in the park.  If you can get out of work early on Friday, this makes for a great weekend.

Boulder, Colorado. Special Offer, 23 October - 1 November!!  I'll already be in Boulder, Colorado, for the AMGA Annual Meeting.  If you're in the Denver area and interested in experiencing the iconic Flatirons, contact me!

Help! I've been Instagrammed!!

Can you use Instagram as a verb?

In an effort to more efficiently get my photos from my phone (which is what I take my photos with these days) to my Facebook Page (where most of you look at my photos), I opened an Instagram account.  Doing this took about 30 seconds of signing up and about 3 months of whinging, hemming and hawing about if I wanted to sign up.

I tried Twitter, but I never really got into twitting.  Twittering? Tweeting. Twhatever.  When was something worth twitting about?  But not f-b'ing?  Besides, I don't want to tell about the fun I'm having - I want to show.  And tell.  Just like first grade.

My hope is, I'll be able to have a live Instagram feed on the website, as well as have my Instagrammed photos loaded immediately onto my Facebook page.  Or soon thereafter, since I don't have a cell signal in most places I take photos.

Oh!  And if you like - I know I'm assuming a lot, but you have read this far - please follow me on Instagram:  chrissimmonsguiding.

Cheers
Chris

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.

Back on the Wagon - A Return to Rock Climbing

A long-time guest - Carlton - came down with a number of ailments last year that put an indefinite stop to his climbing.  I worried for him - he's one of my longest returning guests and we've climbed together in the Sierra Nevada, road-tripped to Smith Rock, and spend countless weekends and evenings cragging around Seattle.  All that time together meant that we've talked as much about our families, our jobs, our communities and our politics as we have talked about climbing.  I like to think he's become a friend.

So for this past year I would pepper Carlton with texts and emails.  Are you ok?  And he would reassure me that everything was looking up but he still wasn't cleared to climb.

I was so stoked when, after reading one of my recent Smash & Grab newsletters, Carlton asked me if we could go out for an easy day.

We've been to Exit 38 and most recently, spent Saturday at Index, where Pro Guiding Service picked up a permit last fall.  I showed Carlton what might be the best multi-pitch 5.6 on the west side, the Great Northern Slab.

Welcome back, C.  You've been missed:

If only pitch 2 of the Great Northern Slab went on and on and on...

Rock Climbing at the Exit!

Jim, Amelia, Giaco and Mal came rock climbing with me for three days this week for an Intro to Rock Climbing with Pro Guiding Service.  These guys have some experience already, so our itinerary was more "Intermediate" then "Intro", and tailored more to what they wanted to be able to do afterwards:  lead sport climbs and set up top ropes.

Mal is stoked on his gear anchor.

Mock leading teaches lead belaying and proper rope management.

Giaco demonstrates proper teenager nutrition:  by eating a whole roasted chicken for lunch.

Graduate exercise on the third day:  setting up a top rope on this 5.8.

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!

Pro Guiding Service's Advanced Navigation Clinic

The day started at 3pm inside North Bend's Pioneer Coffee.
Maps and compass and bearings and navigation and gps and tour plans.
Its a lot of material to cover in three hours!

But it all adds up to a tour plan.

And a night out navigating by that plan proves the point.
Practice, practice, practice!

Statistics:  Pro Guiding Service, Advanced Navigation Clinic.  2 February.

WFRing

I finally finished off a killer 9-day work week pedaling back and forth to Bremerton to recertify my Wilderness First Responder with the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS.  WMI is the largest provider of wilderness medicine education west of the Mississippi, and this was my 9th recertification (my 8th with WMI).

WFR is the standard first aid requirement in the US outdoor industry, and has to be recert'ed every two years.  18 years ago I started my career as a US Navy Hospital Corpsman, and left with an EMT-Intermediate qualification and paramedic training.  Over the years, I had to let those qualifications go - its really challenging to keep an EMT or higher certification if you're not working in a medical position.

I also learned that WFR is a verb.

Thanks to Mike Schiller and WMI for another awesome course.  I can recommend WMI without any hesitation - I'd work for them if I could find the time!

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.

Haute Route 2013!

Scheduled dates:  8-13 April 2013
Private dates available
Cost:  $2200 per person, for teams of three plus guide - smaller ratios are possible, email for special rates.


Second Part Of Day 5 Haute Route from Nate Purcell on Vimeo.

I'm really, really excited to get to announce that I'm going to Europe to ski the Haute Route at least twice, back-to-back, with Pro Guiding Service.

This trip is a classic ski tour.  Classic in the sense that other tours try to use "Haute" to sound as classic. Six days, five nights, eleven glaciers, three countries.  What are called "huts" on the route would be considered "fully-catered ski lodges" in North America (what we call huts they would dismiss as "refugios").

I'm shamelessly copying what Pro Guiding Service describes on the tour:

"The Haute Route is most likely the single most famous ski traverse in the Alps and Pro Guiding Service has guided it about 30 times in 5 different variations.  Our guides speak french and english.  Martin Volken the founder and head guide of Pro Guiding Service grew up in the Zermatt valley and speaks german, french, italian and english.  Because of Martin's background as a Swiss Mountain guide we have many local connections in the area.  Believe us, it makes a difference.

"The Haute Route crosses eleven glaciers at an average elevation of 3,000 meters.  Depending on the toure variation you might end up skiing in three different countries.  The huts are sophisticated by US standards, the mountains are more alpine in character that anything in the lower 48 states, and packs are small enough to let you enjoy the skiing even at the highest elevations of the trip.

"Touring in such spectacular mountains coupled with the multi-cultural exchange will make this trip a unique experience."

More information, including a detailed itinerary and gear list, can be found at Pro Guiding.  I'm thrilled to be skiing this route, and I hope you can join me!!

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.

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.

The Tooth

Dave and Karen joined me for a day at Snoqualmie Pass, and I wanted them to have a good time.  After an earnest but failed search to find the old trail mentioned in a guidebook, we turned around and followed the new trail up to the Tooth, and climbed the East Face.

Getting ready in the lot

Crossing Source Lake basin to reach Pineapple Basin.
The Tooth is in the background.

Summit photo

Statistics:  The Tooth (5604'), South Face (II 5.4).  26 August, with Dave and Karen N.